DIGITAL PLATFORM provider MiProject Solutions believes it has the key to the pressing data challenge facing the UK construction industry. Time and again, reporting mechanisms are shown to be a significant contributing factor to the success of contractors – from identifying risks, to being appointed to frameworks and demonstrating clear KPI
The information gap between contractors, framework providers and customers is the biggest barrier to ensuring compliance across the board, says the director of a leading built environment technology solution. Martin Ward of MiProject Solutions, which works with major contractors and frameworks to ensure compliance on digital frameworks, believes that the
DIGITAL PLATFORM provider MiProject Solutions believes it has the key to the pressing data challenge facing the UK construction industry. Time and again, reporting mechanisms are shown to be a significant contributing factor to the success of contractors – from identifying risks, to being appointed to frameworks and demonstrating clear KPI performance. MiProject Solutions has created savings for major contractor Willmott Dixon of more than £1.1m per year and shares how this has been achieved while making data a key part of its digital transformation In the words of David Mosey, author of Constructing the Gold Standard, contractors must share information that they would usually “keep to themselves” in order to create meaningful change in the sector. Combined with recommendations from the Construction Playbook, the industry needs to see an urgent cultural shift to embrace transparent data capture, digital transformation, and greater collaboration between delivery partners. MiProject Solutions has adapted its suite of digital platforms to meet the evolving requirements of a wide range of major contractors and framework providers. However, its MiPerformance product has stood the test of time for Willmott Dixon, which was its first partnership seven years ago. The flexibility of its approach is paramount to its success. Martin Ward, director of digital solutions at MiProject Solutions, said: “There is a real impatience brewing among contractors and framework providers regarding inadequate data, and requirements to not only promise but to provide evidence of strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, robust health and safety practices and strong corporate governance. “There is no sign of this slowing down, and our data-hungry industry will only continue to multiply to meet the UK’s sustainability targets. “Digital transformation is required to turn a new leaf in the sector, which has long held a reputation for being notoriously slow to digitally innovate. We see our job as streamlining data processes to make them as pain-free and efficient as possible, to allow contractors to do what they do best. Our solutions navigate KPIs to revolutionise the way we see data in the sector.” Willmott Dixon’s initial investment in the MiPerformance platform followed its appointment to a SCAPE framework, as it identified the need to accurately calculate local spend and social value. Ahead of the curve for its time, this triggered several other contractors on the framework to see its benefits, choosing to adopt the platform too. SCAPE was then able to view transparent data and KPI performance across its delivery partners in one window and assess progress across a breadth of projects – something they had not seen before. Scott Corey, strategic accounts and services director at Willmott Dixon, said: “When done well, data input, analysis and forecasting can deliver hugely positive outcomes. It can spot time and cost efficiencies in advance, as well as strengthen processes and policies to benefit a wide range of stakeholders. “On the other side of the coin, poor data processes can place extreme pressures on staff, pose security risks and create backlogs that are detrimental to contract performance and business improvement. “Efficient digital data processes are an absolute necessity for a modern contractor. In our case, MiPerformance has cut time spent on admin by 50 per cent, as it calculates social value in real time and streamlines manual processes. “The platform also reduces the opportunity for human error by generating alarms and alerts to help gear us towards our deadlines, and even suggests improvement actions.” Willmott Dixon praised the benefits of good digital data management and its wide-ranging effects – slashing time spent on preparing bids or award submissions, demonstrating value to potential clients and supporting eligibility for accreditations. Scott said: “We need the digital assistance of this platform to identify risks, keep teams on track and accountable, and encourage constructive conversations at all levels. This is what drives performance and allows us to reach internal and external KPIs at Willmott Dixon. “We can’t afford to bypass the digital tools at our disposal – it is an essential step in the industry’s journey to meet the high bar set for us by governing bodies. “I understand that many contractors might be initially reticent to share data with their partners, either out of fear of exposing vulnerabilities or ‘giving too much away’. However, what I have found is that the tool brings a greater sense of