Allez & Cie Pézenas uses Kraaft as construction site monitoring software

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Road, network infrastructure and public lighting projects are fascinating: by their nature, and because they are always at the crossroads of technical, human and financial challenges. Despite the highest possible quality of preparation, environments are always changing (nature of the ground, existing networks, complex urban areas, shorelines), and teams (team leader, site manager, driver, design office, design office, construction and construction managers) must therefore communicate in a very reactive, fluid, and traceable manner. Real challenges, which we help them meet.

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The 4 main benefits received from Kraaft

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1. Be more responsive and efficient

‍On a daily basis, the performance of construction sites is often affected by the responsiveness of the teams. Sometimes these are small unforeseen events that require a change of method, equipment, and that quickly cause half a day to lose (for example the encounter with a hard rock when making the trench). And sometimes unforeseen events are blocking and require validation from the Project Manager to initiate additional work (a network crash, etc.). “The teams are stuck, not progressing properly”, confides Patrick. Not to lose these precious hours means to bring the photos or videos back to the driver in the moment and quickly communicate them to the contractor, hoping for his quick return.

Before Kraaft it was complicated. Now the “Kraaft reflex” has taken hold and guarantees the centralization of all problems as they happen and at the moment. The teams have become more responsive, there is much less siloed information, the interlocutors (especially the MOEs) are put into the loop more quickly.

“We come to take a photo of the dig [for example], to show that there is really rock, we can deal with it very quickly, report the problem to the customer who will give his answer swiftly and allow the work to continue,” explains Patrick.

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2. Centralize channels, don't forget anymore, and trace the important

‍“Before Kraaft it was by email, by text, by anything and everything, there was no very specific framework.” explains Julien. This is typical of public works and under the load of the number of projects to follow, the time spent looking for information when you need it is quickly increased tenfold. We quickly forget a few events: “It helps to avoid oversights. At the moment, we do, we talk about it at night, we take the photo, we forget to transmit it...” confides Julien; “there could be information that [...] was kept by some people and then other people needed it”, explains Xavier. A hardware failure, a sick leave, and it's phones with important photos that get lost.

“When the customer complains [...] it's difficult to defend your point of view except orally”, explains Xavier (QSE). In the worst case, this can lead to delicate situations that all public works agencies are familiar with. For example, when finalizing the site, a disagreement: “But if I told you that we had lost 1 day because of this network collision, but if we were forced to make an additional 20cm of trench, etc.”, this is why it is important to have traces of all construction events to valorize them. Or a few months after a construction site, a dispute: “No the crack was already there before the construction site, no the border was in good condition when we left the site.”

Kraaft is responding to these difficulties in two ways. First by centralizing all old SMS, WhatsApp, email. Then by the report function, which makes it possible to archive all the elements of the construction site arranged in their stages, their stopping points, and their hazards (see screenshot attached).

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“Being able to do an excerpt of the construction site with Kraaft allows us to do the pros and cons, [...] it allows us to collect information and to go and recover the money from right to left” — Marc-Antoine.

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3. Communicate better with customers

‍The reality of the relationship between a driver and his Project Manager is a human paste, made up of initial contractual agreements, then adjustments over time according to new work to be valued, and a certain flexibility in the final negotiation. And the MOs/MOAs are asking for more and more transparency on what is happening on the construction site. Shortening the validation loops with MOE/MOA to avoid subsequent “I told you”, saving time on reports, and better monitoring the work to be valued over the course of time, are major challenges for decision-makers and drivers. Platforms for filing events and reports such as e-Plan (internal to Enedis for electrical works) are exceptional, and provide an example of better communication.

Speaking of a 'concrete demolition' hazard report declared on Kraaft, Marc-Antoine explains: “There is everything: I have the day, date and time [photos], I go to the Enedis e-Plan software or with [the electricity union] Hérault Energie, [...] I take the random 'concrete demolition' and presto I send it.” Our hazard module [visible on the video] allows, based on the simple exchanges of the construction site conversation, to extract the entire list of site hazards and to create their own reports in one click. As much time saved, and as much transparency on all the work to be valued at the end of the site, “which in the end can make a nice ticket for our sites”, specifies Marc-Antoine. For its part, the MOE is familiar with it, because it monitors construction site events with more transparency.

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4. Save time, so focus on the core business

‍“Good site preparation is a successful site.” is a typical phrase among drivers, site managers and business engineers. It is the core of the business. However, they often have to travel on site to manage and trace small construction site events and over an entire department, it quickly takes time. However, centralizing all the photos over the course of the worksite (that's what Kraaft does) means being more serene about its progress, gaining confidence, wasting less time chasing photos and information, and traveling less for minor events. “The site manager had to travel systematically to the site to check the problem and report it to the customer if necessary,” explains Patrick.

In practice, site visits remain essential to be close to teams — people are also a central element in the passion of drivers and business engineers for their profession. Kraaft frees up time for them to focus on their core business: the technical and operational planning of construction sites, and the follow-up of important events.

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The final word

Allez & cie agencies, like many others, are not simply users, but really collaborators to invent tomorrow's tools together for their jobs. In each feature there is a piece of Allez via their feedback, and in we support them on their digitization needs. Next chapter in the running: standardizing and simplifying the rubble ordering process, through the integration of an external digital form tool (Kizeo)! Expected to be released in February.

Beyond that, the two words that stand out about Kraaft from these 4 testimonies: simple, and fast ! And the extra that warms our hearts: “it's a unifying tool — they like to communicate about it!” Xavier admits. Giving the power of business modules while maintaining a user-friendly and simple interface is our vision and we are committed to it!

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