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Summer 2010
insight magazine
News and views from Ringway
Winning ways in Worcestershire Growing season for workload
Spring conference report
Also in this issue
6 Road to freedom Fresh start for ex-offenders
8 Demand and supply Transforming the supply chain
10 Good to talk An employee's testimonial
16 Weathering well Reviewing winter performance
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insight comment
Innovation on show Innovation was the order of the day when clients from across the
Working together We’ve been through a bit of a battle in the last 24 months across the Group and have had to make some tough decisions. Surrey, and now, Kent have chosen to change their future service arrangements, but at the same time Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Peterborough and Bracknell Forest have all chosen to extend and strengthen their contracts with Ringway. The huge changes in our markets and our organisation, along with the budgetary pressures on all our clients, have made us look at things in different ways and pull together more closely. This is creating opportunities – new, more effective ways of working; better sharing of fresh ideas between Divisions; new term service opportunities in London and Northern England; new Public Private Partnership models involving private funding; and specialist business opportunities. An excellent example of this is our new joint venture with VINCI Energies, EVolution, which is geared to providing the infrastructure to support electric cars in the UK. Our new Midlands Highways Alliance framework contract (see page 5) could not have been secured without the changes that have made us a more focussed organisation than we were a year ago. Secured through teamwork by people from across the Group, it opens up opportunities with 13 local authorities and the Highways Agency. The same team working is required of every part of Ringway and the organisation as a whole, which is why Working Together Creates Opportunities was the theme of this year’s spring conference (see pages 6-7). We all have to work together as an effective team, while each of us still focuses on what we’r e personally responsible for in our job. To put it bluntly, if the Group as a whole does not do that, we cannot sustain ourselves as a business. We have to sustain and extend that teamwork in everything we do: our shared service centre supporting the Divisions, and every manager and supervisor leading but also listening to their team. We have to stay focussed and driven to create and seize the opportunities.
south of England gathered at the Dunsfold depot and testing ground this spring. On show was some of the most up-to-date specialist plant in the UK, including two new machines built in collaboration with the experts – the Ringway people whose job it is to operate them. The Breining microsurfacing machine has been designed to apply the advanced cold-technology Gribfibre product in tighter, urban locations. German-built, it has a small ri gid chassis and multi-axle steering.
Acmar’s high-friction surfacing applicator is the first sprayer of its type in the UK. It is designed for cold-applied bitumen extended resin, while rear steering increases the 26t unit’s manoeuvrability. It has an expandable spray bar to accommodate varying widths, and its high productivity speeds up anti-skid operations. “These machines consolidate our position in the forefront of specialised cold-applied surfacing solutions,” says Paul Goosey, Divisional Manager for Specialist Treatments. Clients also inspected Ringway’s TrackJet, Viasealer, Flexiplast and new roadmarking rigs, and saw a demonstration of the new StreetPrint process for creating patterned, coloured finishes on bituminous surfaces. Presentations on carbon reduction, asset management, design and IT developments completed the day’s full programme.
“
We all have to “work together as
an effective team.
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COVER: Original photo by Ian Savage
inshort
Scott Wardrop Group Managing Director
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insight news Group's partnerships excel Ringway has scooped two awards for excellence and a brace of commendations this summer in the annual competition staged by the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation. Worcestershire Highways won the prestigious Effective
services contract for four more years – the maximum period
contested category. The shortlist of three out of 20 entries was
provided for – to April 2014.
completed by the Group’s partnerships with Surrey Highways,
for Technological Application – for its range of LED signs.
which also received a commendation.
Praising the enterprise and ingenuity of the Weston-super-Mare manufacturer, the judges said they were impressed by how it
integrated partnership that delivered service improvements, value
integrated “technologies to deliver cost and environmental
for money and customer satisfacti on. “This is a great success for
benefits with this low-maintenance / low-energy product”.
everyone working within the Worcestershire Highways team and
The LED range shows the real market potential of research,
builds on the British Quality Foundation award we have already
development and innovation that reduces running costs and
won,” says Brian Moss, Regional Director (West).
carbon footprint, says George Daville, Ringway Signs’ Regional
Meanwhile, the county’s highway chiefs have demonstrated
Ringway is making waves in Dover as the town’s seafront is transformed in the Sea Change regeneration project.
PHOTO: Andy Munro
Ringway Signs won the Group’s other prize – the CIHT Award
which was highly commended, and Transport for London Streets, The judges hailed Worcestershire Highways as a fully
Director.
Making waves in Dover When the works are completed this
As Kent County Council’s term services
summer, visitors to the Esplanade will be
provider, Ringway was chosen to use its
greeted by Three Waves, designed by
local knowledge and in-house resources
Tonkin Liu, the winning practice in an
to fast-track the £2 million project. Apart
architectural competition. Composed of
from the timescale and task of
pre-cast concrete sections, the ‘lifting
coordinating nominated subcontractors, a
wave’ connects the beach and esplanade.
major challenge was safeguarding against
The ‘resting wave’ – also pre-cast –
strikes to a fibre-optic cable running
creates raised areas, laid to lawn and
through the site to the ferry and cruise
planted, with adjacent seating. The third
terminals.
wave is a line of undulating lighting poles with changeable fixtures and artworks.
SOCIAL INNOVATION: Ringway’s programme to bring ex-offenders into the workforce won the company the Management Prize in the 2009 VINCI Innovation Awards. Group Human Resources Director Kristine Pollock led the successful team behind the recruitment initiative, which included Ann-Marie Brock, Elainne Piper, Jimmy Conn and John Martin. It began with young ex-offenders in Kent in 2007. Since then the programme – judged ‘a spectacular success in social re-integration’ – has been extended to other areas. See Winning against the odds, page 8.
inshort
their satisfaction with their partner by extending Ringway’s term
Partnerships prize as Ringway swept the board in this keenly
The prestigious scheme is on course for completion at the end of July.
BOOKMARKS: Libraries in South Gloucestershire are sporting some eye-catching new signs supplied by Ringway’s Weston-super-Mare plant. Working with the council’s marketing department, Ringway Signs produced a range of internal and external signage, including banners and digitally printed boards for hoardings, free-standing ‘folded’ signs for shelving units using anti-glare overlays, wall graphics and window stickers. New signs have also been ordered for play areas as other departments take a leaf out of the libraries’ book.
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insight contract news
A new interchange at Birmingham International station, an airport bus-only link to a nearby parkway, road widening, new cycle paths and footways are just some of the impr ovements involved in the £11 million ANITA project – Airport NEC Integrated Transport Access. From the business case bid thr ough detailed design, RIS has been
The ANITA connection
closely involved in the scheme which is being deliver ed under the
Bus passengers travelling to Birmingham’s airport and the NEC will enjoy faster jour ney times and better facilities thanks to a major improvement scheme now being delivered by Ringway Infrastructure Services.
including buildability,” says Derek Mathers, Divisional Manager.
