Aggregates Magazine by Prime Creative Media

A must-have CPQ solution + Analytics versus instinct + AI-powered operational excellence + Choose enhanced maintenance and operations

MEASURE THE IMMEASURABLE

Using imagery from phones, drones and installed cameras to digitize stockpiles and create veriﬁed Stockpile Reports so you know the volume of every stockpile at any time.

Chief Executive Officer

John Murphy

Chief Operating Officer

Christine Clancy

Group Managing Editor

Paul Hayes

Editor Guy Woodford

Assistant Editor

Adam Daunt

Client Success Manager

Janine Clements

T: +61 432 574 669

E: janine.clements@primeglobalpublishing.com

Sales Director

Philip Woodgate

T: +44 (0) 7795 951 373

E: philip.woodgate@primeglobalpublishing.com

Art Director

Michelle Weston

E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

Cover image: Cherezoff/dreamstime.com

The journey from dinosaurs to drones PriceBee co-founder Barry Hudson examines the continuing evolution of the aggregates industry.

Analytics versus instinct Is the aggregates industry having its Moneyball moment?

A must-have CPQ solution

The construction materials sector faces unique challenges that demand cutting-edge solutions. Enter PriceBee.

Choose enhanced maintenance and operations

CheckProof is working to drive operational improvements and create smarter, more connected plants and sites. 06 12

The journey from dinosaurs to drones

PriceBee co-founder Barry Hudson examines the continuing evolution of the aggregates industry.

It’s a real privilege to pen the introduction for this new publication focused on digitalisation in the aggregates industry. With over 30 years of global experience under my belt, from managing aggregates in Northern Europe for Heidelberg Materials to founding PriceBee, a digital platform for pricing and quoting, I’ve had a front-row seat for our industry’s evolution (and occasional stubborn stagnation).

Let’s be candid: the aggregates industry has historically moved at a pace that makes a tortoise look like a hare. Adopting new technology has often been less of a journey and more of a glacial drift. While other sectors leapt into the digital age, we’ve clung to old habits like a comfort blanket.

Take the digital journey, for example. The fastest adoption we’ve seen is eTicketing for trucks. And, to be honest, that only happened because of a global pandemic.

The first example of voluntary adoption? Drones. Why? Because who wouldn’t want a gadget that feels part James Bond, part tech geek?

But we can’t ignore the contrast. Look at the world around us: our smartphones have become essential life tools. Restaurants have QR code menus that double as payment systems, streamlining customer experiences and delivering invaluable data to owners –who orders what, when and with which sides.

Decisions aren’t based on gut feelings but on cold, hard facts. Imagine what that kind of insight could do for a quarry.

But despite our historical reluctance, change is happening. Take the story of CheckProof, a standout example of innovation within our industry.

Back in 2014 – a year in which the Oxford Dictionary officially recognised ‘selfie’ as a word and kale was crowned the superfood of the year – Håkan Holmgren, then working at Heidelberg Materials, took a leap of faith and founded CheckProof, now a leading digital app for maintenance, safety and quality.

But here’s the kicker: at the time, after Heidelberg’s IT department refused to pilot the app, my team and I took matters into our own hands. We expensed mobile phones and SIM cards to test it on a small scale, keeping the data off the Heidelberg Materials’ network.

Fast forward 10 years and not only is CheckProof a vital tool across many of Heidelberg Materials’ locations, but the German multinational has also become a major shareholder in Command Alkon, the world's largest construction materials software company.

In September 2024, Austin, Texas, hosted the first AggNexus event – a think tank for digital innovators and industry leaders. The highlight? Conversations.

It wasn’t just about showcasing products but dissecting real-world industry challenges and brainstorming solutions.

Some key takeaways about digitalisation:

• Focus on what matters – the industry wants software companies to stay laserfocused on solving specific problems, creating best-in-class solutions without overextending themselves.

• Integration is key – connecting platforms is easier than ever with cloud-based computing. Companies that simplify integration will drive real, measurable change.

• Data cleanliness is next to godliness – the industry is swimming in data, but it’s only valuable if cleansed and actionable.

• Buy-in is critical – for digital initiatives to succeed, everyone, from the C-suite to the frontlines, needs to understand, support and measure them.

AI: Saviour or overhyped buzzword?

Artificial intelligence – AI – is the shiny new toy everyone’s talking about.

Did you know 53% of online content today is either influenced or created by AI? Staggering, but let’s not get carried away. AI has its place in our industry – like generating accurate forecasts at PriceBee – but it’s not a silver bullet. Without clean data and a robust digital foundation, AI is just another flashy initialism. Our industry has admittedly been slow to adapt, but as CheckProof’s story and events like AggNexus show, the tide is turning. Digitalisation is no longer optional; it’s essential. We can move from laggards to leaders by embracing innovation, leveraging data and redefining our work.

So what’s next? Will we continue dragging our feet or are we ready to pick up the pace and join the digital revolution?

The choice is ours. Let’s make it count. DiA

“For digital initiatives to succeed, everyone in the industry, from the C-suite to the frontlines, needs to understand, support and measure them.”

