A special event on the eve of the CIHT National Conference in March will showcase the latest technological innovations for workforce optimisation, proactive cost control, business process automation and supply chain management.
There can be no question that the infrastructure sector continues to face considerable challenges, with a need to meet clients’ changing expectations whilst maintaining sensible margins and consistent profits.
For example, the new style Highways England framework, which begins on 1st April this year, will see significant changes to the management of routine maintenance and capital renewal/improvement schemes. Not least of these is the need for contractors to integrate more fully with Highway England’s systems.
It is equally clear that information technology is a powerful enabler, with a pivotal role to play in helping highways contractors meet these challenges. Doing so effectively, however, requires an understanding of how best to implement the IT solutions that are available.
The reality is that the only way that the highways maintenance industry will be able to deliver game-changing efficiencies and savings is if it can firstly integrate the dynamic and ever-changing relationship between time, budgets, cost and value.
This cannot be achieved if the industry continues to work with traditional unconnected siloed systems – many of them spreadsheet-based. The answer is to connect all of the systems associated with cost capture and project management, enabling them to share information with each other, as well as clients’ systems in integrated project teams.
As Highways England Procurement Director David Poole commented, when announcing the appointment of contractors for the north of England framework: “Collaboration with our supply chain is key to our new way of working and we are looking forward to establishing a successful, long-term relationship with the appointed contractors.”
Find out more
To demonstrate how highways contractors can digitise their front office systems for increased agility, Causeway is hosting a Highways Technology Showcase on the evening of 1st March 2017 in London.
This free event for pre-registered delegates will build on the success of last year’s event, where delegates from over 30 organisations saw practical examples of how IT can underpin improved efficiency, enhanced customer service and reduced costs.
Follow the link for more information and to register for the event.