Solihull Strategic Highways Contract with Department for Transport funding. Graduate Engineer Michael Sherrard was seconded for three months to the borough’s consultants WSP as Design Co-or dinator. “Our early involvement has influenced a number of key issues “Also, Ringway’s vertical integration means we have self-deliver ed everything from ground investigation and pavement design to surfacing, anti-skid, white lining, and static and VMS signs.” He adds: “All this helps keep costs down, the works to schedule and control over the quality of the end pr oduct.” Switching to a sheet-pile retaining wall shaved two weeks of f the programme, while using combined drainage kerbing instead of deep carrier drains avoided the £400,000 cost of diverting services. The ground investigation work for the carriageway widening and multi-modal interchange identified problems resolved through UL-M thin surfacing. Meanwhile, an epoxy r esin bonded surface treatment – applied over traditional bitumen – pr ovided strength while retaining the appearance of loose gravel r equired on a privately owned footway. RIS even incorporated all statutory undertaker works in the programme to avoid delays or additional costs. Delivery involves close collaboration with the NEC, airport and railway station managers as well as the metr opolitan borough and the Highways Agency. To accommodate HA improvement works going on near the site, motorway traf fic has been diverted at night via the part-built ANITA route. RIS has worked restricted hours to avoid disruption to the airport during peak traffic. Visitors to the Spring Fair, Crufts and other events have been spared delays as all traffic management has been removed from around the NEC. Come August, the centre, airport and Solihull will be better connected than ever.
Opening up the Trafalgar Gate Access to the historical Trafalgar Gate area of Portsmouth will be impr oved by a new link road now being built by Ringway. RIS National Contracting began work in April to construct the four -lane route across a brownfield site which lies between the dual-carriageway A3 Mile End Road and Trafalgar Gate. The second phase involves adding a two-lane slip r oad allowing southbound traffic on the M275 / A3 to tur n right to join the new link r oad, which will be a quarter-kilometre long. Traffic on the A3 currently has to double-back via a r oundabout, while HGVs must use an alter native route to access the naval base and commer cial port. Valued at £2.14 million, the 32-week scheme will involve expertise fr om across the Ringway Group.
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Skilled casting on the Great Stour Built in the 1920s, the Stile Farm bridge over the Gr eat Stour near Chilham in Kent was in a sever e state of disrepair and weight-restricted to 3t. Ringway Infrastructure Services is constructing its replacement. This structure – which is pre-cast concrete, with pre-stressed steel-reinforced beams based on cast in-situ abutments – has a 16m span. To protect fish-life during the spawning season RIS installed a temporary crash deck, before demolishing the old bridge and cofferdams for the abutment construction. A footbridge was constructed on scaffolding to maintain pedestrian access across the fast-flowing river. The lane’s narrow access via a level crossing restricted the size of plant and delivery lorries, necessitating a weekend track possession, while complicating planning and coordination of the works. These
Licensed to print StreetPrint – the decorative asphalt system – is now being distributed across the country by Ringway’s productlicensing company, JLUK. The distribution rights, formerly held by Prismo, wer e awarded to JLUK this spring. StreetPrint has been trialled successfully by the Specialist Treatments division with several Ringway clients. The technology was also demonstrated (see above) at this year’s Ringway Plant & Fleet Innovation Day. IPC, the company behind the Str eetPrint technology, believes it has huge potential in the UK, based on its experience in Canada, the US, Far East and other Eur opean countries.
involve diverting a high-pressure gas main and telephone cables, reconstructing the roadway approaches, and reprofiling the river banks. The need for antiscour coir rolls was shown when the river burst its banks after heavy rains, but the £850,000 scheme is still on course for completion this summer.
PHOTO: Matt Gouldby
Protecting a famous fishing river fr om contamination was one just one of the challenges posed by a road bridge scheme now nearing completion in Kent.
First up for Midlands framework Ringway is working on the first r oad improvement scheme to be let under a novel framework contract awarded by an alliance of highway authorities in the East Midlands. Ringway is one of four contractors appointed by the Midlands Highways Alliance – a grouping of more than a dozen county, city and district councils plus the Highways Agency. They will deliver over £300 million of schemes, each worth up to £12 million, during the next four years. By joining for ces, the highway authorities and their four partners aim to achieve significant procurement efficiencies, speed up project delivery, and work more closely to improve performance and develop best practice. Ringway’s North East construction team, National Contracting division and the Group’s Commercial department were involved in the successful bid for this prestigious contract. Leicestershire County Council’s £2.5 million Loughborough Environmental Gateway Project – the framework’s inaugural scheme – is designed to regenerate the land surrounding the entrance to the town’s railway station and will provide an attractive gateway to the town centre.
New partnership in South Glos Peterborough takes long view Roads in Peterborough will be maintained until at least summer 2012 by Ringway under a contract extension awar ded by the city council. The negotiated deal allows for a further thr ee-year extension to the end of July 2015. Ringway is r esponsible for both reactive and planned works, including winter maintenance, under the term contract, which is valued at ar ound £4.5 million a year. “This agreement reflects the excellent long-term relationships we have in Peterborough,” says John Upcott, Divisional Dir ector East Midlands. “Improved payment terms and service ef ficiencies allowed us to agree a tiered discount structure to encourage a sustainable workload through the contract.”
Anti-skid, microsurfacing and footway slurry sealing works ar e being carried out across South Gloucestershire by Ringway. The work began this spring following the awar d of two new framework contracts to the company’s Special Treatments division. They are for five years and have an overall value of ar ound £500,000 a year. Ringway is committed to developing the partnership and promoting continuous improvement through the contracts, which are overseen by a joint Partnering Boar d.
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insight conference 2010
Strong order book consolidates Ringway’s position in market Ringway is in robust shape as the company heads into a tough period for UK Plc and the public services, managers wer e told at the 2010 spring confer ence. The steps taken since 2008 and significant contract awar ds have
Francoise Amosse outlined the Group’s improved financial
consolidated Ringway’s position in its markets, Scott W ardrop
performance in 2009 and a positive for ecast for 2010. Central costs
explained in his keynote address.
had been reduced by over a fifth since 2008, he noted. Ringway’ s
Ringway Jacobs’s Buckinghamshire commission and Ringway’s recent selection for the Midlands Highways Alliance framework contract (see page 5) were strategically important, the Group’s
sister companies Ringway Jacobs and BEAR Scotland wer e continuing to perform strongly. As well as detailing contract wins and extensions, Commer cial
Managing Director pointed out. A series of term service and other
Director David Binding ran through the major bids due this year, and
contract extensions – including four mor e years in Worcestershire –
the strong growth prospects for Ringway’s future workload.
had bolstered Ringway’s strength and order book further, he added. But Scott stressed the need to work together to achieve the objectives of the Five Year Plan. “We must constantly question our ways of working so we can do things better ,” he said. That message was reinforced in presentations throughout the two-day event at the Marriott Hotel in Birmingham.
Eurovia’s Chairman & Chief Executive Of ficer, Jacques Tavernier, reaffirmed the parent company’s support for Ringway in its drive to achieve the Plan’s objectives. Eurovia sees Ringway as its UK operation, he stressed – a fact reflected in a re-branding announced by Scott Wardrop (see below). Eurovia can also learn from Ringway, especially its commercial acumen in areas such as quality submissions, Jacques added.
THE CLIENT’S VIEW Highway authority budgets are under pressure but road maintenance remains high on the political agenda for all parties given the potholes left behind by a sever e winter, explained George Batten, W iltshire County Council’s Corporate Director for Transport, Environment & Leisure. Capital budgets will suffer more than revenue spending, so road construction schemes are more likely to be shelved than maintenance or resurfacing. But service providers must be adaptable to help clients through the challenges ahead and secur e workload.
