A company evolving with the times
Over the years, as regulations and client expectations have shifted, Steve Hoskin Construction Ltd (SHC) have continually adapted their field management to meet new challenges and to take advantage of technological opportunities.
The result is a clear example of how a flexible approach can help a continually growing contractor uphold its reputation for quality while navigating ever-higher compliance demands.
From family firm to regional contractor
Founded in 1995 and based in Pensilva, Cornwall, SHC has grown from a 30-person team into a business of around 300 employees. Today, the company deliver a broad range of services across the South West, including earthworks, bulk excavation, land remediation, and street works.
That growth, along with increasingly complex compliance frameworks, made traditional paper-based processes an area where they could make impactful improvements.
Outdated forms, missing paperwork, and delayed visibility of site activity made managing compliance difficult. Common manual processes ultimately increase risks for safety, reputation, and enforcement action in comparison the use of digital software built for the job.
The challenges of scaling
As the business grew, audits for ISO certification and schemes such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) demanded more data capture and provable compliance. Moving to a digital system offered an opportunity for SHC to evolve their processes. They chose Re-flow Field Management to do so – although their initial aims were simple.
Back in 2018 the team wanted to reduce paperwork and give site workers digital access to drawings and daily briefings.
But once the system was in place, the potential of Re-flow quickly became clear. Opportunities opened up to develop a stronger compliance workflow with transformative visibility over completed tasks. The company began to use it for:
- Comprehensive compliance management across LOLER, PUWER, ISOs, HSE, and, now, ESOS.
- Quality control and plot handover forms and building an easily searchable set of records.
- Streamlined processes that saved time while raising productivity.
As Stuart Timms, SHC’s HSE Manager, put it: “If you maximise Re-flow to its full potential, you’ll make lots of savings and lots of improvements to your business.”
How SHC use Re-flow for stronger compliance
SHC now use Re-flow as a single platform that underpins every stage of their site compliance and reporting. Key benefits include:
- Instant visibility of who has and hasn’t completed paperwork via live dashboards.
- Intuitive access to tasks, drawings, and knowledge for operatives in the field and audit teams.
- Digital forms that can be shared instantly with clients, HSE, or local authorities.
- Custom-built forms for near misses, incident reporting, and drugs and alcohol testing.
For HSE advisors, it means less time travelling to sites. For supervisors it cuts down paperwork and allows them to focus on more productive tasks. Site managers now use iPads to access drawings instantly while on visits, while supervisors and operatives can complete plant checks, safety forms, and handovers directly on the app. This removes the need to store or transport piles of paperwork and means everything syncs back to the office in real time.
For clients, it provides professional, clearly presented reports with supporting photographs – reinforcing SHC’s reputation for quality and transparency. For the business as a whole, Re-flow has helped create an atmosphere of confidence. Safety and compliance standards are well maintained. And with an easy-to-use app, operatives more easily buy into their processes.
Guaranteeing standards
Aided by technology, SHC now conduct daily compliance checks with very little effort. Leadership benefit from far greater confidence that safety standards are met. Supervisors have constant access to the forms and records they need, including instant updates from sites.
The environmental impact is also measurable. By reducing unnecessary site visits, SHC can demonstrate compliance with ESOS requirements and show tangible savings on fuel and vehicle use.
From a cultural perspective, near-miss reporting has improved significantly. As Stuart Timms notes: “Near misses are, in my opinion, under-reported in the industry. Without that information, we can’t change or improve our systems of work. Now SHC get a high rate of near-miss reports, and genuine action can be taken to mitigate risks.”
Strengthening client relationships
SHC use their digital software to cement their relationships with clients. Site inspections are now logged and shared digitally in structured reports with photographic evidence. Clients receive updates instantly, with clear evidence that issues have been identified and addressed.
A future-proof platform
For SHC, Re-flow has become more than a replacement for paperwork – it is the backbone of a modern construction culture. It saves time and money, strengthens safety, reduces environmental impact, and helps cement the company’s reputation.
After seven years of use, the software continues to evolve alongside the business, providing the flexibility required by a contractor operating at scale. As Timms suggests: “In terms of savings, Re-flow is massive for SHC – the reduction in paper, the reduction in time alone that you spend going to and from site – the savings are massive.”
