Powerful partnership between Ascia & Fonn changing the game for construction

Ascia Construction is a privately owned main contractor, working across multiple construction sectors including education and some residential projects for local authorities. Ascia Construction pride themselves on embracing new technologies to deliver on projects that make a real difference in communities, demonstrating the power of innovation in construction.

Ascia's challenge

When Steve Higgins joined Ascia Construction, the company had built its turnover to a point where they needed a robust project management tool to support their growth and streamline their record keeping. “When I came in, I did a gap analysis and looked at where we were, versus where we needed to be. Everything was manual, an internal server full of folders,” he said.

Steve noted that in some site offices, there could be up to 20 files on shelves holding all information of build projects, and inconsistencies were common. “You rely on records when you come into a project, but things weren’t where they needed to be – drawings and revisions were being issued left right and centre via email and zip files,” he said.

Fonn's solution

Steve and the team found Fonn through word of mouth, and quickly found that the system would meet expectations and deliver what Ascia Construction needed, and in terms of agility would have them up and running quickly. Fonn is configurable, and on-boarding takes construction companies through a set-up process that incorporates their existing folder structures, eliminating a steep learning curve.

Steve is pleased to report that the ease of use has been key in getting everyone to adopt. “The design team are using it. Subcontractors are using it. Everyone has bought into it,” he said. Fonn has been delighted to empower Ascia Construction in tailoring Fonn to their specific needs – meaning they get the job done. “It’s revolutionised how we do things, it’s more than we could have wished for already,” Steve said.

On using Fonn’s Scope of Works, Steve said: “We have reams of photographs and comments against specific items – it's like a one-stop shop for records.” The team uses Scope of Works to run reports; it’s powerful tool for being able to visualise the work done on a specific day. “The Scope of Works tool enables us to demonstrate full compliance with Part L, with building control having access to cradle to grave records of activities as well as providing us with comprehensive records for the future.”

Greener processes

With the whole team adopting Fonn, Steve is pleased that Ascia Construction are taking bigger strides towards a more sustainable way of working. “The plan is to try and go as paperless as possible. The sites using Fonn are down to two A4 files, from 20 or so,” he said.

Having a system where all updates are pushed live and people are notified means time is saved and collaboration is easier. This assists in securing repeat business as Ascia Construction builds a reputation for doing things well, on time, and with good communication.

Growth and scaling

Being able to on-board with Fonn means that Steve has been able to tailor the platform to work in ways that made sense and led to a smoother transition.

Configuring tools to how they need has empowered Ascia Construction to integrate a single source of truth into their daily processes and Steve has seen the benefits across the board. “Everybody is using it, it’s so simple to use,” he said. “We invested a lot of time in building forms, and the release of tables in forms was a great product update.”

“Fonn has been responsive to changes that help us,” Steve added. With support from Fonn’s customer success team, Steve has been able to run regular Fonn surgeries where he supports those using the app to use it to their full potential – and they suggest their own ideas on how they can make even more improvements.

After a smooth on-boarding process, the time that Steve has put into the system means a strong partnership exists between Ascia Construction and Fonn where he feels confident in approaching the team; “Pretty much every idea I’ve put forward has been heard,” he said. “We’ve put in a lot of time and effort into how it’s structured and we’re pleased with how it presents; inwardly and outwardly.”

Ascia Construction and Fonn continue growing their partnership driving innovation in construction. “We’re growing into the system, and the system is growing with us,” Steve said.

Are you ready to enjoy smoother processes and better collaboration with your team?