SAFER AT WORK Ringway continues to become an ever safer place to work, Health, Safety & Environment Manager Dave Campbell reported. The consistent downward trend in both LTIFR (lost-time) and RIDDOR (reportable) injury incidents was maintained in 2009 with reductions of 21% and 23%, r espectively. This was reflected in another Gold Award from RoSPA as well as a Management of Road Risk Silver Award for the results achieved through the Vigiroute driver risk initiative.
RINGWAY & EUROVIA The close connections between Ringway and its par ent company have become much mor e apparent with the re-naming of some companies. Ringway Gr oup Ltd – the UK holding company of Ringway – took on the mantle of Eur ovia Group Ltd from 1 July. The Specialist Treatments and Roadstone divisions have also adopted the Eur ovia branding. “This will help us re-position these businesses in the market, as well as highlight our str ong ties to Eurovia and its world-beating expertise,” says Scott W ardrop, Group Managing Director.
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insight news Group achieves benchmark and new Big Tick award Ringway has made a successful entry into the UK’s leading benchmarking index for corporate responsibility – and picked up a second Big T ick award into the bargain. Business in the Community’s CR Index for 2010 – Scott Wardrop (left) and Jacques Tavernier field questions in Birmingham
published in the Financial Times in June – showed
USING THE SYSTEMS Ringway has made a big investment in developing a full range of business systems, and improving them. Rebranding Ringway’s systems under the eServe label could make it easier for users and clients to understand their role, Tom West, Regional Director - East suggested. “They are there to help us work more effectively, so we should make sure we use them,” he str essed.
that Ringway had gained a bronze rating. This status is accorded to companies that clearly articulate their mission, values and the principles of corporate social responsibility, and have made good progress in colelcting data on their social and envir onmental impacts, and publicly reporting them. Ringway achieved a score of 77.7% – exceeding the Gr oup’s 75 target set in the Five Year Plan, which calls for steadily impr oving performance with the aim of becoming ‘best in class’. BITC also announced that Ringway had won a Big T ick Award for Excellence. This honour – awarded in the Building Stronger
TEAM WORKING Every service we provide to customers or internally within Ringway depends on teams of people working together. And each team is made up of dif ferent personalities and people with strengths and weaknesses, Kristine Pollock, Human Resources Director, reminded delegates. Managers should be willing to change teams, trying new combinations to bring the best out of people and improve performance.
Communities category – recognises the company’s “wide-ranging and comprehensive partnership” with the Calthorpe Pr oject in King’s Cross, London. Based around a community garden, the project provides a crèche for under-5s, a drop-in centre for teenagers, and an education centre in a deprived area. Ringway had won two V inci Foundation grants, seconded a graduate engineer, contributed over 380 hours of volunteer time, and involved suppliers and clients in its work for the project, BITC noted. Ringway has previously won a Big T ick for its Trainee Highway Worker scheme. The company hosted an open day at Calthorpe in July (see picture) to celebrate the award and the opening of the under -5s building, which was completed with Ringway’s support.
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insight community
Winning against the odds
It has won a VINCI Innovation A ward and praise from clients. But more important, Ringway's ex-offenders scheme is a win-win for the community and the company . Rochester in Kent was a good place to start when Ringway set out to
Ringway policy is to treat all recruits the same as other employees. “W e
bring young ex-offenders into the workforce in 2007. Rochester Young
chose to pay them while on licence, and the money goes into a prison
Offenders Institute, which is responsible for over 600 sentenced young
account until their release. So when they come out of prison not only
men aged 18-21, was the original Borstal Institution, named after a
do they have a job but also a bit of money behind them,” Elainne says.
nearby village.
Their contracts are also standard, with a three-month probationary Ringway’s Human Resources team
"It makes you so happy to know that when you come out, you have a job"
conceived the scheme as a way of
period. Under the licence regulations, line managers have to be informed of
tackling two modern-day problems:
their status, but it’s up to the men themselves what they shar e with
the social exclusion and joblessness
workmates. They’re usually open about their past. “They get an extra
facing youths emerging from prison
degree of support from their colleagues,” says Elainne. “In fact, we all
and the lack of young recruits to the
tend to get more back from these guys. We haven’t had any objections
highways sector. And in the process,
from our employees, and the reactions from clients too is always
Ringway – a long-term service provider
positive.”
to Kent – would be making a valuable contribution to the local community and economy. The company began by running taster days to give a selection of
The programme, which has evolved in parallel with Ringway’s strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility, shows how doing the right thing for people and the community can be good for the company as
inmates a flavour of highways work. Liaising closely with the
well. The VINCI judges, who gave the scheme an Innovation A ward,
Governor’s staff, potentially suitable applicants were then interviewed,
praised not only its role in social re-integration but also how it tackles
and four recruited and trained as highways operatives – with the
skills shortages by bringing young recruits into an ageing workforce.
client’s full backing – on the Kent term services contract. Ringway and county staff from Kent Highways Services also joined in
Nationally 70% of those released re-offend and end up back in prison. With employment schemes like this, the r e-offending rate drops
with young offenders on a community volunteering day, which resulted
to 7%. The financial savings and wider benefits to society ar e
in another recruit.
considerable. “It gives each person the opportunity to hold down a job,
Since then prisons in Reading, Lincoln and Dartmoor, and a total of 16 young men, have joined the pr ogramme. How long they stay with
achieve some kind of stability in their life, and become a contributing part of the community – and the company too,” says Elainne.
Ringway varies, and reflects the local labour market, says Elainne Piper, Human Resources Business Partner. In the South-East, for example, turnover rates are higher for all operatives than in the South-W est, and the same is true for these r ecruits. “We’ve improved our retention rate by working with small numbers, making sure we put the right people in the right environment, and supporting them properly,” Elainne explains. “This is a very worthwhile programme but it’s challenging and we have to do it in a controlled manner.” Typically, the men are on licence as they undergo induction and training with Ringway, returning to prison after their day’s work.
8
The HR department is aiming to
"I feel I've blended straight in and get the same opportunities in overtime etc as my colleagues"
build on their success so far. “We’re talking to other prisons in the ar eas we serve,” she adds. “Our aim is to have at least one ex-offender working in each Ringway division.” And the programme may be widened to other disadvantaged groups such as long-term unemployed, disabled and homeless people.
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insight sustainability Making the carbon commitment National targets for cutting carbon r equire big organisations to do their bit, as Chris Plant, Acting Group Sustainability Manager, explains. With the UK seeking to lead the way in tackling climate change, our
meters are helping us identify the potential for savings at our sites.
country’s legally binding targets to cut carbon emissions ar e
Although transport emissions will not be cover ed by the
starting to bite.
CRC regime, we can reduce our carbon footprint
The UK Climate Change Act 2008 set targets to
further – and increase our cost-efficiency – by
achieve an 80% reduction in UK emissions by
reducing fuel usage. We have already
2050 from their baseline level in 1990.
begun to do this through eco-driving,
In 2009, the Act saw the intr oduction of
tracking the distance reactive
the Carbon Reduction Commitment
maintenance crews travel to defects,
(CRC). This is an energy ef ficiency
more efficient routing of our works
scheme that puts a price on carbon and
vehicles, and renewing the fleet
creates a carbon trading regime for
with more economical models.
large public and private-sector
And we are doing much more.
organisations.
