"Corona has transformed our effectiveness and the quality of service that we are able to deliver."

Client

The UK's largest privately owned construction solutions provider has the high-profile London Groundworks contract that gives them a significant presence in the repair and maintenance sector. Through this contract alone the organisation handles more than 300,000 notices per year.

Business Challenge

Operating on highways projects in London, the organisation faced the constraints of the Traffic Management Act and New Roads and Streetworks Act. Legislation requires a notice for each project including its start date and duration. The local authorities levy fines of £100- £2500 per notice per day for each project overrun. This meant that the company faced a notice overrun liability of approximately £100,000 per day.

Lightsout Computer Services was asked to provide a solution to manage this liability. The inherent problems were:

• the project-focussed delivery model and supporting systems were insufficient
• there was no real-time operational control system in place
• the existing works management systems were limited and did not have the capacity for real-time reporting
• jobs frequently disappeared into ‘black holes' resulting in delays, confusion and escalating costs
• unexpected issues delayed projects and caused streetworks fines.

"Lightsout has provided a digital revolution to the streets of London with cutting-edge mobile solutions. Corona has transformed our effectiveness and the quality of service that we are able to deliver on the London groundworks project. They tailored the solution to our business needs, enabling us to establish a competitive advantage over competitors," explained a construction manager.

Solution

Lightsout Computer Services brought the practical knowledge of the client's workforce into the solution and tailored the software. They deployed the Corona works management system supported by the Cognito mobile working platform. Field-based teams were provided with hand-held devices that link to a central system, improving communication with  back office staff and senior management.

Amongst London's dense network of pipes and Victorian installations, common unexpected findings include old pipes and wartime bombs. The Corona solution enables workmen to take photographs on their hand-held devices, which are accompanied by GPS coordinates, a time and a date, for automated reporting and requesting unforeseen requirements. This allows accurate and rapid management decisions, overcoming practicalities and often eliminates the elapsed time between projects and project phases.   

Providing real-time visibility and automated process management, Lightsout's solution ensures that the staff arrive at the right place, on time with appropriate materials and skills. Senior managers have access to live information that can be shared with other organisations on a web portal which differentiated this construction company from its competitors. It improves transparency and avoids misunderstandings.          

Results

Corona increased roadwork service efficiency and quality and reduced running costs within the works management centre.

Through the real-time visibility of the works and live management decision-making Corona has helped to reduce streetworks fines from £75,000 to zero.

Automated process management has resulted in lower overheads. In the first five months Corona brought a saving of approximately £250,000 by reducing administration requirements. This saving is expected to rise to £440,000 per annum within its first year.

Corona has delivered:

• a clear understanding of  field-based work-force dynamics
• the ability to accurately determine planned vs. actual task time and identify non-productive time between tasks
• a comprehensive outline of the true efficiencies within the client's core delivery process.

Business Benefits

• transformed the effectiveness and quality of service
• increased workforce efficiency
• eliminated streetworks fines
• reduced overheads
• improved the ability to manage duty-of-care requirements
• improved relationships with other organisations and local authorities
• improved transparency and avoidance of misunderstanding surrounding practicalities
• reduced business risk
• minimised the impact of unpredictability
• improved health and safety

At an awards ceremony, the client's managing director said:

"Corona appears to be three years ahead of its time."