Barry Hudson is the co-founder of PriceBee.

Stockpile Reports’ digital tools are specialised for the construction materials industry.

Analytics versus instinct

Is the aggregates industry having its Moneyball moment?

For decades, the aggregates industry has operated on intuition, gut feeling and the accumulated experience of seasoned professionals. Decisions were made with a certain art, born from on-the-ground insights and manual processes.

While this approach has served the industry well in the past, the landscape is shifting.

Today’s aggregates sector is one of the least digitised industries; however, it’s in the midst of digital disruption. It’s a transformation as significant as the Moneyball revolution in baseball, where the use of data analytics upended traditional decision-making.

The smoke signals of disruption As with any disruptive change, the signs have been subtle. With the rise of smartphones, drones, low-cost cameras and cloud computing, the tools to revolutionise the aggregates industry are here. Yet change has been slow.

But as Stockpile Reports’ chief executive officer (CEO) David Boardman said, that situation can quickly change.

“It’s slow before it’s fast,” he said.

“One day, you’ll wake up and the logos will be different, and the skills required to do your job will completely change.”

This isn’t just incremental innovation, where incumbent players evolve their offerings to stay relevant. What we’re seeing is disruptive innovation.

Emerging digital tools are becoming essential to operations, offering radical cost reductions, improved data accessibility and higher scalability. The result? A complete rethinking of how aggregates businesses manage their assets and supply chains.

The transition mirrors what’s already happened in other industries. Text, audio, images and video have all been digitised, analysed, and transformed, with

disruptors like Spotify redefining how we consume audio and Netflix revolutionising video entertainment.

The physical assets and supply chains of the aggregates industry are undergoing a similar evolution. Technologies like drones, 3D reconstruction algorithms and highspeed wireless networks are unlocking unprecedented visibility into operations, allowing companies to gather data faster,

Digital technology has disrupted many industries, including music and movies.

more frequently and more accurately than ever before.

The power of data-driven decisions

We are rapidly approaching a future where drones fly overhead multiple times a day and camera systems on vehicles, equipment and hardhats continuously capture images as people and machinery operate. Stationary cameras on poles and buildings add to the stream, while algorithms process this data in real-time, generating insights to improve operations. Employees can quickly access imagery from any location and time to make smarter decisions.

Stockpile Reports is leading this charge. The SR Measure app enables precise stockpile measurements directly from a smartphone, eliminating guesswork.

The company’s scalable drone platform can measure hundreds of sites in a single day, delivering a full company inventory in less than 24 hours. Stationary camera sensors deployed at batch plants provide hourly inventory updates, replacing outdated and often inaccurate perpetual systems.

The parallels to Moneyball are striking. Just as Major League Baseball teams replaced the value of long-held gut feelings and instinct with hard analytics, aggregate producers are now leveraging real-time data to optimise operations, reduce waste and improve profitability.

The shift to data-driven decision-making isn’t just about adopting new tools; it’s about transforming the economics of the aggregates industry. The financial potential of this transformation is what Stockpile Reports calls “big rock maths”.

Access to real-time data in the bulk materials industry is an issue that creates chronic dysfunction in how operations’ decisions are made and leads to a tangible drain on profitability. Guesswork and manual tracking are so incumbent as the standard operating practice that a lean mindset is a pipedream.

Several studies at RMX distribution and production yards throughout aggregates business operations show that frequent access to accurate inventory data will reduce the cost and labour of managing inventory and increase supply chain efficiencies across organisations, in addition to expanding the return on working capital. Significant gains are available due to the scale of big rock operations.

For example, one study of rail, barge and ship distribution yards for a major aggregates producer revealed staggering errors in perpetual inventory tools. Discrepancies ranged up to 40% across multiple sites and material types, creating systemic distrust in inventory reports.

This lack of confidence forced employees to maintain separate spreadsheets or handwritten notes to manage day-to-day decisions, an inefficient and expensive workaround. The systemic issues stemming from inaccurate data led to sub-optimal decisions and a drain on profitability.

equivalent to 75 full-time employees and $3 million in labour cost savings

Inefficient sales efforts

Sales teams can spend hours manually verifying inventory by visually inspecting piles or walking them with measuring tools. This time could be better spent engaging with customers and closing deals.

• Big rock maths insight – for a producer with output of 200 million tons, a 10% improvement in efficiency is a margin gain on 20 million tons. At $5 per ton, that’s a $100 million profit opportunity.

Materials shortages

Inventory inaccuracies frequently result in selling materials that don’t exist. Companies must then transport rock from other sites or purchase from competitors, reducing margins due to transportation and procurement costs. Conversely, underreported inventory can lead to lost sales opportunities.

• Big rock maths insight – many domestic producers operate below capacity, leaving idle resources untapped. For a producer with 400 sites yielding 200 million tons annually, idle capacity often matches the output, underscoring the urgent need to optimise inventory

Operational productivity drain

Mistrust in perpetual inventory records forces site managers and their teams to perform redundant inventory counts and verifications. Weekly calls, daily checks and manual tracking waste significant time and resources.