As the last Insight outlined (Winter
The biggest emitters were already
2009), our Low Carbon Steering
subject to the European Union’s Emission
Committee is rolling out Ringway’s
Trading Scheme, and have to buy carbon
carbon strategy along with strategic and
credits in the marketplace if emissions exceed
divisional carbon reduction initiatives. Two
their allowance. Now less energy-intensive
new projects deserve special mention.
organisations are being brought into the net as part of
The Carbon Challenge is a competition designed
the CRC. All those consuming electricity above a set level have to monitor
to identify the best ideas for new carbon-savings pr ojects. Eleven of the company’s graduate engineers have been assigned the
their carbon footprints, forecast future emissions and drive forward
task of developing carbon-reduction initiatives within the divisions
reduction programmes while trading in carbon cr edits. From April
where they are working. Their proposals will be presented at a
this year, Ringway – which is cover ed as part of the VINCI UK gr oup
graduate seminar later this y ear and then evaluated by Mike
– is taking part in the CRC along with many of our clients and
Burnett, Graduate Programme Manager, and myself. The winner’s
competitors.
project will be rolled out across the Group.
By conserving energy, limiting our consumption of electricity and
Meanwhile, we are making progress on an ambitious carbon
gas and fuel oil in our plants, depots and of fices we will cut the cost
labelling project. The aim is to calibrate the carbon impact of our
of those carbon credits as well as our footprint. Smart energy
products and services. So, just as you can check the ef ficiency rating when shopping for an electrical appliance,
HOW THE CRC SCHEME WILL WORK ■ During 2010/11 we will benchmark our carbon emissions for all fossil fuels such as gas and fuel oil (excluding transport emissions). ■ We will then forecast our annual emissions for 2011/12 and pur chase carbon allowances for each tonne of carbon dioxide (CO 2). These carbon allowances will be priced initially at £12 per tonne of CO 2. ■ Depending on the actual outcome, the cost will either be r eturned to the company (six months after the year’s end) or we will have to buy additional carbon cr edits up to the total level emitted.
our clients will be able to see at a glance the carbon impact of our standard materials and innovative surfacing systems. This is an enormous undertaking that requires a big investment in r esources, training and analysis, and close working with the Carbon Label Company, a subsidiary of the Carbon Trust. But a rigorous labelling system will be of significant value to us as a company and to our carbon-conscious
The company’s performance will also be published in an annual league table. So the CRC
clients as we strive to cr eate a low-carbon
will affect our business in various ways – not least our pr ofitability – and we need to
future for our sector and the UK.
manage these impacts as cost-effectively as possible. It is crucial that we make ef forts to reduce our carbon emissions.
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The ‘radical evolution’ transforming our supply chain The supply chain is vital to Ringway. Keith Aldrich explains how it is being transformed and the roles played by the Supply Chain Executive and his team. Just as an army ‘marches on its stomach,’ any major services
■ Achieving superior, consistent performance – through Lean
provider must depend heavily on its supply chain. That’ s true even
thinking, ensuring on-time delivery, quality and reliability,
for a vertically integrated provider like Ringway with the capability
responsiveness in meeting planned and unplanned needs.
to self-deliver more products and services than standard contractors. Working closely with sustainable supply chain members is critical to meeting the challenges we face in the business and that’s why we are in the throes of transforming the Ringway supply chain. Our vision is to become, by 2011, the industry leader for supply
■ Developing our people – by pr oviding hands-on support to the Divisional teams, running commercial and procurement workshops, and instigating training. So what have we achieved in the first year? Ther e isn’t space here to list anything like all the goals we have set ourselves, the
chain measured through customers’ satisfaction, what we
tasks completed and ongoing, or the wins so far , but here are
contribute to the Group’s profit, and the efficiency of our
some important examples.
procurement processes. Our Supply Chain Transformation Project is designed to achieve
The cost reduction achieved through smarter supply chain management in 2009 was in excess of £1.4 million. Rationalising
that vision through what we see as a ‘radical evolution’ rather than
payments to our supply chain also helped impr ove the Group’s cash
revolution. We are building on our existing systems and pr ocedures
position at the year-end.
and making them consistent and mor e robust with help from operational, commercial and finance teams in the Divisions. There are five main elements to our work: ■ Managing costs – by minimising what we pay for pr oducts and
We have improved the strategic support provided for tenders and our bid and estimating teams ar e now working together more closely than ever before, as our recent successes show. The supply chain team has r eviewed how we manage
services, waste, distribution, inventories, organisation, and non-
performance. By engaging the supply chain and aligning our
performance.
procurement processes to the EFQM business excellence model we
■ Facilitating Ringway’s growth – by supporting winning bids. This involves demonstrating professional supply chain management, timely submission of competitive rates, r esource planning, and feedback to improve estimating accuracy. ■ Promoting sustainability – through supplier approval and review, ensuring compliance with norms and standar ds, robust repeatable processes, and professional support.
are fostering a culture of continuous improvement. We have already seen the benefits. Where we have implemented these changes we are working Leaner, quicker and better. We are freeing supervisors to supervise. A more competitive supply chain is delivering efficiency savings and significant cost r eduction, for example through the recent review of plant suppliers. We have negotiated 26 new framework agr eements covering a wide range of items from plant hire and builders’ merchants to
Steering our strategy Ringway’s supply chain strategy and policies ar e set by the Supply Chain Executive. Chaired by the Group Managing Director Scott Wardrop, the Executive meets every two months to r eview the performance of the supply chain and divisional teams, and r evise policies as necessary. It approves all new agreements, shares best practice and cascades key messages acr oss the Group. The Executive aims to drive continuous impr ovement, and Ringway’s Regional Directors play a vital role by challenging any decision that could impact unfavourably on businesses locally . By providing a forum where urgent issues can be decided quickly, the Executive also ensures Ringway can respond rapidly to market trends, clients’ needs, and opportunities to drive out inef ficiencies and save money. The Executive’s members are: Keith Aldrich, Mike Betchley, David Binding, George Daville, Brian Moss, Leanne Moulding, Jerry Pert, Patrick Sulliot, Scott W ardrop (chair), Tom West.
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insight profile printers and travel and accommodation.
to our teams in Kent, Surr ey, Wiltshire, Transport for London
Ringway’s approach to procurement is now joined up with
and BEAR Scotland.
the VINCI UK Purchasing Club, increasing our purchasing power.
Meanwhile, workshops and training provided to the Group
Our combined spend, in excess of £2 billion, makes us a
and our extended supply chain team focussed on negotiation,
significant player in the UK market.
cost reduction, project management and other crucial ar eas.
We contributed to the effective mobilisation of Ringway
We have achieved a lot and ther e will be more of the same
Jacobs in Buckinghamshire, were heavily involved in mid-term
this year as we work to achieve our supply chain vision and
reviews of our services contracts, and pr ovided tailored support
deliver the objectives of Ringway’s Five Year Plan.