collaboration as we work together to reach shared goals. “The system is embedded into our culture, with all new employees inducted straight onto it. We are now seeing the system track more than 20 data collection points per project across all our sites and operations.” Willmott Dixon is also using the platform to track its internal KPIs. It has been configured to pull a wide range of data from several of its key internal information systems, including the customer relationship management (CRM), CSCS system and other MiProject Solutions’ products to serve as the central hub of all knowledge. Framework providers are increasingly aware that a unified approach to digital data processing creates greater transparency and certainty of delivery, helping to build trust and cultivate strong working relationships. In Willmott Dixon’s case, data is not a taboo subject, and a transparent approach to data processing is a strong force for change. MiPerformance is the leading digital solution provided by MiProject Solutions. To learn more about MiPerformance, visit: https://miprojectsolutions.com/solutions/mi-performance/ Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
The information gap between contractors, framework providers and customers is the biggest barrier to ensuring compliance across the board, says the director of a leading built environment technology solution. Martin Ward of MiProject Solutions, which works with major contractors and frameworks to ensure compliance on digital frameworks, believes that the key points raised by the Construction Playbook and the recent Mosey Report can only be addressed with the introduction of better digital tools. Ward will be one of the keynote speakers at the Built Environment Networking National Framework & Procurement Conference, where he will present on how to optimise performance through digital frameworks. Ward said: “The construction industry is currently in a critical phase of flux. The recent Mosey Report on the framework gold standard has shone a harsh light on the process side of framework management, most notably how processes can be made more efficient. “By the same token, the ambitious aims of the Construction Playbook around embracing collaboration and digital innovation are setting a high bar for frameworks to meet. “The obvious success of the Playbook is its ability to repurpose the meaning of value broader than capital cost. However, if the drivers of the playbook and enablers of the value toolkit are to flourish they will need a seismic shift in data and digital transformation. “To build certainty of outcomes, we have to establish the correct objectives and establish the aligned measures and capture the right data. “Compliance is crucial to the smooth running of frameworks, but the problem that the industry faces at the moment is that there is a real information gap between the contractor, the framework provider and the customer. “While this is a huge issue, it isn’t insurmountable. By introducing tools which capture, report and analyse outcomes throughout a project’s lifecycle, you create a golden thread which pulls everything together, ensuring more accurate governance from the customer through to the contractor and delivering a true value toolkit. “We look forward to the opportunity to talk through our digital solutions to overcome these common industry challenges.” A construction industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, Ward believes that measurability and accountability are going to be the key outcomes as frameworks become increasingly digitised. “Being able to evidence outcomes is a key tenant of the Construction Playbook. Future measures will not only need to be transparent, but they must in turn follow that golden thread back to the core object. “This will then lead to better understood and more tangible outcomes. It is impressive to say, for example, that a project has delivered £1m in social value, but if that money has gone towards apprentices and parks in an area where the key challenge is child poverty, is it really adding value where it is needed?” Addressing the opportunities that lay ahead for frameworks, Ward states that the key is going to be being agile and adaptable enough to meet the demands of a changing landscape. “Frameworks are competitive, and customers have more choice than ever, and customers will demand to be brought closer to the journey, to be able to feel their objectives being delivered. “The opportunity facing frameworks is simple – long-term relationships form the perfect platform to bring about change, work smarter, invest in the relationship and technology, and provide a smarter, slicker digital enabled journey. “We see frameworks adopting an eco-system of support and data capture technologies. However, it isn’t those tools that are related to project management or delivery that will be of most benefit, but rather those focussed on bridging the communication and information gap between customer, framework and contractor.” Martin Ward is leading Built Environment Networking National Framework & Procurement Conference’s ‘Best Practice Presentation’ at 1pm on Wednesday, 2 February. To register for the event, click here. For more information on MiProject Solutions, visit miprojectsolutions.com
