BW: Workplace Experts builds commercial office interiors and has more than 20 years of experience. It takes on more than 50 large-scale projects each year, with between 25 to 60 subcontractors on each project. It needed a more streamlined way of managing these projects where all systems were talking to each other. Codiance worked with BW: Workplace Experts to create a system where employees could quickly access all the relevant information they needed for each project.
BW: Workplace Experts has been in the business of fitting out commercial spaces for over 20 years. It creates beautiful spaces for some of the world’s largest brands and organisations.
Tackling more than 50 large-scale projects every year, BW: Workplace Experts will subcontract to between 25 to 60 organisations on each project. Every creation is a masterclass in multi-layered, multi-contract project management. From design, to construction, to painting and decorating, BW: Workplace Experts manages every aspect of every build.
Digital Transformation with people at the centre
Quickly accessible relevant information is key to making great decisions. When Codiance started working with BW: Workplace Experts, it had several enterprise CMS systems holding great decision-making data. However, most processes were manual and few of the systems talked to each other. Thousands of people-hours were used every year simply organising and gathering information.
Codiance’s initial work fell into three clear phases. Each one a game-changer in the ease of decision-making.
The solution
Phase 1: Visual consumption for better decision-making
The most fundamental problem to solve was making all the decision-making information visible at a glance. One look at one screen – no reliance on other teams or processes.
Codiance integrated all its CMS systems and data-points. No matter the structure or format, they now all talked to each other. A very complex undertaking by itself! A great example of the impact was tracking ‘new jobs’ for contractors.
Before the integration, you couldn’t easily see how many new jobs a contractor had lined up. With 25 to 60 subcontractors per workplace, even project managers within the same team couldn’t track overbooked contractors.
At a glance, you can now see the number of jobs for each contractor, integrated with other key decision-making information. If they’re highly subscribed, simply choose another contractor. All at a glance.
Steve Buchanan, Head of IT, BW: Workplace Experts, said: “This didn’t simply make information easier to see, this transformed the process and saved many problems further downstream.”
Phase 2: Third party data integration for quicker decision-making
Next, how could Codiance improve decision-making with third party data? Introducing instantly-viewable credit scoring was the next major transformation.
A full credit report would require additional external team resources to generate and review. Credit checks were only carried out for large contracts – it was too time-consuming otherwise.
Unfortunately – and particularly during COVID – a contractor would go into liquidation without prior warning. With no credit check, safeguards were limited. Projects were delayed.
Codiance found a way to use existing contractor information to automatically run a compressed credit check that provided the key information required to make a decision.
Phase 3: Creating better data to improve client satisfaction
Codiance had already integrated an easily visible scoring system for every contractor in phase 1. This made it easier for project managers to choose and rate contractors. Next, Codiance wanted to help contractors rate BW: Workplace Experts.
By making it simple for contractors to rate BW: Workplace Experts, it became simple to spot improvement opportunities and secure more world-class contractors to work with. This has led to even better working relationships and end-client satisfaction.
An extension of the BW: Workplace Experts Team
There will always be ways to improve a system and make the running of a business more successful and enjoyable. They are now into phase 4, where Codiance is helping BW: Workplace Experts to automate the creation of orders and contracts – all within the same system.
Codiance is helping BW: Workplace Experts become more efficient, lessen the errors and get paperwork done quicker. It is also helping them secure and deliver even more projects. It’s been exciting, and there’s still more to do.
Tomas Hollingsworth, Head of Technology from BW: Workplace Experts, spoke exclusively to Intelligent SME.tech about the partnership:
Why did you choose Codiance?
I didn’t choose Codiance initially; they were an incumbent supplier. However, their approachable demeanour and straightforward manner made me eager to continue our partnership. Leadership changes often lead to a change in suppliers, which highlights the exceptional relationship management by Codiance (Simon and Adam). They operate with the efficiency of a large-scale enterprise in terms of product and development cycles yet maintain the personal touch and approachability of a small business when it comes to client relations.
How has it affected day-to-day operations?
Our collaboration with Codiance has enabled us to maintain high reliability in our legacy systems while we work towards modernising our infrastructure. We’re taking a comprehensive look at our application landscape and systems, aiming for improvement without compromising existing partnerships. Codiance aligns with my principle of seeking out innovative products and solutions that emphasise simplicity and reliability.
What other key decision-making information does it provide, besides the number of jobs a contractor has?
Assuming this refers to PartnerDB, it has been a cornerstone of our business for over five years, offering real-time construction data and financial insights in a user-friendly platform. We’re now exploring future endeavours with Codiance to ensure our backend systems are robust and scalable in anticipation of our projected growth. Our next step involves integrating human-centric AI with static data.
What difference has the credit check function made?
In our sector, financial stability is crucial. Being able to perform light-touch monitoring of our supply chain’s financial health is vital to our clients. An easy-to-use, API-driven connection to one of the UK’s largest agencies, accessible by our commercial team, is essential. It enables us to allocate work judiciously, with financial assessments informing capacity management.
With the time saved by using this technology, what can employees focus more on?
Minimising administrative tasks and redundancy is a priority. At BW, our ethos is to empower our teams to create inspiring workplaces, enabling them to spend less time on paperwork and more time engaging with clients or innovating on-site. Our primary goal is to deliver defect-free projects and having easy access to data is crucial for this achievement.
How will this technology affect the growth of BW?
Achieving our triple goals of innovation, inclusivity and net zero emissions is only possible with technological investment. Equipping our experts with intuitive and reliable systems provides them the opportunity to innovate. Attracting the next generation of professionals to BW, and the construction industry at large, depends on offering the data and systems they expect. Having partners and solutions that can keep pace with our ambitious goals and provide cutting-edge insights is essential, making our partnership with Codiance invaluable.
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