Meet the supply chain team LEANNE
KEITH ALDRICH Group Supply Chain
MOULDING
Manager
Supply Chain
Keith has more than 20
Coordinator Leanne’s role
years’ experience in supply
includes
chain management and procurement, the last five
verification and
in the private sector. He is leading the ongoing
approval of subcontractors, monitoring supply chain compliance, and
transformation of the Ringway supply chain.
supporting the Supply Chain Executive. MICHELLE COLLETT
PAUL TILLER
Category Manager
Assistant Category Manager
Michelle’s role is to identify
Paul has been supporting Keith in
opportunities to
developing and reviewing strategic
consolidate and synergise
arrangements for plant and vehicle
spend through the use of
hire, and has been instrumental in
common suppliers and
developing the waste management
service providers to reduce
strategy. DENIS HAYES,
cost and provide consistency of product and service to the Group.
Category Manager
JOHN STEEL
Denis has a wealth of experience in troubleshooting operational procurement issues, developing Lean processes, and negotiating
Purchasing Manager John, who has over 30 years of wideranging procurement experience, is currently supporting all strategic bids and tenders as well as being involved
preferred agreements with the supply chain.
in mid-term reviews and framework negotiation.
If you would like to know more on any of these issues please contact your local Divisional Manager or the Group’s supply chain team direct.
11
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When an officer calls A Ringway depot in Worcestershire has received the company’s first advisory visit by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The visit, which is likely to be r epeated at other sites across the country, was requested by the HSE as part of its ongoing campaign to promote safety awareness, writes Phil Parslow, Senior HS&E Advisor. The HSE Awareness Officer’s primary role is to provide information. They don’t have the same powers as an HSE field
loading to site tidiness and welfar e. The officer was also clearly
Inspector, but can enforce certain aspects of employer legislation.
impressed by our 2010 HS&E Calendar and near -miss reporting
Our Hinton depot, near Evesham, serves the south of the county , and is a strategic base for managing term and winter maintenance
procedure. The visit was very positive and our people in W orcestershire
activities. It is used by of fice and site-based personnel and also
should be pleased. Good working conditions not only help ensur e
stores plant, equipment and materials.
an incident-free workplace, but also generate confidence and
During the two-hour visit Graham Haynes, Martin Lane and Phil Burns of the Worcestershire contract management team gave a
enthusiasm. So be prepared for yours! And take note too: The visit to the
good account of how health and safety is managed in the
depot was triggered by a defective air r eceiver, which is reportable
business.
to the HSE under regulations. Our integrated management system
We could confidently demonstrate compliance on the wide-
12
ranging issues covered from worker involvement and vehicle
requires that such equipment is always well maintained.
Use your expert client
Water duties are clear
We are used to carrying out construction works, but sometimes we are also the client, writes Dave Campbell, Group Health, Safety & Environment Manager. Examples include the extensive works to the fr ont of our signs factory at Weston-super-Mare, maintenance of the wharf wall at our Dagenham stone-coating plant, and, most recently, construction of a large covered storage bay for aggregate at the Immingham plant. On these projects Ringway automatically assumes the role of client under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007. The CDM regulations give clients specific duties, which incr ease when the contract is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive. The HS&E Department has been able to support Gr oup companies by carrying out the role of CDM Coordinator for notifiable projects. The Coordinator must be appointed by the client at the earliest opportunity to advise on the appointment of other duty holders, notify the HSE, and manage the flow of health & safety information. An in-house CDM Coordinator offers several advantages. It’s another example of our ‘vertical integration’ and r educes costs. We can be assured that all the correct documentation and notifications are in place at each stage of a pr oject. And as we take on this critical role when needed we have greater opportunity to add real value. So take advantage.
All Ringway crews and their managers are being reminded to follow the Group’s new procedures for extracting water from hydrants. Using non-authorised hydrants or standpipes can lead to sever e discolouration or contamination of drinking water, putting the public at risk. Water authorities are prosecuting companies that fail to obtain the proper consent or permit. “Not only does this put the health of people at risk, it could also damage our reputation,” says Dave Campbell, Group Health, Safety & Environment Manager. After reviewing the varying local requirements of water companies around the country, Ringway last year drew up standard procedures that must be implemented, Dave stresses. The process is clear for everyone involved. Supervisors and mangers must obtain approval for use, record the standpipes in inventories and tag them, keep copies of consents and licences on site, and plan for water abstraction at all stages, ensuring the supply chain also complies. Our operational teams must know the consent details, check they have the correct standpipe before starting work, and ensure the equipment is in good working order. “If in doubt, always check with your line or Divisional Manager , or Regional HS&E Advisor,” says Dave.
PHOTO: Ian Savage
insight health & safety
RINGWAY 12-13:Layout 1 30/07/2010 14:05 Page 2
sharp end Ringway employees at work
Left to right: Fred (66), son Paul (47) and grandson Joe (23)
PHOTO: Doug Melhuish
In Harrogate, three generations of the Boreham family are working for Ringway Infrastructure Services on the term services contract for the borough council.
BACKGROUND: Fred has lived in Harrogate since the age of six, but originally hales from Twickenham in Middlesex. He met his wife Margaret while working in a local laundry and has remained in Harrogate ever since.
WHY RINGWAY? “The long-term career prospects that Ringway could offer for a lad of my age and, of course, working with other members of my family was a r eal bonus,” says Joe.
FRED: “I worked in the laundry until I was 18 and old enough to join the council. I’ve worked in the hand-lay tarmac gangs since for various employers holding the contract with Harrogate Borough Council. So I’ve done the same job for 48 years although I’m told (by Margaret, my wife) that I’m looking forward to retiring next year.”
WHAT’S BEST ABOUT THE JOB? “Working with the gang,” says Fred. “We have worked together for a long time and each have our specific jobs. It’s a well drilled team!” “For me,” says Paul, “the security of working for a big company with longterm contracts is important.” Joe adds: “It’s also the training and opportunities that Ringway can provide.”
WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE AT WORK? “There’s much more focus on health & safety now,” says Fred. PAUL: Paul joined the council in 1982 and served a four-year apprenticesip as a Street Mason and Pavor.
AND THE WORST? “If there is a down side it would be the callout rota,” says Paul. “Every month we do a week on call and we can be dragged out of bed at a moment’s notice.” Joe adds: “Working in all weathers, but that’s part and parcel of the job.”
JOE: A General Operative, Joe joined Ringway in August 2008, having pr eviously worked for himself as a landscape gar dener.
WHAT’S IT LIKE HAVING FAMILY AS WORKMATES? “It’s OK,” Fred and Paul answer. “We rely
on each other especially when we ar e called out in the night and need extra help,” Paul adds. “I know they are only a phone call away and they will come out every time.” “But,” Joe says, “I’ve got to watch what I say sometimes as my Dad could be stood behind me listening in.” OUTSIDE WORK? “All the family are close and drop into Fred and Margaret’s at all times of the day and night for a coffee and a chat,” says Paul. OTHER PASTIMES? “Gardening and also the Christmas lights,” says Fred. Decorated with thousands of lights, his house is a Harr ogate landmark at Christmas time when he collects donations for charity. Over the years he has raised over £5,000. PAUL: “I help Fred with the lights at Christmas, but fishing and Leeds United ar e my main pastimes.” Joe shares his Dad’s fondness for fishing and also manages a local 6-a-side football team.
