Hewitson Limited, established in 2004, specialises in civil engineering, drainage, concrete foundations, and RC structures, primarily serving the construction industry in the Northeast of England. A family-run business, Hewitson has expanded significantly from its agricultural roots and now employs over 200 skilled individuals across various trades and professions.
Background
Like many companies in the construction sector, Hewitson Ltd. faced significant challenges in managing its workforce's qualifications and training. Traditionally, the company relied on multiple spreadsheets to track employee and contractor qualifications, which created inefficiencies and increased the risk of human error.
These manual methods made it difficult to ensure that all training requirements were met, resulting in gaps in training, lapsing certifications, and increased administrative workload.
The solutions
To address these challenges, Hewitson Ltd. implemented Ctrl Hub to centralise and streamline the management of workforce qualifications and training. By integrating Ctrl Hub's platform, Hewitson was able to transform its approach to compliance and operational efficiency.
Centralised qualification management
Ctrl Hub enabled Hewitson to consolidate all employee and contractor qualifications into a single, centralised system. This move allowed the company to apply job role-based matrices to highlight training gaps and expiring certifications, ensuring that all personnel met required standards.
Visual RAG status for compliance
The platform’s Red-Amber-Green (RAG) status visualisation provided a clear and immediate view of qualification statuses. This feature allowed Hewitson to prioritise actions, focusing first on expiring or expired qualifications, and automate notifications to training coordinators when certifications were about to lapse.
Improved onsite compliance and efficiency
With Ctrl Hub, on-site teams gained real-time access to qualification evidence for all workers, reducing the need to return to the office or sift through paperwork. This immediate visibility enhanced compliance and operational efficiency, ensuring that projects proceeded without unnecessary delays.
Digitalisation of forms
The platform’s ability to digitise paper forms (e.g., Accident and Incident reports, HAVS assessments, inspections) meant that data capture was real-time, validated, and secure. The risk of damaged or lost paperwork was eliminated, and forms were submitted and reviewed instantly, streamlining the approval process.
Hewiston are working towards their ISO accreditation and Ctrl Hub will be instrumental in this digital transformation, fulfilling a large percentage of the ISO requirements in centralising and securing data.
Ctrl Hub’s Impact
The implementation of Ctrl Hub brought significant improvements to Hewitson Ltd.’s operations. By providing a single source of truth for all qualification data, Ctrl Hub enhanced compliance and safety, helping Hewitson maintain industry standards and reducing the risk of lapsing certifications.
The centralised management of training schedules allowed the company to optimise bookings and reduce costs by taking advantage of bulk course options. Real-time access to data on qualification status and compliance across all teams significantly reduced administrative overhead, leading to greater efficiency and improved overall project management.
“We had been searching for a system to assist with our ISO accreditation, and Ctrl Hub has exceeded our expectations. Now, all our training matrices, equipment registers, site forms and timesheets are available in one centralised location online. The traffic light system makes it easier to see when training requirements are due to expire. The Ctrl Hub team have provided guidance at every stage of the process.”
- Kerry Peart (Document Controller / Administrator)
