Award-winning contractor GMI Construction Group (GMI) has streamlined its approach to project delivery by tackling a common industry challenge: fragmented project data spread across multiple systems.
The Yorkshire-based firm, which manages more than 20 live construction sites and employs over 250 people, has significantly reduced project delays and improved delivery performance by implementing Elecosoft’s Asta Vision. The software connects live programme data across all sites, offering a single source of truth to spot and solve issues before they escalate.
From monthly reports to real-time insights
GMI now pulls real-time data from all stages of a project – from design through to procurement and construction – into easy-to-read interactive dashboards. Project leaders can see how programmes compare to the original plan, and get realistic forecasts of completion dates. This represents a significant shift from their previous process, where collating reports from siloed spreadsheets meant decision-makers were often working with out-of-date information.
“We can track revisions and updates on the system and access files in real time,” explains Daniel Taylor, senior planner at GMI. “The increased visibility of data through dashboards drives conversations about project performance at all levels of the business.”
Early warnings prevent costly setbacks
One of the most significant improvements has been GMI’s ability to pinpoint exactly where project delays originate. By breaking programmes into distinct phases, project leaders can implement targeted interventions when issues arise – a stark contrast to the time-consuming approach of manual reviews. This agility is made even more impactful by automated text alerts that warn stakeholders of any programme delays, allowing swift action from GMI’s regional and senior management.
Jonathan Walsh, construction director for GMI’s Midlands region, highlights the tangible benefits for different departments across the company. “Our teams can now react to situations as they arise. It also allows our planners to provide independent assessments on the programme reports from live projects, avoiding the delay previously encountered in determining any inaccurate reporting.”
Transforming board-level decisions
The shift to live programme data has also elevated senior leadership meetings, with real-time visibility proving particularly valuable for managing multiple concurrent projects. GMI’s leaders can now instantly drill down into performance across programmes and regions, enabling immediate discussion of emerging issues and collective decision-making on strategic actions.
With Asta Vision acting as a central data hub, GMI can now make informed decisions about future projects too. By analysing historical performance information, GMI’s leaders can identify packages that regularly fall behind schedule, and take steps to prevent similar delays from recurring. This systematic approach to capturing best practices and learning from past projects provides invaluable insights as the company continues to grow and scale its operations.
Looking to the future
A proactive approach to project management has helped GMI maintain its competitive edge in an increasingly challenging construction market, and even led to the company being shortlisted for two national awards in 2024. But it’s not stopping there. The firm continues to push boundaries, with plans to harness its digital capabilities even further for supply chain optimisation and resource planning.
This move towards real-time project tracking shows how construction firms can work more efficiently by having clear, consistent ways of planning and managing their projects – something GMI has achieved by creating a single source of trusted information for its construction planning.
Discover the impressive benefits of Asta Vision and schedule your demo here. To reach a team member, please call +44 (0) 345 646 1735 or email [email protected].
