It feels as if we’re at a point where our approach to social value is changing. It’s maturing. We recognise what it means for our organisations, and the government is setting the example for industries to follow. For construction, as you’ll know, this is in the form of something like PPN06/20 and the procurement process.
We’re currently at the stage where we’re collecting all this social value data, but aren’t sure what to do with it. But we wouldn’t do this with our finances; it’s why we have accounting software. And we wouldn’t start on-site without laying out the detailed plans of a project. We don’t always necessarily know how to do this for our social value data, though.
There are some social value data challenges that might leave you scratching your head, so why don’t we take a look at them – and how you can solve them and get ahead…
Capturing data at scale
It’s one thing to capture the social impact of one project in one location. It’s something else to do this across many projects simultaneously. Some of which are spread all over the country. And this is what makes the logistics of data capture so difficult for construction companies.
The nature of your impact will vary community by community. You’ll need different calculations for an internship scheme on the Isle of Man to one in central Manchester, for example. And finding a standardised way to capture and analyse social value data across all your projects can feel like a big ask.
This is especially true when embracing modern methods of construction (MMC), where single projects could have many locations. You might commit to reducing carbon by using low-emission equipment at an off-site facility. While simultaneously, you’re running an employment skills initiative on-site in the local community. In this case, responsibility for data capture can’t fall to one person or team. You’ve got to find a way to capture real-time, localised data at scale – regardless of where a team is or what actions they’re taking.
The solution?
The trick is to find a scalable platform for data capture that can be used across all departments and locations. One that’s flexible enough to accommodate all your priorities, projects, activities, and proxy values.
Rather than switching frameworks for each project or site, you want a solution that’s framework-agnostic and that you can tweak using localised data sets. You also want all data captured to feed into one centralised hub, making it simple to visualise progress on such a wide scale.
Unnecessary admin
Capturing social value data is critical to getting ahead. But while social value has evolved past a simple box-ticking exercise, you also don’t want to weigh your staff and supply chain down with hours of data entry and analysis.
Many providers still rely on spreadsheets for social value data. And while these can technically measure your impact, they’ll waste so much time in the process. It’s impossible to monitor progress and make quick decisions when social value data is siloed off in individual spreadsheets. Staff could spend hours hunting down specific data sets. Then more time converting these according to your chosen framework. And even more calculating the total value of a project across all activities and subcontractors.
The solution?
To reduce your staff’s admin, lean on automation and technology as much as possible. If a piece of software can automatically input all historic social value data, decentralise data capture moving forward, apply your chosen calculations, and convert data into easy to understand graphs, why shouldn’t you embrace it?
The simpler you make it to capture and analyse data, the more time and attention your staff can put towards increasing the total social value generated.
Monitoring progress
Say you’re making a big push for apprentices. A big conversation in construction is the skills gap and rapidly retiring workforce, so you want to do something about it. You commit to 100 apprenticeships over the next 12 months. That’s fantastic. But how do you track your progress towards this goal?
This goes for any commitment your organisation makes. A dedication to reducing CO2, contributing to solving homelessness, running charity drives – whatever you decide to do. It means nothing if you aren’t following through.
The solution?
Rather than relying on someone else to hold you accountable, put mechanisms in place to keep yourself on track. You can do this by making it easy for all teams to visualise progress.
Draw a clear line between specific input data and your project deliverables by setting KPIs and targets. Have every piece of social value data link to a specific outcome. For example, the carbon saved by installing solar panels on a local library would count as progress towards lowering CO2 emissions.
Try not to view any social value data in isolation. Always link it back to your promises so teams can see what they’ve achieved and where there’s still work to do.
For all the progress made over the years, social value still has a way to go in the construction industry. And there’s not a single supplier – or even an entire sector – out there who’s got it all figured out. But by leaning on technology to tackle the common data challenges you face, you can strengthen your approach and become a better company for it.
Impact makes capturing social value data across your projects and supply chain a breeze. Our framework-independent approach means we’re able to accommodate any project in any location. And we’ll automatically translate all tender commitments into ongoing targets and KPIs to keep you on track during project delivery. To find out more, schedule a demo or get in touch on 0161 532 4752.