13
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insight people
Testing gets New milestones for apprentices smarter June 1 saw the launch of a new testing regime for drugs and alcohol across Ringway, writes Virginia Harvey, Interim HR Business Partner. Following extensive research and a
Our industry faces a ‘workforce time bomb’ that will cause serious skills shortfalls, writes Ann-Marie Brock, HR Business Partner (East). According to research from Construction Skills, the industry’s Sector Skills Council, the problem can only get worse as the proportion of construction
tendering process, we appointed
workers aged 40 years and over is
Concateno, a highly accredited specialist
growing on average by about 2% a
service provider, to take over the testing
year since 1990.
role. We are also taking advantage of
Its advice to recruit more diversely
recent technological developments and
and train more employees is now
updating our policy on drugs and alcohol.
backed by a new ‘Positive Image’
Saliva testing will continue to be our main method of testing for drugs. But it
recruitment campaign. Ringway is also taking positive steps
will now be possible to get an instant
to combat this growing problem, not
negative result. This is a great advantage
least through our apprenticeship
because so much of our work is in safety-
scheme launched in 2007. Currently we
critical areas. Given an instant negative
have 21 people on the scheme, with 13
result we will now know that workers can
aiming to complete their NVQ and
go back to work without any risk to
Diploma this year.
themselves, colleagues or the public.
Working with Askham Bryan College
Where tests indicate drugs are present, we
near York and Construction Skills, we provide a mixture of classroom teaching for the
will continue to send samples to a
Diploma and practical on-the-job training and experience to support NVQs.
laboratory for further analysis. We are also introducing pre-
This year we are introducing a handbook for apprentices and their managers. The manual will detail key information on the college curriculum along with practical advice.
employment or new employee testing for
And, under a new incentive sch eme, as apprentices successfully complete each course
all recruits either at offer stage or within
unit, and then obtain their driving licences, they will be awarded ‘milestone’ pay
the first few weeks of starting work. We
increases, so that at the e nd of the two years salaries will rise to the equivalent of a
plan to use urine testing for this group,
Grade 1 Operative in their division.
and in other circumstances where saliva testing is difficult, eg, due to operational circumstances. The updated policy is supported by more background information on drugs, alcohol and signs of misuse, new procedures and guidance for managers, and training.
14
Web microsite is all about jobs It’s never been easier for people who want to find out about working for Ringway.
RINGWAY 14-15:Layout 1 03/08/2010 06:33 Page 2
Benefits of picking up the phone Who do you turn to when you have a problem – with money, a legal issue, your family, relationships or other personal matters? Friends and relatives are usually the first port of call, but sometimes, it’s best to ask an exp ert, even if it’s just to get a second, independent opinion. That’s why all Ringway people h ave free and confidential access to a 24-hour helpline. Since January, FirstAssist is the specialist provider of the company’s Employee Assistance Programme, which includes an online support service, accessible from home and office computers. And the feedback is very positive, as this message from a Ringway colleague shows.
“
I wanted to let you know about recent contact I had with FirstAssist. When I called, at 9pm, my details were logged, and I was asked broadly what my call related to –
employment, finances, personal, etc. It was made clear I did not have to use my real name and no part of our conversation would be shared with my employer or any other party. I got a call back after around 10 minutes and spent half an
hour on the phone to one of their advisors. She made me feel at ease immediately, was interested and concerned, and did not make any judgements about what I was saying. The advisor was extremely knowledgeable, with information to
Other benefits Apart from pension schemes, holiday entitlement and company vehicles and fuel, depending on one’s role, Ringway provides a range of other employee benefits. Here’s a reminder:
“
hand, and able to make practical suggestions for a solution. All in all, I was extremely impressed and was left feeling
■ CHILDCARE VOUCHERS: Converting a portion of your pay
very positive about how to move forward with things. The
into childcare vouchers saves money because there are no tax
whole experience far exceeded what I expected.
and NI contributions to pay.
I want it known that this programme is excellent, and I would strongly encourage any Ringway employee to make use of it.
The Ringway People website is dedicated to promoting Ringway as an employer. It aims to answer the key questions of potential applicants about the company, including available vacancies and career opportunities. Would-be recruits can also subscribe to receive job alerts by email, and new content is progressively being added to the site. The site is also designed to support local managers. Ringway divisions –
■ SAVINGS SCHEME: Build up savings by putting a part of your earnings into a fund you can withdraw for Christmas, holidays or other big costs. ■ MEDICAL SCREENING: A confidential screening service covering basic health advice, eyesight, hearing, blood pressure and the chance to discuss any health concerns with an occupational health professional. ■ VOLUNTEERING: Two days’ paid leave so you can volunteer to work on a communi ty project or for a charity.
who are required to notify all vacancies to the HR de partment in Horsham – can use features that make it easier to administer the recruitment process. Online software can record the outcome of applications and interviews, and generate the various letters that are needed at each stage. And the site is for emplo yees too. Have a look and tell the HR team what you think: www.ringwaypeople.co.uk
15
RINGWAY 16-17(v6):Layout 1 30/07/2010 13:50 Page 1
When the going gets tough…
Recent winters have hit various parts of the country har d for short periods, but the latest freeze was different as it was both widespread and prolonged. From the Isle of W ight to the north-east of Scotland, Ringway and our joint ventur es grappled with some extremely challenging conditions made worse by a national salt shortage. We can be rightly proud of how we rose to these challenges.
Resilience is a core Ringway value and the company and its people truly lived up to it during the severe winter conditions earlier this year, as ‘Salt Tzar’ Bob Binder reports.
To give a few examples: ❅ Ringway’s arrival on the Isle of W ight was timely. We mobilised 12 gritters, within a month, landing them by early November for the start of a four-year winter services contract. By mid-December a fully trained pool of fr ont-line drivers was in place. The previous winter had been its worst in r ecent years. This winter saw even more actions including two periods of continuous snow clearing totalling nine days. ❅ In Surrey, gritters worked day and night, battling the fr ost and icy conditions, as employees worked thr ough the Christmas holiday period. Nineteen gangs worked over a weekend to clear access to schools (for GCSE exams) and to hospitals. Our gritters and ploughs kept the notorious A31 Hoggs Back open when even the police thought it impossible! ❅ Next door in Kent, there were more winter action shouts than long-serving highway engineers can remember. The county endured three snow emergency periods with 24-hour manning. ❅ The Midlands was not spared either. Solihull’s total of 49 gritting runs was similar to the pr evious year, but the action was more intense. January saw an exceptional 11 call-outs in seven days. ❅ Scotland had its worst winter in 30 years. It had been unusually mild before the weather turned in mid-December for a three-week cold ‘snap’. As BEAR Scotland’s hard-bitten highway engineers put it, at least decision-making was easy as the mercury got stuck below zero. But, after recovering to ‘normal’ spring levels, it plunged again in April! The resilience of Ringway’s people on the front line was reflected behind the scenes as well. Finance Director François Amossé and his team had to battle in to a snow-bound Horsham to ensure that our year-end financial accounts were processed. Payroll staff in the regions showed similar commitment so our people wer e paid on time. And our Managing Director, Scott Wardrop, had to pitch in to make sur e the all-important (and successful) tender for the Midlands Highways Alliance was done by the deadline.
