Vistry Group approached us as issues in connectivity were having a detrimental impact on its building sites across the UK. We had to find a solution – and make it quick.
Vistry has an impressive portfolio of brands, including Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships – all of which have rich histories and strong reputations. The group’s ethos of always doing the right thing with the values of integrity, caring and quality at the heart of its culture has seen the company grow to become the fifth largest housebuilder in the UK by volume.
With a hard-earned reputation for quality and delivery, the company wanted to improve connectivity on more than 400 sites to match that.
Impacting progress
Vistry found that connectivity on sites across the country was impacting progress – and the company would be at a disadvantage if it could not be more accessible in an ever-increasingly connected world. With a commitment to supporting customers, partners, suppliers and staff, the executive team at Vistry knew it had to invest in a solution that would match the speed of its desire to offering the best possible service.
Ben Rich, head of service delivery at Vistry, said: “BT was not the only supplier we approached, but they were the only ones who came close to providing a solution which could match our stringent service level agreements.”
Our specialists found that improvements at Vistry could be made around connectivity of routers to equipment, such as printers, at its site offices. The company was using dongles and hot spots to get by as its sites can be temporary, sometimes in countryside locations that don’t always benefit from fixed networks. This impacted company teams around the country and resulted in ongoing trouble-shooting visits from Vistry’s own engineers - which proved both costly and time-consuming.
Enabling an “office in a box”
So what was our solution for Vistry? The team added EE 4G and 5G connectivity across all Vistry’s construction sites, completing 160 in the first six months alone. This resulted in smooth and seamless connectivity and enabled them to create the working concept of an “office in a box”.
Ben Rich added: “Thanks to the support of BT, our “office in a box” plans were able to move from an idea to a reality. With this system in place, all our teams on-site can connect with head office and the outside world in a speedy, efficient and professional manner.
“The impacts were huge. For site managers, faster speed enables them to access the company’s document management systems without issue and allows them to download plans and drawings with ease, allowing the build to progress more efficiently.
“For sales teams, it has meant being able to provide customers with advanced marketing tools, such as virtual tours of their home-to-be, which helps engage potential buyers from their very first visit.
“Meanwhile, the central office team quickly reported far fewer troubleshooting problems, as BT could manage any ongoing issues – freeing up their time considerably.”
A complete service
The beauty of this partnership for Vistry was not only the quality of the service, but also the speed of installation. Site managers are busy individuals who don’t always have the luxury of getting sites up and running in weeks – it has to be done in days. Our ability to mobilise an immediate response – no matter where a site is located – has served as a major factor in the relationship, which is now five years old.
We provide a complete service for Vistry, managing everything from site surveys and health and safety assessments to an ongoing customer support service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This level of back-up is crucial to Vistry, whose sales teams are often busiest on weekends and holiday periods.
Ben Rich said: “BT’s commitment to ensuring we receive the best possible service has been nothing short of excellent. They take the pressure off our teams so we can focus on running an efficient business, and a dedicated account manager meets with us regularly to discuss new and innovative ideas. We couldn’t be happier with the service.”
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