News
Digging deep into digital transformation at Highways UK
Highways is our main industry and our field management software being the dominant force in the sector has come from years of close collaboration with large highways businesses. Since Re-flow’s first Highways UK show in 2019, we’ve progressed from a small table, to a pop up, to a fully constructed 8x6 metre stand, and this year we were excited to announce the many ways we were expanding our show offering even more:
- By demonstrating our latest features from the Big Autumn Update
- By our collaboration with client Jointline discussing their experience on ‘The challenges of digitally transforming field operations’ (with Julie Davidson head of Jointline’s QSHE division)
- By our participation in the talk ‘Doing more with less by embedding digitalisation throughout project lifecycles’
Features in Re-flow’s Big Autumn Update
We offered free one-to-one health checks at the show and found our clients keen to discover the many improvements to the software in the latest Big Autumn Update:
- A radically improved BoQ system for hire
Designed from the ground up to completely replace standalone systems overloaded with unintuitive formulas and other intricate processes. Re-flow’s on/off hire adds a huge amount of control and blows these alternative systems out of the water with its ease of use.
- Fatigue tracking
Furthering our commitment to the industry, we’re working closely with our industry partners to find new features and improve safety processes across the sector.
- Optimised speed and efficiency
Part of a whole host of upgrades that make the software – available on Android and IOS, offline and online – lightning fast and more responsive.
Looking closer at common hesitations around digital transformation
For the show, we collaborated with Jointline’s head of QSHE, Julie Davidson, who described the many different areas where the company use Re-flow, and also the nature of their digital transformation, from when they started to their experiences in the present. The talk – The challenges of digitally transforming field operations – took place on Wednesday 16th October.
Digital transformation isn’t just about moving from paper to digital. It often involves shifting from a static, or underperforming system - to a more suitable solution that’s intuitive and flexible.
Four key barriers and their solutions are as follows:
- Uncertainty of Outcomes: Solvable by having a project manager and an experienced support team in order to map the process and to set clear milestones, enabling companies to visualise the entire transformation process. We found that a clear vision helps build confidence.
- Disruption of Operations: Professional services and support can bring disruption to a minimum. Your team will be free to carry out the usual duties while the digital solution slots into place at incremental stages.
- Fear of Migrating Data: Moving data from one system to another can be daunting. Having dedicated teams from the field management provider that handle data migration makes the process smooth and straightforward.
- Learning Curve: Having an intuitive and streamlined system from the field-management provider is key for adoption. Operatives require minimal training, with the focus being on admin users. Having a comprehensive onboarding process, with personal development days, learning tools, and on-site training ensure the teams are fully up to speed.
Julie shared Jointline’s journey over the last three years, highlighting what triggered their change and how Re-flow supported them along the way. This talk reinforced our approach at Re-flow: we listen to the industry, collaborate closely with clients, and build solutions that help businesses thrive. It’s how we ensure the software works well for everyone, from operatives to admin.
‘We knew Re-flow was intuitive,’ Julie said. ‘We'd had really good uptake from our site staff on our near miss side that we were using. As it’s an app, they're very familiar with the format.’
Re-flow customers at Highways UK
It was great to see and speak to plenty of Re-flow customers at the event – the likes of RSK, Kiely, Core Highways, Breedon, Tarmac, ATM all use the software to enhance their operations.
At Re-flow, we pride ourselves on being intuitive, flexible, and powerful. Our easy-to-use interface allows non-tech users to build their own automations and workflows without any coding experience. Our software boasts dynamic automations, offline capabilities, and comprehensive support, ensuring operations run smoothly, whether on-site or in the office. With Re-flow, companies gain a scalable solution that grows with the business, delivering ongoing value from day one.
Try for free today or call us on 01392 574002.
