Re-flow review
Steve Hoskin Construction
Location
Cornwall
Industry
Construction
Users
45Key benefits
- HSE compliance and audit readiness
As all compliance processes are carried out daily within Re-flow, managers have real-time oversight of who has and hasn’t completed checks, and auditors can be supplied with instant, filterable records across LOLER, PUWER, HSE, ISO, and ESOS requirements. - Safety reporting and near-miss visibility
With Re-flow, Steve Hoskin Construction now receive a high rate of near miss reports through the app, alongside plant checks and other safety forms. Instant reporting gives management visibility, strengthens site safety culture, and allows corrective actions to be taken without delay. - Professional client handovers and reporting
Previously, site handovers and inspections involved a lot of paperwork that was slow to compile and store. With Re-flow, SHC deliver reports in a clear, professional format with all the photographic evidence they need, strengthening trust and helping build a strong company reputation.
Summary
Since 2018, Steve Hoskin Construction Ltd (SHC) have been using Re-flow to modernise operations and navigate shifting regulatory demands. Over that time, the business has grown, industry frameworks have evolved, and new compliance pressures have emerged. Through it all, SHC has continually adapted its use of the software, showing how flexible digital tools can evolve alongside a contractor’s needs.
This is a story of a company using Re-flow not just as a paperwork replacement, but as a long-term partner in compliance, safety, and efficiency. In construction and civils, where standards are high and reputations hard won, flexible software that can scale with operations is essential.
Background
Founded in 1995 and based in Pensilva, Cornwall, SHC are a family-run building and civil engineering contractor. They deliver a broad range of services across the South West, including earthworks, bulk excavation, land remediation, and street works.
Over the past three decades, SHC who recently celebrated 30 years in business has grown from a team of just 30 employees to a workforce of around 300. With that growth came greater operational complexity, more compliance obligations, and the need for better systems. Moving on from manual processes and paper-heavy administration, SHC turned to Re-flow to elevate compliance, safety, and management.
Today, the business continues to expand its use of the platform across projects and sites.
Challenges
Before adopting Re-flow, SHC faced several familiar challenges:
Compliance paperwork was difficult to track, with no visibility of who had or hadn’t completed processes.
Paper-based systems meant out-of-date forms on site, frequent losses, and no oversight without travelling to locations.
Drawings and documents had to be printed, photocopied, and laminated, creating both costs and storage issues.
Compliance checks were carried out fortnightly, leaving gaps and risks between inspections.
The burden of paper was particularly costly: SHC estimate they were spending around £4,000 a year on paper alone, plus significant amounts on printing, ink, and storage.
Their health and safety advisor often had to drive across Devon and Cornwall to collect documents and carry out checks, wasting time and fuel. Their supervisors faced a lot of paperwork that reduced their time on site.
As the business grew, further pressures developed. Audits for ISO certification and schemes such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) required detailed data capture and clear proof of compliance with energy savings. Multiple auditors began recommending digital systems as best practice.
Compliance for a company like SHC is massive. On the Re-flow app everything is written and laid down to reflect those safe systems, it just makes me aware of what’s going on on every single site and makes the guys on-site more proactive in doing their checks.
Aims
When SHC first began looking for a solution in 2018, their aims were more modest: reduce paperwork and give teams digital access to drawings and daily briefings. Then, as they began using Re-flow, they became progressively more aware of the wider potential of field management software.
Their aims soon evolved:
They wanted the software to manage compliance with confidence across LOLER, PUWER, HSE, ESOS and ISO requirements.
They wanted to introduce quality control processes for plot handovers with long-term guarantees and to gain a database of documents filterable by job that would last indefinitely.
They wanted to improve efficiency, productivity, and safety.
Solutions
Re-flow was introduced as a single unifying platform to bring more robust management, visibility, and efficiency to SHC’s operations. Its flexibility meant it could be tailored to the company’s evolving needs.
Key benefits included:
A single platform for forms and records, covering multiple compliance requirements (LOLER, PUWER, HSE, ESOS, etc).
A dashboard view for management, showing instantly who has and hasn’t completed paperwork.
An intuitive mobile app giving site workers clear daily tasks, access to drawings, and a knowledge base.
Digital forms that can be shared instantly with clients.
Custom forms built for SHC, including near-miss reporting and drugs and alcohol testing.
Audit-ready records: searchable, filterable, and provable at any time.
Easy integration of photographs and documents into forms, eliminating the need for physical audits on site and allowing remote management.
Site managers now use iPads to access drawings instantly while on visits, while supervisors and operatives can complete plant checks, safety forms, and handovers directly on the app. This removes the need to store or transport piles of paperwork and means everything syncs back to the office in real time.
Results
Compliance and safety
Re-flow now underpins SHC’s compliance culture. Daily checks are easily done via the app and any non-compliance issues are instantly visible. Managers always know that processes are being maintained and that standards are high. This allows for a style of management built on clear data, replacing the fortnightly inspections of the past and the consequence of delayed responses. Supervisors have constant access to safety and plant forms, and issues are reported immediately.
This visibility gives management peace of mind and the ability to focus their energy elsewhere, increasing overall productivity, while operatives are more proactive in completing checks.
Crucially, near-miss reporting has improved. Stuart Timms, SHC’s HSE Manager explains: “Near misses are, in my opinion, under-reported in the industry. Without that information, we can’t improve our systems of work. Now SHC get a high rate of near miss reports, and genuine action can be taken to mitigate risks.”
Productivity and savings
Re-flow has delivered efficiency gains across the business. The reduction in paperwork alone has been transformative, saving time, fuel, and vehicle wear from unnecessary site visits. As Stuart puts it: “In terms of savings, Re-flow is massive for SHC – the reduction in paper, the reduction in time alone that you spend going to and from site – the savings are massive.”
Digital records also support ESOS compliance, with clear evidence of reduced energy usage through fewer journeys and remote management of documents and checks.
Client relationships
Client-facing processes have also improved. Quality control and handover forms are logged and searchable, ensuring any queries can be resolved quickly. Site inspection reports and other forms are delivered in a structured, professional format, complete with photographs.
Stuart notes: “Our reports are all presented and laid out in different sections with photographs. If we see something that’s not right, we can evidence it, show what we’ve done about it, and send it straight to the customer. Our client base has commented that it’s a really, really good inspection format.”
Long-term impact
For SHC, Re-flow has become more than a software tool – it is a foundation for professional, compliant, and efficient operations. It has eliminated the uncertainty of paper-based systems, delivered measurable savings, strengthened client confidence, and supported the company’s ability to meet new regulatory requirements.
With all field processes unified in one place, SHC’s teams now run at their most efficient possible level. Compliance is no longer a burden but a daily practice built into operations, and safety is reinforced through constant visibility and accountability.
As Stuart Timms says: “If you maximise Re-flow to its full potential, you’ll make lots of savings and lots of improvements to your business.”
