Case Study
How AGL Standardises Quality Control & Safety Benchmarking with Procore
Meeting Solar Construction Goals Together
The Challenge
Following the acquisition of two leading commercial and industrial solar companies in 2021, AGL’s Sustainable Business Energy Solutions (SBES) team recognised the need for a core construction management platform. This would help teams manage the rapidly growing number of solar projects across rooftops, car parks, fields and other renewable energy sources. These locations include shopping centres, universities, water utilities and water treatment plants for councils. These sites are usually busy, and most are in use daily.
Procore Project Management and Quality & Safety were implemented as part of AGL’s core construction management and for use nationwide by its SBES team. By implementing Procore, AGL’s SBES team now has the necessary technology to support its goals and programs for safety.
The Solution
AGL mandated the use of Procore across its internal SBES team and its extensive contractor network, reaching a 100% utilisation rate quickly. Procore has become the standard for reviewing safety systems and audits on jobsites. This ensures AGL can meet its key goals–providing subcontractor buy-in, benchmarking quality assurance and future-proofing the rapidly growing business. AGL's project managers are fully trained on Procore, and all staff and contractors have access to the custom Procore training centre to ensure they meet quality assurance standards.
“We standardised our approach to reviewing safety systems and audits with the Procore Inspections tool. Procore delivers a standard for audits and inspections, asking for photos and triggering observations, regardless of your competency level. Customers can also participate in the site inspection, taking our customer-centricity approach to new levels,” said Brendan.
The Results
- 1000s of photos recording safety inspections on a weekly basis
- 100% uplift in safety awareness and effectiveness
- 100% utilisation of the Procore environment in AGL’s SBES team
“AGL has over a hundred megawatts of commercial and industrial solar projects currently underway in its Sustainable Business Energy Solutions group. We use Procore to manage the safety aspects of every one of these project sites for quality assurance outcomes. Procore reports help us to address and manage our risks effectively, including remotely when required.”
Brendan Weinert
Head of Sustainable Business Energy Solutions
AGL
Democratising its Safety Responsibility
As part of its significant commitment to quality and safety, AGL recognised the implementation of Procore meant the introduction of more robust compliance behaviours. AGL’s project managers and site engineers now ensure site teams, including the vast contractor network, execute forms, risk assessments, document site meetings, and summary reports
“We promote the concept of raising incidents and hazards to our contractors. We see it as a valuable lesson learned; the more we identify and record, the more we can improve our business further to protect our people. On-the-spot audit capability by any project stakeholder has raised the bar on culture and commitment to safety,” said Brendan.
Establishing a Gold-standard Workforce
One of the most impressive results demonstrated by AGL’s commitment to Quality & Safety is its annual external rating program for contractors. This ensures utilising Procore is a key performance indicator (KPI). This level of measurable functionality delivers higher safety standards and better-quality projects. The end result for AGL? A gold standard workforce around the country.
"Historically, there have been differing perspectives on safety and quality assurance outcomes. An example is the requirement for us to work a lot on rooftops. That’s where you find solar panels. A builder may see an opening in a roof cavity waiting for a louvre installation; however, with Procore's help, not only do we see a lack of safety railings or fall protection in that area, but we can report on that potential issue. Awareness is the first step in our ongoing education and benchmarking,” Brendan highlighted.
Procore helps AGL by providing real-time evidence and reports needed to carefully manage and reduce quality and safety risks in the SBES team, creating the promise of a safer environment for its team and delivering on its value of ‘care in every action’.