Tricas Construction builds better project management and compliance with Fonn

Midlands-based building firm, Tricas Construction Ltd. has experienced rapid growth over the past six years, with over 100 projects either ongoing or in the pipeline. But with growth comes a significant volume of documentation that needs to be managed and accounted for – and much of this falls into the lap of Technical Director, Tom Hall.

Challenge

Prior to implementing Fonn, Tricas used a simple folder structure to manage, store and share documents. However, this process was becoming impossible to maintain. Version control was as Thomas put it ‘a nightmare’, with documents being shared via email to multiple people across the business, clients and external parties, such as building regulators. Finding a central source of truth for the numerous building projects was not only challenging and time-consuming, but also creating compliance issues. Tom is responsible for making sure all construction designs, agreements and certificates are not only up to date, but are compliant with building regulations, warranty requirements, local authorities and of course, clients.

“Compliance and document version control are the bane of a builder’s life. Not having an effective system to manage this leads to complications down the track when a site is being prepared for handover”, says Tom. “Certificates often go missing or are incomplete, which can delay matters, costing us both time and money. Ensuring our house is in order and the ability to centralise documents related to a site is critical not just to our business but as part of instilling confidence to our clients.”

Solution

While initially considering a form of document control software, the decision to implement Fonn was a no brainer after a demonstration of the capabilities and benefits the systems offered Tricas. Not only does the team have a central place to manage, view and edit all building related documentation, but the ability to create scope of works documents for each project means the team always knows the latest updates.

One of the main uses of Fonn is in the building handover process. With multiple certificates in play at any time, there are often challenges around information being incorrectly entered or missing when a site is ready for handover. Through the scope of works document process, Tricas can identify if certificates are in order, or if not, what needs to happen and when by so that the building handover can take place on time.

Part L building regulation compliance

Compliance around certification documents is another headache that’s been taken away from Tricas. Previously Tom and his team would have to collate test sets for each project or plot, such as electrics, gas, air testing and EPCs to mention just a few. This would often happen in a very fragmented way, sharing documents as and when requested. Now, with the Fonn app on every site manager’s phone, each person can access the certificate they require as part of any sign off or handover process. And with the deadline for Part L building regulations fast-approaching, Tricas can use the built-in functionality of Fonn to ensure geo-tagged photographic evidence for each plot is uploaded and ready for building assessors.

“We feel we’re now ahead of the game as far as compliance for Part L Building Regulations is concerned. Having the Fonn app on all our site manager’s phones means we can upload geotagged photographs of the plots we’re working on and not have to worry about compliance”.

Thousands of hours saved

Using Fonn has created a world of benefits for the Tricas team. With mundane administration now removed from Tom’s daily routine, he and his team can focus their energy on keeping clients happy. Not only are thousands of hours saved annually in not having to deal with administration, but slick information management also plays a role in the helping Tricas compete in new tenders. Managing the error-free flow of information across projects is becoming increasingly important for Tricas’ clients. They want to be safe in the knowledge that the building process will be as smooth as possible and delivered on time; and for Tricas it’s becoming a game-changer, while helping to grow their business.

And once a deal is won, Tricas can also bring clients onto the system; they can see when things are updated, as well as generate reports. This means Tom and his team can focus their time more constructively – that is keeping clients, contractors, partners and regulators happy.

“Fonn has completely changed the way we manage information in our business. What really sets it apart from others in the market is the user experience. It’s so easy to find what you need, when you need it. Nothing is more than three clicks away and we even have a 73yr old site manager using the app on his phone! It’s completely changed our ability to manage projects to be as efficient and error-free as possible”.