Breaking Down Digital Transformation: Honest Insights for Modern Business

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This year at Highways UK I took part in a talk alongside Julie Davidson B.A.(Hons) CQP MCQI , head of QSHE division, at Jointline - based in Lincoln and Bradford. Jointline specialise in road markings, airfield markings, and high friction/coloured surfacing.??

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Recently, Jointline have been working with one of our PM's and support teams in order to fully embrace the digital transformation of their business. The talk I took part in really captured that digital transformation process in action, and I wanted to share some of it in this month's article.

The information discussed is good value at picking apart the hesitations and concerns that companies sometimes have.??

The challenges of digitally transforming field operations?

Digital transformation isn’t just about moving from paper to digital. It often involves shifting from a static, or underperforming system - to a more suitable solution that’s intuitive and flexible with fututre-proofed capabitlties. With years of experience at Re-flow, collaborating with companies in highways, utilities, and construction, along with my previous roles in support, onboarding, and training, and numerous on-site discussions, I’ve regularly seen four key concerns businesses face when making process changes with their operations:

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During the talk at Highways UK, Julie explained how 3 years ago there was a light mix of digital use, and, tradtional processes - specialifcally around paper. They had been using an iteration of Re-flow's App for the digtial side, but only in a limited capacity.

"We knew Re-flow was intuitive", Julie shared. "Our site staff quickly adopted the near-miss reporting feature we were using. Since it’s an app, the format felt familiar to them."

Although Jointline is still navigating its digital transformation, Julie is already seeing promising results.

• Improved compliance: The ability to block access to timesheets and pay for workers who haven’t completed their daily defect report is driving better compliance across the workforce.?

• Increased near-miss reporting: Since digitising the process, the number of near-miss reports has skyrocketed by 800%, providing real-time data and better insights for safety management.?

• Data-driven decision-making: A digitsed system allows Jointline to make quicker, more informed decisions based on accurate, real-time data. This is essential for KPI reporting, client transparency, and overall business efficiency.? ?

Julie further explained how across different divisions, night shifts, day shifts, and different types of work across the country these paper-based systems led to a lack of real-time visibility, insufficient information for reporting, and a higher risk of human error – papers went missing and key information wasn’t being backed up.??

It was here they identified improvements could be made and they started looking for solutions.?

Triggers for considering a digital transformation?

Jointline Limited have been experiencing significant growth, with all divisions expanding and a desire to attract larger clients like National Highways and several factors were highlighted that triggered the company's decision to undergo digital transformation:?

• Real-time data demands: Large clients expect immediate, accurate data. Paper-based systems created delays and inefficiencies, making it harder to meet these expectations.?

• Eliminating bottlenecks: Paper systems slowed operations and led to lags in communication and decision-making.?

• Efficiency and modernisation: The company needed to streamline processes to stay competitive and design more efficient workflows.?

• Attracting new talent: With an ageing workforce, it was crucial to modernise to appeal to younger, tech-savvy employees. Generation Z expects digital solutions, not outdated, paper-heavy systems.?

• Environmental concerns: Reducing paper would align with sustainability and carbon-emission goals.?

These drivers made it clear that change was essential to staying competitive and future-proofing the business.?

To drive productivity and to be more efficient, they wanted swift reporting, to increase client satisfaction, and to reduce their carbon. Absolutely everything pointed towards pursuing a change – whether the journey was initally turbulent, hurdles would be overcome.??

Headaches leading to opportunities?

So how are Jointline doing? How are they optimising the process and how do they know that they're on track and that they're getting the most efficiency out of the processes that they're putting in place??

Julie’s words were very honest: "I would just warn anyone else that's about to do a digital transformation that this is where all the headaches come. Just digitising a form is not going to do anything for you really, in terms of productivity and efficiency. You have to look [more in depth] at your processes while you do it."??

Any company undergoing this process needs to make sure that evidencing data from site through forms are capable of compiling the data in the way their clients expect, and this was true for Jointline. This is a process that needs to be thought through, built, and embedded into the build of the software during the onboarding process alongside a PM that understands how companies operate in the sectors they serve.??

So for example, to comply with the Working Time Directive, the company no longer wanted to add up hours worked manually. They built in a calculator right from the start that they can use to increase compliance. They know as they get better using the system and as they finalise their adoption of the software, they’ll find more and more efficiencies.?

It’s going to be OK?

Confidence in the usability of a digital system was high, especially for site staff:?

• Intuitive design: The site staff were already familiar with Re-flow through its near-miss reporting feature in the early days, and this familiarity, along with the easy-to-use nature - eased the adoption of the broader system.

• Training focus: While app users were quick to adapt, dashboard users required training to understand the available toolset at their disposal. Jointline also plans to use internal champions—employees who are familiarised and excel in system usage—to help train others and ensure adoption across the board.?

Looking ahead, Julie expects the fully implemented system to be robust, efficient, and integral to Jointline's continued success.?

Conclusions?

?Reflecting on Jointline's progress, Julie emphasised the importance of team involvement from the outset. Initially, she had hoped to shield her teams from some of the challenges, but soon realised their active participation was crucial, especially in building the forms that would drive the system’s efficiency. It was also noted the need to manage expectations around timelines.

The key takeaway for companies starting their own digital journey: involve everyone early and give the project a relaistic timeline to develop properly to avoid rushing the process.?

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The importance of project managers??

There's a critical role that project managers play in a successful transformation. For Jointline, the support from Re-flow’s project management team was indispensable. Having industry-specific knowledge was equally essential, as it allowed the project managers to offer practical, experience-based insights.

This industry understanding enables best practices and solutions and a collaborative relationship which drives the project forward, ensuring that the outcomes are built with real-world application in mind.??

At Re-flow Field Management , I’m proud of our ability to build strong partnerships with our customers, supporting them throughout their journey. From transparent communication about our offerings to project management milestones and live system use, we ensure they feel confident and well-supported. Even after implementation, we maintain a collaborative relationship, ensuring software continues to meet evolving needs.

This ongoing partnership is a testament to Re-flow's adaptability and success in helping businesses thrive in a changing industry landscape.?

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Visit the Re-flow website to learn more about the benefits and features of the industry’s leading field management software.???