Mitchell Freeway Extension (Macmahon) 

• $120 million freeway extension
• Using Workflows module to automate manual processes
• Time savings across the project
• Improved client relationship

Improved document control and client relationship

Client

BG&E is a consulting engineering practice with offices in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Dubai. 

Project

The A$171.5 million (US$120m) extension of Western Australia’s Mitchell Freeway delivered a four kilometer extension that included two lanes in each direction, three interchanges, three bridges, a pedestrian overpass, and relocation of the existing railway.

Challenges

The project involved a large, dispersed team of approximately 50 organizations and more than 250 participants, making information control more difficult.

Previously, BG&E and the head contractor Macmahon would communicate with other organizations using hard copy and couriers; however they identified that, since the project was likely to generate thousands of documents and correspondence items, these tools would be time consuming and wouldn’t provide the required visibility of information. 

Solution

Aconex was selected to provide its online collaboration platform to the project. 

Results

BG&E has been able to use Aconex to create a more efficient process to service their client Macmahon. Director of BG&E Consulting Engineers, Judith Uren, said: “Everyone’s looking for better ways to have strong relationships with their client. On this project, it’s a plus for Macmahon that we have succeeded in ensuring the relationship remains strong – and the sharing of information in an open way has certainly helped.”

Automating manual processes

Uren believes that Aconex has contributed to this by automating manual processes and providing greater visibility of data. “We’ve been able to use Aconex workflows to create procedures that help meet the client’s expectations. When you start to use the facility you realize the benefits you’re obtaining,” said Uren. “Documents are updated and automatically forwarded via a transmittal and nominated recipients are notified via the workflow. In essence, you’re minimizing your risk and error because the workflow automates the procedure. Quality control comes from knowing that everyone’s received the document.”

“It’s a project-wide time saver.”

Judith Uren, Director of BG&E Consulting Engineers

Streamlining review and approval process with Workflows

“We’ve been using the Workflows module through the design stage. Macmahon is using Workflows to keep the client informed on changes to the drawings once they have been signed. Without Aconex we’d have to fill out transmittals and use some other system, which would be far more cumbersome.” Uren added, “The client has current information available at all times. Sharing this information helps to bring them into the project.”

Saved time, improved collaboration

“On this large infrastructure project, we’re working with people in different offices and different locations. Through acting as a central document depository, Aconex is a big time saver and we’re getting better quality control and minimizing risk as well.

“It certainly saves time. There are some procedures, like RFIs and the workflows, that are quite time consuming to generate but with Aconex they can be generated automatically. Also, when sending transmittals, the system is quick and efficient and we can set up groups of people to send documents to. It’s a project-wide time saver as we’re able to supply everyone with information in an orderly fashion and provide a library for everyone on the project. ”

Uren believes that, on today’s projects, it’s important to have more sophisticated solutions for controlling information. “Projects are becoming larger, and companies are gearing up to become more capable of doing them,” said Uren. “As the project size and complexity increases, controlling documents becomes more difficult. Aconex is facilitating the control of those documents.”