Case Study
North Construction builds on its reputation for quality with Action Plans
Capturing quality information progressively with Procore doubles trust and accountability
The Challenge
Following a thorough review process, North implemented Procore Project Management and Quality & Safety in mid-2020. It transformed the challenges of its existing multi-vendor system with solutions that wouldn’t talk to each other with a centralised construction management platform.
The Solution
Today, North relies on Procore’s quality assurance products to benchmark collaboration, growth, and financial success, plus deliver on-site support to its 105-strong team and broader contracting workforce. By partnering with Procore, North now has a solution purpose-built for QA that has reshaped its auditing and compliance capabilities. It has continued to improve its construction management skills, recently adding Procore’s revolutionary digital ITPs solution, Action Plans, to its site teams. Action Plans proved to be a ‘brilliant tool’ to progressively record and link project components. The tool creates a fully auditable trail from checklists to testing and certification, all the way through to the warranty process.
"Procore Action Plans ensures how we build is correct, and it also shows how we build is compliant. One of Procore’s biggest strengths is how easy it is to run a desktop review and give you the confidence in where your largest risks may lie. The big data power of Procore means we are more confident," said Tom.
The Results
- 30% improvement in LTI frequency rates over the last 12 months
- 50% increase in efficiency reducing handover timelines
- 100% more accountability in supporting compliance and inspections
“North had started a digital system journey with multiple vendor offerings that didn’t speak to each other. We realised we needed one integrated platform to centrally harness data and produce valuable reports at the touch of a button. Procore gives us that full picture and has delivered more construction management functionality, features and benefits than we ever expected.”
Tom Glynn
Systems Manager
North Construction & Building
Laying the Foundation for Legislation Compliance
The recently introduced legislation designed to restore public trust in the NSW building industry is not seen as an impossible benchmark by North.
"Our construction efforts have always focused on transparency, trust and consistency. We have been particularly proactive in discussions around owning responsibilities with our team and contractors. The benefit of Procore is we can centrally and progressively document this journey and share this with key stakeholders."
To meet NSW’s new legislative requirements, North relies on Action Plans to continuously record the detailed construction steps. Action Plans has also been integrated into its handover and completion process. This gives the North team a record of the build, details the products that have been installed, plus collates the warranties, certificates, and cleaning manuals clients or facility operators require.
"The Procore platform and Action Plans lets us prove the whole story behind the scenes, and this is a key strength. And the integrity of the Procore platform ensures it tells the full story––warts and all. If you are trying to trick the system, you can tell. Procore really does keep you honest and accountable," he said.
For North, this has also transformed how it manages potential issues, such as asbestos contamination. The company now relies on Action Plans to upload the documentation and codes of practice for easy-to-follow construction checklists and safe work method statements.
"This is ideal for new team members or contractors on-site who need to follow our quality standards and processes to ensure the success of site inspections and their own safety. With Procore, we always have a transparent digital trail to prove we are compliant."
Re-Defining Contractor Relationships
In early 2019, North roadmapped its expansion plans into regional NSW. The company recognised its business values and strengths in relationships were vital to sustainable growth. It wanted to partner with contractors and suppliers to help them grow as small to medium businesses themselves, particularly in western NSW. To date, it has captured around 10% of its contractor workforce on the Procore platform.
"This plan to have Procore benefit our projects has been really successful. We may have a few contractors in a team sign up to use Procore, and they then give direction to their tradespeople on site. Action Plans is a key digital tool to help record all aspects of a task. This is ideal for workers new to our business and maintains our quality standards."
