Martinus Rail is a family-owned Australian company that has grown from 500 to 1500 employees in the last few years, yet still retains their small business feel. Starting out by supplying turnouts, they now build anything within the rail corridor, from bridges to infrastructure like the Morebank intermodal terminal development project, the largest project they have undertaken in Sydney so far.
Before implementing the latest systems and undergoing digital transformation, Martinus Rail relied on paper dockets and multiple Excel spreadsheets, which made it challenging to manage resources on site. Supervisors would have to go back to their cars, get on their laptops, and email the engineers the status of the project.
Martinus Rail was already using Assignar for digital timesheets, but when Head of Technology, Shelley Van Hoos, did a bit more digging into Assignar’s capabilities, she recommended using the platform to also assist with managing site diaries and timesheets approvals, to replace paper dockets.
Martinus Rail’s success with Assignar did not come overnight. Implementing a new digital system is always a challenge, but Shelley and her team took a proactive approach in addressing potential issues before they could even arise. They engaged directly with the supervisors who were using the software on site, took feedback and made improvements to ensure a smooth transition from paper notebooks and spreadsheets to a single digital platform.
Site workers began entering data into the Assignar app, which enabled engineers to log in daily and pull a report to check project progress, daily costs, and photographic evidence.
Assignar has been a fantastic solution for Martinus Rail, enabling engineers to track daily true costs up-to-the-minute, which was impossible with spreadsheets or paper dockets. Shelley and her team worked with supervisors on site to integrating Assignar into daily work, which helped to make their jobs easier, more efficient and freeing up staff for other tasks.
Assignar helped to provide more transparency, which gave Martinus Rail the ability to continuously review project progress and adjust budget where needed. Other benefits to Martinus Rail included improved safety reporting, labor and plant department management, and better-informed business decisions.
Martinus Rail’s digital transformation with Assignar’s construction software revolutionized their operations, addressing field to office communication challenges, optimizing resource allocation, and improving project outcomes. Assignar’s user-friendly interface and robust functionality allowed Martinus Rail to stay ahead in the construction industry, fostering innovation and excellence in their work. With continued commitment to streamlining processes and leveraging technology, Martinus Rail is poised for sustained growth and success in the dynamic construction landscape.
“If [field workers] are able to articulate their problem, and we help them solve the problem at the same time, then the buy-in's already done," says Shelley.