Clockwise from main picture: Unloading emergency supplies at Roadstone Dagenham for TfL and the Greater London Salt Cell; ploughing in Wiltshire; a BEAR Scotland snow-blower in action on the A95
16
RINGWAY 16-17(v6):Layout 1 30/07/2010 13:51 Page 2
insight winter service for Transport for London and Ringway Jacobs in mid-winter. The Salt Committee directed the movement of new supplies to Ringway contracts and to client authorities who normally pr ocure their own salt – including Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Surrey and Rotherham – and they were extremely grateful. In Rotherham, for example, a 400t consignment imported via Bristol late in February, saved the day. “The cavalry came over the hill just as we were getting desperate and living hand to mouth with gritting demands and limited supplies from Salt Union,” Streetpride Network Manager Dave Cooper told us afterwar ds. Anxious clients were even able to track the pr ogress of vessels from As the weather depleted salt stocks and disrupted deliveries, Britain
the Mediterranean on the web. While people on the gr ound waited
faced its second winter crisis in two years. But we wer e ready. Early in
for their boat to come in, the Salt Committee also dir ected transfers
December our alarm bells had begun to ring as salt deliveries started
of stop-gap supplies between contracts, with our clients’ appr oval.
to slow down. Following soundings with the UK salt supply chain and
And we even supplied local authorities who ar e not clients – in
shipping agents, and analysis of mid-range weather for ecasts, we
keeping with that other Ringway value, integrity.
convened Ringway’s Salt Committee.
As Bill Taylor told the Ringway conference: “We procured additional
This is our equivalent of the Gover nment’s Salt Cell, and it holds
salt for our clients and for our competitors’ clients – we did not make
regular conference calls – every other day at the height of the latest
money out of this – it was a service we pr ovided. Our Salt Committee
salt crisis – to discuss stock levels, the number of days’ r esilience
also provided essential information for our clients at a very high level,
across the Group’s operations, and future sources. Securing these is
including the London Mayor Boris Johnson, to help them make
the job of the committee’s Salt Tzar, which is part of my r ole as
pressing decisions and answer media questions.”
Commercial Manager. Scott Wardrop, our Group Managing Director, chairs the
Salt conservation also played a vital r ole in ensuring that gritting did not slide to a halt for lack of salt in the har dest-hit areas. Authorities
committee, which also includes the regional directors of the term
agreed to reduce the number of routes treated and the spread rates,
services business, and Bill Taylor, Managing Director of BEAR Scotland
and to using salt substitutes on gritting runs.
and Ringway Jacobs. Bill is also leading the winter r eview group of the Highway Term Maintenance Association. The committee immediately agreed that Ringway and its clients could not wait for Gover nment intervention (which did not come until early January) to sort out the looming crisis. Not only was most
Ahead of the Department for Transport’s call for a 25% reduction in highway authorities’ daily salt usage, the Salt Committee was sharing Ringway’s experience in salt blending across the Group and with clients. This was condensed into a matrix by John Chur chill, our Contracts
of the UK facing a potentially pr olonged freeze, all of northern
Manager in Worcestershire, detailing more than a score of
Europe was in the same boat. Colleagues in France wer e struggling as
combinations and mix ratios covering rock salt, grit, pad salt, sharp
European salt producers, who had obviously over-committed,
sand, brine, marine sand and additives. Drawing on feedback fr om
cancelled orders that were supposed to have secured stocks.
local personnel and advice from our Technical Centre in Warrington,
Decisions had to be made quickly – in consultation with clients and
this matrix summarised the results – good and bad – fr om trials and
shipping agents – to secure loads. To avoid price hiking, Ringway
various uses on pavements, footways and in grit bins this winter and
played the role of mystery buyer, allowing the company to secure salt
during the last salt crisis in 2008/09.
on behalf of clients at the volumes r equired and reasonable cost. In the previous salt crisis, we had imported supplies fr om Spain and Morocco. Such was the demand this December that we had to deal with suppliers as far afield as Tunisia and Egypt. Ringway chartered a total of 12 shipments, importing 48,000
Armed with this information highway teams wer e better able to sustain a safe winter maintenance service in trying conditions. The Ringway Salt Committee’s final meeting took place at the end of March, and Ringway Divisional Managers reviewed our performance in April. There was much to discuss. Ringway, our joint
tonnes through Bristol, Chatham and Dundee, in addition to another
ventures and our staff well deserved the praise they r eceived from
30,000 tonnes sourced from home producers.
clients and road users. But inevitably, there are lessons we can lear n
Roadstone’s dockside facility at Dagenham, which had taken its first salt delivery from Cleveland in the summer, proved a vital supply route
for next time. Ringway will again be pr epared for the worst so we can deliver the best possible winter service.
17
RINGWAY 18-19(v6) copy 2:Layout 1 30/07/2010 13:47 Page 1
insight business systems Kheops makes the day job easier Much of the work by our Information & Communications Technology team is devoted to developing and extending Kheops in ways that makes people’s jobs easier and our business mor e efficient, writes Paul Williams, Group ICT Systems Manager. The enhanced reports now produced by Kheops – analysing
people’s training requirements and progress. Staff can now input their expenses. And we are testing how we can use the system to track the fuel consumption of our plant by adding Arval fuel data. Other work in progress covers a range of ar eas from health and safety to invoicing. Projects include: ■ scanning supplier invoices so they can be stor ed and searched online – this is Horsham-based but will be r olled out to divisions;
weekly costs and the sales or der dashboard – are helpful tools for
remittance scanning is already available online;
monitoring and controlling costs. In Solilhull and W orcestershire our
■ eContrack key performance indicator software is being
Kheops cost reimbursement solution is also saving admin time and
reorganised to allow easier data captur e and reporting for Group
money as staff no longer have to key the figur es into two systems
health & safety and sustainability r esults;
and reconcile the outcomes, and the r esulting information is
■ a Kheops Industry module is being investigated for use in
accurate.
Roadstone;
Similarly, the ability to allocate detailed pur chase order costs to works orders makes managing costs easier. We are continuing to bring new elements of the day-to-day business within Kheops. Its new training module now captur es our
■ a timesheet system is being r olled out to simplify recording of hours for reclaiming costs on bids; and ■ speeding up the processing of intra-group invoices as a first step to electronic Kheops invoices.
eServe rolls out in W iltshire Reactive maintenance gangs in W iltshire are now using hand-held devices to r eceive works orders electronically in the field via the wir eless network. Works order details and images that ar e captured by the gangs are also sent back to base via the same wir eless connection. And Parish Stewards in the county could be next to make use of eServe mobile – the on-the-r oad extension of Ringway’s works order tracking and client interface system. Further rollouts are also planned for other Ringway operations across the country, including Airport Services, EUROMARK, Traffic
reactive maintenance jobs that can’t wait for the next inspection Meanwhile in Kent, the ICT team will launch eServe mobile v2.0
Management, Signs Installation, the Harrogate contract and the
by the summer. This enhanced system will be able to send and
A417 DBFO.
receive permits for streetworks under the Traffic Management Act.
eServe mobile is helping to str eamline management of the
To automate as much as possible of the associated admin, the
reactive maintenance service. Using their PDAs (personal digital
package will dovetail with the county council’s Street Gazetteer and
assistants), gangs notify their arrival on site, take a ‘befor e’ photo of
scheduling systems.
