Real-world success stories: discovering sustainable construction solutions

Washirika 3 Oaks – RIB BuildSmart Case Study Follow-Up

11 March, 2024
3 mins read

Industries:

Commercial Construction

A Brief Recap:

When we first spoke to the CEO of Washirika 3 Oaks, Gavin Morrow, in 2021; COVID-19 was almost over and the company was busy with the implementation of BuildSmart as a way to address a lack of real-time control when it came to their day-to-day operations.

Up until that point, W3O had relied solely on spreadsheets and historical data to monitor their projects, resulting in an inability to manage costs accurately. Fortunately, by the time they were midway through implementation, they had already begun to experience the benefits of BuildSmart.

If you don’t have the controls and processes in place to guarantee that your projects (which are the heartbeat of any construction company) are producing the profits that are required to ensure that you can deliver on your mandate, as the CEO: I recommend BuildSmart, because without it, you’re running blind.

Gavin Morrow, Director
Washirika 3 Oaks

Continuing to Benefit from BuildSmart:

Since that case study, W3O’s pain points — a lack of real-time control, manual processes and no way to monitor spending correctly — have all been fully resolved and the business has continued to enjoy sustained success.

Not only has W3O grown financially, with turnover increasing from R200 million to a projected R800 million for the next financial year, but so has the scope of their work with the organisation expanding into Africa and completing world-class projects such as a nuclear medical research facility at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. According to Gavin, from this perspective, ‘BuildSmart has been very good for us.’

When it comes to navigating the ever-changing construction landscape, one in which margins are almost unsustainable now, BuildSmart’s real-time controls have also ensured that W3O can extract as much margin as possible out of their projects.

Additional BuildSmart benefits include the standardisation of prices across W3O’s various business units, an improved payment process, and the ability to import spend directly from the solution into Candy ¬— RIB’s estimation and project management solution — for improved tendering on projects.

‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’

For Gavin, BuildSmart has become an essential tool for Washirika 3 Oaks; one that empowers both him and his employees to manage the business in real time and always know where the organisation stands at any given moment. In conclusion, and according to Gavin, the implementation of RIB BuildSmart should have happened a lot sooner.

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