Supporting this is National Highways’ progression with its Digital Roads 2025 vision, which aims to encourage the use of digital technologies to improve safety, efficiency and customer experience on their network.

A key aspect of this vision is the use of data sharing to improve decision-making, performance monitoring, asset management, and customer service. The direction of travel this is setting is likely to feed down to all road networks in the UK, especially as Highways England looks towards better coordination and collaboration between national highways and local authorities.

To support its growth in the UK highways maintenance sector, VolkerHighways has begun implementing Causeway Maintenance Management - an integrated cloud-based platform that delivers digitalisation of the mobile workforce and all operational processes. So far, we have used the platform at our contract for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead and have already seen significant results.

Since implementation in late 2022, more than 400 work order highway defects were instructed using the interface within the first three weeks, and 243 defects were processed. Additionally, 620 photographs have already been taken, and 489 mobile forms completed, increasing efficiency and ensuring compliance.

We are using the rollout at our Windsor contract as an example template for further implementation, in 2023, when the solution will go live in West Berkshire, Wokingham, Luton, Medway, Bath and North East Somerset, as well as for various lighting contracts, such as Oxfordshire County Council.

The business consulted with Causeway Technologies after recognising the need for a comprehensive solution to resolve some of its challenges. The platform integrates with multiple local authorities, each with its own asset management system, provides commercial analysis, supports operational management, and integrates into ERP and finance systems, handling operational and commercial management in high-risk maintenance jobs. Causeway Maintenance Management also provides surety that it will adapt to meet industry changes.

With Causeway Maintenance Management, VolkerHighways has complete control over operations in the highways maintenance sector. The system joins up all the key functions, from asset management, works management, job scheduling and mobile working through to cost management, variations, and invoicing, to offer a connected solution for transforming productivity and reducing contract cost and risk.

Alistair Thompson, managing director for VolkerHighways, said: “The implementation of Causeway Maintenance Management will support the business to enhance its digital solutions, helping us to streamline operations and reduce costs, while improving efficiency. At a time when local authorities’ budgets are being cut, this solution will not only bring huge benefits to the business, but also be a worthy investment for our clients.”