With $428,622 million of market capitalization, the global construction industry remains one of the world’s under-digitized sectors. Yet, we see an increasing number of construction companies aim to transform business processes digitally. One of the national construction leaders dared to become an industry pioneer by getting a digital transformation of their ERP with three spot-on solutions. And this is what comes of it.
Summary:
- The customer needed a single software solution that would streamline construction project management across all departments, elevate the partner management processes, and simplify truck and asset management.
- We created an all-in-one ERP with three interconnected solutions. First, a portal for project management with time-tracking option. Second, a geofencing system for onsite presence visibility. And third, a mobile solution for truck drivers that simplifies asset delivery and management.
- Now, everyone, from a truck driver to an on-site inspector, is empowered with a useful tool to carry out their tasks quickly and efficiently.
The Challenge: Lots of Data, No Infrastructure
One of the nation’s top construction companies decided to move away from unsynced legacy systems and enable innovation. They approached us for a digital transformation of their key operations as part of the company’s business development plan.
The company needed a single software platform that would:
- streamline construction project management across all departments,
- elevate the partner management processes,
- and simplify construction equipment and assets management.
We faced a simple, yet complex challenge: to streamline crucial processes in assets, partners, and project management. There were no quick and easy answers. And more questions amounted.
The complexity of the company’s projects increased the complexity of the challenge. And the success of any company's project relies on an immense number of elements and involves many partners and parties, including governmental institutions.
The company’s civil engineering building and infrastructure construction projects start in the middle of nowhere — there was no infrastructure at all.
At the same time, there were a zillion things to manage: from resources, people, and documentation, including certificates and passes to the site, to numerous inventory items and machinery, the materials that arrive and leave the site.
Therefore, the solution needed to unlock the next stage of the construction giant’s growth and tackle significant business challenges connected to the company’s key operations, as well as across-the-board project organization. In the end, the company became the first local construction company to embrace innovation on such a large scale.
The Solution: All-in-one Construction ERP
Together with the Innovation team, we launched a series of software workshops. After shaping the overarching solution and problematic areas, the group proceeded to the development stage.
The result was an enterprise ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tuned and customized for construction projects consisting of three streamlined and interconnected solutions:
- a portal for construction project management with time-tracking solutions;
- an on-site geofencing system;
- a mobile solution for truck drivers that simplifies asset delivery and management as much as possible.
Moreover, some of the solutions are unique to the construction industry — no one implemented such technology before the construction giant’s partnership with Intellectsoft.
Portal for Project Management
The resources management portal is the starting point and the foundation of the complex solution. Before its implementation, the company relied on Excel, and the process of exchanging and managing crucial project information was segmented.
To address the issue, we created a custom, cloud-based construction resources management portal that converges critical aspects of a project in a single digital environment that is easy to maneuver.
Key features include:
- Management of large-scale construction projects;
- Management of Users (workers), Teams (Groups), Vendors (Subcontractors);
- Materials management (loading and unloading of raw materials for trucks);
- Management of machines — trucks, lorries, excavators, bulldozers, etc.;
- Geofencing — automated work shift check-in and checkout for onsite presence visibility;
- Vendor ecosystem;
- Time-tracking solution;
- Integration with Internal and Government services for data and requirements (e.g., mandatory worker card).
The design and functionality of this solution ensures transparency and communication between the company's employees and departments, as well as other involved parties. The portal also makes it easy to monitor the progress of the company’s and its partners’ employees, as well as improves partner collaboration with easy third-party integration.
Now, the company can carefully manage every aspect of any project, elevating project efficiency to new heights.
On-site Geofencing
As other large construction companies, our customer partners with a lot of organizations/vendors across all of its divisions, and the workers of these organizations are present on project sites.
The process of organizing this cooperation involved several issues:
- Representatives needed to carry their ID cards on their work clothes;
- On-site reporting with paper documents proved uncomfortable to employees and their partners alike;
- The problems affected the level of project security and efficiency.
To address the issues, we established an advanced geofencing system for onsite presence visibility.
It was the first solution of its kind for the local construction industry.
Already tested on a road construction project, the system became a reliable backbone for on-site ID card check-in/check-out, allowing the company to see which employee entered the site and which partner company or organization they represent.
We’ve also created a separate functionality for inspectors working on the projects, completely transferring their workflow to mobile and removing paperwork from the process.
The geofencing solution and inspector solution are directly connected to the labor management portal, converging everything in one place.
A Mobile Solution for Truck Drivers
The legacy solution was too complicated and uncomfortable for the drivers. At the same time, the premise of the process was rather simple: a truck arrives at a site, unloads (or loads) the materials, records the type and amount of materials, and leaves the site. Also, it was a stand-alone solution that was not synced with any other software system of the company.
To solve the problem, we created a mobile-driven solution that simplifies the process as much as possible, bringing in other substantial benefits along the way. It is also connected to the labor management portal.
How it works:
- A driver records the process of unloading and loading with one click;
- Selects which material they delivered or loaded for delivery, and how much of it;
- Leaves the project site.
Some benefits for the construction company:
- No reporting: the app collects the data, and is accessible on a dedicated dashboard;
- Integration with other systems;
- Improved weight control;
- Geofencing: the app records when a truck arrives and leaves.
Continuous Impact and Collaboration
From a truck driver to an on-site inspector and anyone that partners with the construction giant on a project, now everyone is empowered with an effective tool to carry out their tasks quickly and efficiently.
This collaboration formed an impactful and unique solution that puts the customer several steps ahead of the competition, confirming the company’s reputation as a leader and innovator in the construction industry.
Seeing that solution has proven to solve the customer’s challenges is the greatest reward for us. We hope to witness more and more construction companies to implement innovations and disrupt digital transformation in the future. And Intellectsoft is here to have their backs!
The construction giant’s partnership with Intellectsoft continues in other areas that modern technology could transform and improve further. It also carried the customer over to the next business development stage, ensuring the company’s end-to-end digital transformation.
If you are ready to elevate your construction business with digital transformation or need an extensive consultation on the matter, get in touch with our construction experts.
Let’s create your next success story together!