the highway defect, followed by ‘after’ images once the work is done, and then confirm completion of the works or der. Inputting the information is easy – just a matter of tapping pull-
V2.0 offers a series of other impr ovements, including gangs being able to record actual quantities using schedule of rates or activities downloaded to their PDAs.
down boxes on the touch scr een. Gangers can even navigate to the location of hard-to-find defects using the PDA’s in-built satnav when highway inspectors provide the GPS coordinates. Back at the depot, eServe is updated almost instantly with all this across the network. Programming and rescheduling of jobs is more responsive and efficient, and closing jobs off electronically saves the client admin time. Extending eServe mobile to the 20 Parish Stewar ds who ‘find and fix’ defects would also allow them to cr eate works orders for urgent
18
PHOTO: Nigel Card
data, so contract and client managers have a live view of pr ogress
RINGWAY 18-19(v6) copy 2:Layout 1 30/07/2010 13:48 Page 2
insight news LED bars light the way
PHOTO: Peter McCallion
Ringway clients are not the only ones cutting carbon emissions and running costs by switching to LED lights. Fitted to a purpose-built traffic management truck, low-voltage LED light bars are using about 40% less energy than conventional units and, like TRIGGER HAPPY: Special signs for diverting traf fic during emergency closures on some of
Ringway-manufactured LED illuminated
England’s busiest trunk roads have been manufactured by Ringway Signs. The ‘trigger’ signs
signs, are virtually maintenance-free.
also benefit from a new latching system devised by designers at the W eston-super-Mare
They are also brighter and more visible and can be left on when the
plant. Trigger signs are grey-fronted signs that can be opened to display a standar d sign as
engine is no longer running without risk
required. But erecting the signs on steeply sloping banks put the top ‘trigger’ out of r each.
of a flat battery, says Michelle Mitchell,
EnterpriseMouchel, managing agent for Highways Agency Ar ea 3, sought the help of the
Divisional Manager of RIS East’s Traffic Management Division.
Signs division. It amended the latch design, and developed and demonstrated two
“The benefits – in enhanced safety,
prototypes, resolving the problem. The managing agent praised the company’s ‘high degree of innovation and problem-
carbon impact – more than justify the
solving’, appointing Ringway Signs as pr eferred supply chain partner. More than 175 triggers signs wer e supplied for Area 3, which ranges from Surrey to Dorset and includes parts of the M3, M4 and M27.
reduced running costs, and lower 20% cost premium of these units,” Michelle adds.
Plaudits for piled wall solution Medway Council and local residents have heaped praise on Ringway’s solution for a collapsed retaining wall. The Victorian un-reinforced concrete structure was left hanging precariously over headstones in a cemetery when a 50m section failed last year . Ringway acted quickly to close the r oad and make the site safe,
works before the careful demolition of unsafe parts of the wall and
reports John Martin, Divisional Manager, Ringway Infrastructure
new construction. This saw sheet piles driven along the full 145m
Services - Kent. Following the reactive works, the Ringway
length of the wall by a silent piling rig with zer o damage or
Infrastructure Services team worked with the council, CDM Co-
vibration to nearby terraced houses, community housing
ordinator and specialist
or the cemetery itself.
supply chain partners
The piles were clad with concrete blockwork and
to devise a quick and
special copings to give a high-quality finish. RIS also
sustainable solution.
resurfaced the road and developed a landscaping
Further movement
scheme for the cemetery. The works were completed
required temporary
ahead of programme and under the £450,000 budget.
PHOTO: Martin Addison
19
RINGWAY 20-1 copy 3:Layout 1 03/08/2010 06:34 Page 1
insight news Sam is here… and there! All around the country, he stands against danger. They talk about him on the radio. He’s coming to roadworks near you…. It must be Sam the Aluminium Man!
with an Alice in W onderland theme – and a serious environmental message – has been designed and built by secondary school students in Solihull with the support of Ringway. Trish Willetts, the borough council’s Environmental Manager, had the idea of exhibiting a biodiversity gar den at
Ringway’s life-size sign telling drivers
the BBC Gardeners’ World Live show
to slow down has gone national after a
at the NEC this summer – in the UN’ s
trial in Worcestershire showed a
International Year of Biodiversity. She
noticeable drop in traffic speeds. The idea of creating a sign in human
ECO-GARDENERS: A show garden
approached local strategic partners
Sam
form came to Dave Rowley, Divsional
the Man is a
for help and Ringway, which already
Manager of Ringway Infrastructure
1.8m-high digital image on a 3mm
works with local students thr ough
Services - Worcestershire, after a trip to
aluminium composite with a gloss
the Ringway Schools Partnership,
France where human silhouettes are
laminate. He wears standard-issue PPE,
was glad to give it, says Der ek
used to publicise road casualties.
in yellow or orange, and is either single-
Back home, Sam’s appearance soon
or double-sided. Ringway’s factory in
Mathers, Divisional Manager. “We were delighted to work with Trish
sparked interest, and a local BBC radio
Weston-super-Mare is producing Sam
interview with Dave Campbell, Ringway’s
using a computer-controlled routing
and her team to pr ovide ideas, raw
Group Environment, Health & Safety
machine that can cut signs to any shape.
materials and support to bring her
Manager.
His hand-held white-on-red sign is made
and the students’ ideas to fruition.”
Sam may be a novelty but he has a
from a temporary adhesive, allowing
serious purpose, he told listeners. People
different messages to be displayed. The
are bombarded by advertisements and
unit now comes with a stur dy and easily
messages at every tur n, but Sam gets
demountable stand.
their attention when it matters. “Passing drivers slow down to r ead
Dedicated to safety everywhere, Sam is available to work for any company.
5 more years of royal service Roads in the Royal Borough of Kensington &
the message Sam is holding. So he’s helping to reduce the very real risk our
Contact Christine Kittridge at Ringway
Chelsea will be resurfaced by Ringway crews
people face from vehicles speeding by
Signs: T: 01934 421400,
for at least another five years. The asphalt
our work spaces,” Dave adds.
E: christine.kittridge@ringway.co.uk
surfacing contract retained by the national contracting arm of Ringway also allows for
£3M MAKEOVER: Maidstone town centre is in line for a major makeover managed by Ringway. The National Contracting division has been awar ded the professional services element of Kent County Council’s £3 million High Street improvement scheme. Its responsibilities include early contractor involvement in design, sequencing, cost management, programme and buildability. The construction work will be added, subject to cabinet approval. As with the successful r evamp of Brentwood High Street in Essex, a Ringway Public Liaison Of ficer will work closely with local businesses as more than 11,000m 2 of new granite paving is laid. Insight is published by Eurovia Group Ltd, Albion House, Springfield Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 2RW Feedback to: Tracey Elms, Group Marketing & PR Manager. E: Tracey.Elms@Ringway.co.uk
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three one-year extensions up to April 2018. Ringway has been delivering consistently high standards of service for over 30 years in the borough. Worth £2 million per year, the new contract covers reconstruction of carriageways, cold road milling, resurfacing, minor carriageway repairs, ironwork adjustment, replacement of road markings, and anti-skid surface treaments.
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