Customer Q&A: BW: Workplace Experts on how data-driven decisions are enabling business growth

In this customer spotlight, I spoke with Rob Frank, Customer Experience Director at BW: Workplace Experts to discuss how actionable, timely visibility into data has empowered the company to achieve “Defect Free” projects, and just what this level of real-time insight means for the future of smarter construction as a whole. 

From flexible working practices, to improved efficiency and better compliance, it was wonderful to hear Rob’s thoughts on the vital importance of actionable data in construction. 

First, can you tell us about your mission to deliver Defect Free projects?

“Defect Free” is the foundation on which we have built BW: Workplace Experts; the strategy that sits at the heart of everything we do. It essentially means to deliver on exceptional projects – completing them on time, without snags. As anyone in construction will tell you, however, being Defect Free on all projects is easier said than done!

When evaluating platforms to help you deliver Defect Free projects, what made Procore stand out?

Prior to adopting Procore we were using a combination of Excel spreadsheets, Word, email, and a separate system that tracked snagging. And while documents were saved on the server, there was no guarantee we could access them remotely. As a result, teams often saved drawings on personal computers or third-party solutions, like Dropbox, for example. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that standardising procedures became nearly impossible. 

Not only that, but we were using a range of tools to gather data – from a separate mobile punch list tool, to a collaboration tool for documentation management, to an accounting system and more.

With teams managing projects on their own workflows, and using a fragmented toolset, it became incredibly difficult to accurately collect data and gain real-time visibility into what was happening on site, while the spread of information across different systems meant we were unable to get a full picture of project performance. So, as is the case with a large number of businesses working in construction, we were producing heaps of data with insights we were unable to tap into.

This is where Procore came in. Procore’s ability to offer a one-stop shop – a single solution for all our construction management needs, delivering actionable, real-time insights and helping standardise processes across teams and projects – immediately stood out. 

Whether through driving project management efficiencies by connecting our teams and project information, or improving quality and safety by allowing us to understand, predict, and correct issues before they become a problem, it was immediately clear that Procore could help us deliver Defect Free projects.  

Also, by using Procore Analytics, which turns project data into business insights, we have been able to extract, analyse and visualise the data gathered from across the Procore platform, and compare it alongside other applications in our tech stack.

Delivering this information across a huge number of built out reports and dashboards as well as offering advanced tools such as machine learning, Procore Analytics has empowered us to pinpoint risks and weaknesses, build on strengths and strategise with greater clarity immediately. Really, the decision to adopt Procore was a no brainer.

Can you give us examples of business benefits of gaining a full picture of project performance?

By gaining a full picture of project performance, in a way that’s simple and relevant, we’re able to be far more effective in how we address issues, streamline processes, and optimise all areas of the business.

In simple terms, this starts with a dashboard that displays the status of different aspects of a project in red-amber-green. The dashboard is then updated in real-time using the information that people on-site are inputting as part of their day-to-day roles, whether that’s RFIs or snag lists.

With clear transparency of this data, we can quickly establish if something’s not running as planned, allowing us to pivot and change to address any issues. This not only improves project efficiency, but is significant in terms of risk mitigation. Using Procore, we’re able to drill down and look at all our projects and understand which have snags or drawings outstanding on the project timeline, and see them as a number, or as a percentage.

If we see that a project has two weeks to go and a number of drawings are yet to be signed off, we can identify this as a business risk, as the project may not finish on time. Additionally, there may be commercial issues around agreeing to the time extension. By being able to draw out these issues in real-time and having a traffic light system to highlight any potential stumbling blocks, we’re able to mitigate risk for the business, and improve upon the delivery of the project to the client.

This is just the starting point, however, and we’ve seen this progress so that the information we’re gaining is driving greater benefits than the immediate performance of a project. 

A platform that delivers visibility of our performance also gives us the ability to assess the company’s overarching strategy and offers a greater understanding of how we’re working towards it. For BW: Workplace Experts, it's important that the information delivered is relevant to our business strategy, ultimately aligning with client needs. This helps people understand that their performance measures are real and contribute to the business achieving its strategic goals, and allows us to recognise and celebrate these achievements.

What impact is the delivery of real-time insights having on BW: Workplace Experts customers?

It’s no exaggeration to say that achieving this insight has helped us deliver more Defect Free completions, boosting current client satisfaction and securing future business.

With the right information, we’re able to streamline operations to deliver projects on time, and tackle any issues proactively, rather than reactively. In the rare event that a problem does occur, we’re able to identify and address it that much more quickly.

While in the past we were only able to record a straightforward set of open and closed issues, we now have a 360-degree view of an entire project – so, when a snag arises, we can track the cause, steps taken, the average days spent solving the issue, the contractors involved, and the eventual solution.

This means that if a similar issue rears its head further down the line, data can be used to streamline how we tackle it, driving greater productivity, and ensuring improved quality and value for customers.

Finally, we’re now able to store all our standard forms, folders, and documents on Procore. This brings us consistency in the delivery of our projects, which is what our customers want, and is something we struggled with when we had such a fragmented toolset. Now, whichever project you go to, RFIs, documents, and snag lists are all consistent.

Gaining this level of visibility into performance will continue to have longer term benefits for customers, too, as we use the information to drive decision making that aligns with broader business goals, optimising the way we work to deliver future projects more efficiently.

Since gaining greater visibility into performance, can you share an example of a data-driven decision you’ve made to drive business growth?

By gaining real-time, actionable insight into performance, we’ve definitely been able to make better-informed decisions that have had a real impact on the business. Most notable was our discovery, through the data tracked by Procore, that certain projects weren’t completed on time largely because of snagging.

Equipped with this knowledge, we developed a snagging workshop, presenting trends and highlighting the trades that have taken the longest to close their items. This is a clear demonstration of a data-driven decision that has empowered us to achieve Defect Free project delivery.

How is achieving real-time insights impacting BW: Workplace Experts employees?

Procore’s platform has streamlined collaboration for employees, enabling them to more quickly and easily capture, share and access useful information. With information provided by on-site teams and updated in real time, users have access to a better quality of data and the most up-to-date insights, reducing the likelihood of rework and enabling them to carry out their roles more efficiently.

Not only that, but having digital records also eliminates the need for physical archives – removing the need for storage facilities or fit-to-burst filing cabinets. Instead, all the insight employees need is easily accessible, in the palm of their hand.

A platform that offers clear, actionable visibility into performance also allows us to speed up processes that would previously take far longer. Prior to Procore, running a project report would take about five hours. Now it takes about three minutes or less, helping us be more efficient, and deliver information that much faster.

Finally, the consistency delivered by Procore allows us to more easily onboard new employees, while Procore’s suite of training videos, certifications, and access to support, as well as its mobile functionality, enables our staff to quickly adopt and use the software, wherever they are.

How important will achieving real-time insights be for the future of construction?

I truly believe that a platform that delivers actionable, timely visibility into data in a way that’s easily accessible is vital for the future of construction.

While I believe we’ll begin to see technology like artificial intelligence play a greater part in the future of the industry, we will always need human experience in building and construction. Access to the right information at the right time can guide us to use this data in a more mature way to enrich our industry, whether that’s achieving better compliance, or, in our case, achieving Defect Free projects. 

My hope, too, is that by embracing this technology we could see the industry become more relaxed around our working practices, like working from home or from a third space. We’ve been in the dark ages for a long time, but technology that delivers this level of insight, wherever you are, will help the industry change its mindset and realise that in many cases, people can work from anywhere.