Beckcon protects itself from claims and reduces rework - Assignar

Beckcon is a leading provider of concrete placement and construction solutions for developers, residential construction, and high-volume builders in Victoria. They differentiate themselves through a project management system that provides real-time status updates and job tracking, keeping clients informed throughout the project lifecycle.

Beckcon also maintains a comprehensive work safety system, including SWMS for high-risk tasks, individualized work safety plans for each commercial project, and thorough staff training and induction programs. Supported by an agile team of project managers, tradesmen, estimators, and administration staff, they deliver high-quality workmanship while maintaining a safe work environment. Notable projects include Probuild’s Malt District Project in Cremorne.

Point Solutions vs One Platform

As an industry leader, Beckcon recognized early on that digital solutions were essential for business growth. Paper-based systems were inefficient and time-consuming, so they adopted multiple point solutions for different operational needs: one for scheduling and timesheets, another for project management, and a third for safety checks (also used for digital dockets).

Despite being early technology adopters, Beckcon's team became frustrated with managing three separate software systems. Cory Becker, Finance and Operations Manager, reflected on the trigger event leading to Assignar: "Using three different pieces of software for the business was frustrating. Our team, both in the office and in the field, had to use three different apps, making it hard to keep track of what needed to be documented and submitted for each job. We needed an integrated system as we were suffering from the inefficiencies of multiple point solutions. We also knew that moving to one integrated system would dramatically improve our relationship with our clients by providing comprehensive data, centrally located and received in real-time."

Benefits of an Integrated System

Beckcon now uses Assignar to schedule crews, manage digital timesheets and dockets, and handle safety forms. By utilizing a single platform for all operational tasks, Beckcon has significantly improved its quality assurance processes. Cory highlighted: "Because we were using different systems, it was difficult to get employees to fill out their pre-pour and post-pour check forms or to complete important documents. Now with Assignar, since it’s all on one app, the team can check through the site, take photos of each step, and the operations team back in the office can review these documents for any issues in real-time. Also, we have been able to implement a new range of WHS initiatives and improve our communication and messaging with contractors and employees through Assignar’s SMS module."

In addition to improved quality assurance and safety processes, Beckcon has achieved operational efficiencies. Cory further states: "From an operations point of view, we can easily see our resources, and the system is much more user-friendly for our employees than our old legacy systems. We can see when our workers have confirmed a shift straight away and bulk send a text if they are yet to confirm once the allocation goes out. There is no more double entry into different functions, and we are able to explore more reporting capabilities with Assignar, as our legacy system had next to no reporting capabilities."

Protecting the Business from Claims and Reducing Rework

Time management is crucial in the concrete business, as delays can have a domino effect. With many stakeholders onsite, decisions are sometimes made quickly to meet project deadlines, and without a proper platform to document changes, disputes over variation work can arise. Cory shared an incident before using Assignar: "We lost a significant sum on a job because our foreman was instructed by the principal contractor to change the pour level on the job. Our foreman did what was asked, but unfortunately, once the construction manager found out post-pour, he questioned the changes and we couldn’t prove that we were instructed to execute this variation work. A centralized system that keeps everyone onsite accountable is crucial in protecting our business from claims. As a business, data is key to protecting our interests."

Cory also discussed the ROI from using Assignar:

Our subscription is easily recovered through the efficiencies we have seen in the business. The biggest efficiency we got from streamlining our operations was the reduced likelihood of re-charges and maintenance work, due to the comprehensive data we have been collecting.

Easy Onboarding and Implementation

Beckcon has been using Assignar for over 12 months, and Cory was part of the key team that rolled out the system. He noted: "We learnt Assignar ourselves. It was quite easy. We just called our staff and told them they would be receiving a text message to download this app that would replace all our old point solutions. We just rolled it out and learnt by doing. It was an easy transition for the team as they were used to digital systems before Assignar and nowadays everyone uses apps on their phone. For the older staff, we caught up with them one on one, but that really only took 5 minutes of sitting down with them and running through it all."

Cory summarized the overall experience with Assignar:

It’s been a pleasure to see the uptake and ease of use for our employees and contractors. Across the Group we are delivering our clients significantly better data and increased confidence in our Quality Management Processes that are delivering great results.