Fewer Human Errors and Process Slips, Better Quality Control

Darcliffe Homes is an independent property developer founded in 1963 which specialises in creating high quality, bespoke homes in the Thames Valley. With more than 50 years of experience, they focus on building with traditional construction techniques which deliver properties known for their exceptional design and craftsmanship.

When they met the Gsite team at Future Build 2022, the Darcliffe Homes team was not specifically looking for a digital construction management software service on the day. However, it soon became obvious that Gsite could help them solve industry-wide problems caused by human error and a lack of digitisation.

Looking for a partner, not a product

Companies like Darcliffe Homes which take on bespoke, small-to-medium sized housing projects are not looking to be sold to. They are a skilled heritage builder that prioritises quality and service over everything else, so they would only choose a digital construction service that was a true beneficial partnership – not a one-off product or gimmick. 

The Gsite team got to work adapting the platform to suit the needs of Darcliffe Homes as soon as the free trial began.

Ben Longworth, Construction Director at Darcliffe Homes, said: “The Gsite team showed a real willingness to adapt the platform to our needs and covered our core requirements out of the box. That combination of momentum and collaboration made Gsite the best fit for us.”

Measures undertaken by the Gsite team included:

1.Demonstrating new capabilities including Drawings OCR, Documents 2.0, offline mode and improved Forms.

2.Adding quick wins such as a subject/keyword search function to the site diary.

3.Inviting Darcliffe Homes to co-design and pilot upcoming features like clock-in/clock-out and tablet-based site inductions.

4.Helping the team with tasks in real time, including the upload and OCR of drawings, set disciplines in bulk, configuring sharing links and setting up external access.

Ben said: “The care has been hands-on and timely and the team has been generous with time, even joining late evening from Beijing/Shanghai and offering on-site training if helpful.” 

A need to reduce human error  

The main driver for Darcliffe Homes in their search for a construction software solution was a familiar one in the sector – a lack of digital integration that was limiting the company’s efficiency. Additionally, they wanted to try and cut as much human error from their operations as possible at a time when construction margins are tighter than ever.

Key problems they wanted to solve included:

1.A lack of task memory

2.Poor record keeping

3.Inadequate reporting 

All three were impacting quality control and overall operational efficiency at Darcliffe Homes. When they tried Gsite, the results started coming immediately.

Ben said: “Gsite has met what I set out to achieve, with some clear early wins. We’ve tightened our processes, seen fewer human errors, and can find information and documents much faster.

“Album and Site Diary are delivering the most value, our daily records and photos are now digital, easy to review remotely, and actually acted on while the Issues module has improved follow-up and accountability during site walks.”

The next steps for Darcliffe Homes are the roll out of Drawings and Documents. The benefits in those areas are emerging at this stage, but the overall effect of Gsite has already been positive – better quality control and fewer process slips.

A “collaboration and responsive process”

When it came to rollout of the technology, the most important concerns for Darcliffe Homes were practical and people-based. Their teams had limited time for admin work and setup needed to be simple to ensure that all employees could understand and use the system to its maximum potential.

Additionally, many of their sub-contractors are small businesses with mixed tech literacy, so it could not be taken for granted that they would be able to navigate the system with assistance.

Patchy Wifi connectivity on site and IT policies which sometimes filtered emails out added further complications. However, the Gsite team managed to work round these challenges and stay in constant communication with the Darcliffe Homes to deliver solutions, including:

1.Enabled external sharing of work without full user onboarding.

2.Provided reliable offline use and synching of files at a later time.

3.Offered ‘start simple’ training and a staggered rollout of features.

4.Delivered a range of quick wins which showed the value of the system to all staff.

Ben said: “Working with Glodon and the Gsite team has been collaborative and responsive throughout.”

Saira Choudhary, Customer Success Manager at Gsite, said: “Working with Darcliffe Homes has been a real partnership from day one. Their team brought an openness and enthusiasm that made it easy to collaborate and adapt Gsite to fit the way they work.

“What stood out to us was their commitment to doing things properly, the same care they put into building homes was reflected in how they approached improving their processes. Together, we’ve made real progress in reducing admin, improving accuracy and helping their teams spend more time on site doing what they do best.

“It’s been a pleasure to work alongside such a forward-thinking company, and we’re excited to keep supporting Darcliffe Homes as they continue to grow and innovate.”

Want to try Gsite for free? Get your free trial today by clicking here!