• Big rock maths insight – reducing these inefficiencies could save more than 150,000 labour hours annually, the

Excess materials inventory

A pervasive “fear of running out” (FORO) compels sites to stockpile excess material beyond operational needs. One site was found to maintain more than six weeks’ worth of inventory for certain materials, despite being able to reduce this by 60% without risk.

• Big rock maths insight – for a producer with $100 million in inventory, cutting excess stock by 60% could free up $60 million in working capital, enabling reinvestment in growth and operational improvements.

From gut feelings to big data

The future is here, and it’s powered by data. As the aggregates industry transitions from gut feelings to data-driven decision-making, the possibilities are endless. By leveraging technologies like drones, reality-capture systems and cloud computing, companies can not only solve today’s challenges but also unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.

Stockpile Reports is proud to be part of this transformation.

With our advanced tools and industry expertise, we’re helping customers turn data into actionable insights, driving efficiency and improving profitability.

Together, we can bring the power of digital disruption to the aggregates industry and usher in a new era of success.

It’s time to embrace the revolution. Let’s turn big data into big wins. DiA

Technology, including mobile phones and drones, is already used in the construction materials industry.

Here are a few of the key inefficiencies that were uncovered.

Image: Supplied

AI-powered operational excellence

Transport planning and execution software for building materials logistics.

INFORM is a global pioneer in the field of AI-powered optimisation software, empowering companies to master complexity in business processes by utilising cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies consistently aligned with human objectives.

We do this with the help and expertise of more than 1000 employees for over 1000 global clients in industries such as logistics, aviation, warehousing, workforce planning, inventory and supply chain, and finished vehicle logistics.

INFORM’s logistics division pioneered the use of algorithms in building materials logistics almost 30 years ago. Redlands in France (now part of Holcim) was the first company in the aggregates and ready-mix industry to use our solution.

Today, we are fortunate to have some of the big and medium-sized players like Heidelberg Materials, Holcim and CRH place their trust in us. These companies have achieved significant cost savings and carbon reductions across their supply chains by leveraging algorithms, real-time data, and automated decision-making.

AI-powered transport planning

Compared to standard transport planning software, our solution is powered by AI

algorithms that analyse a virtually endless number of scheduling decisions in realtime and identify those that are ideal for minimising costs and maximising service level and on-time performance – moving more payloads with fewer trucks each day.

The software features business-linespecific optimisers (aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt and cement) integrated into one central tool, with delivery schedules updated every 90–120 seconds. Applying the software, dispatchers are free to focus on higher-level tasks and enhanced customer service.

Our customers typically achieve:

• a reduction in logistics unit costs by up to 20%

• an increase in loads/truck/day by up to 37%

• a reduction in truck fleet size by up to 30%

• a reduction in empty mileage by up to 19%.

Aggregates producers can expect an industry leading cost-reduction approach and level of service excellence, as well as increased situational awareness and realtime decision-making for their dispatchers.

How it works

The software interfaces with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems

and connects with trucks through telematics, using the latest GIS and routing technology. It serves as a central planning and execution tool for dispatchers and customer service team, supporting them along all three stages of transport planning:

• Tactical planning – our software calculates an optimised delivery schedule and fleet configuration for the next day, incorporating the service levels selected by your dispatchers. They can also compare several scenarios at the push of a button.

• Real-time optimisation – our software automatically updates your schedules every minute, which means there is no need to worry about order changes, cancellations, delays, truck or machine breakdowns, etc.

• Strategic planning – our system’s key performance indicators (KPIs) dramatically speed up your strategic planning processes, such as fleet sizing or redistribution, truck right-sizing, fleet mix, hauler contracts, etc. Our on-demand strategic planning services and simulation studies have also saved our customers millions.

The software also offers increased situational awareness and real-time decisionmaking for your dispatchers, as well as

Using AI within the supply chain can create significant cost savings.

INFORM’s team of experts can guide customers on how to optimise AI technology in their operations.

business-line-specific optimisers (aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt and cement) integrated into one central tool.

Sustainable logistics

Many aggregate producers are working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of their products; however, a quick win on this mission is often neglected: logistics and transport.

On the road to net-zero, CO2 reductions in logistics are a low-hanging fruit that allows producers to reduce their footprint and save money.

Best practices in our industry have shown that fleets can be downsized by 10–30% while increasing customer service at the same time. That means not only significantly fewer trucks on our roads but also less idling and fewer trucks that have to be manufactured, maintained, repaired and scrapped at the end of their lifecycle.

This also represents a huge reduction in capital expenditure (capex) for producers running their own fleet of trucks. And for those producers using haulers for their logistics, it may represent a welcome relief from potential driver and transport cost pressures.

The environmental benefits of our AI optimisation software will vary depending on each producer’s unique operating conditions, but the outcomes are consistent – cost savings and environmental improvements through software-based optimisation.

Beyond these significant advantages, aggregates producers gain an additional, if often overlooked, benefit: by implementing AI, dispatchers can focus on higher-level tasks that no algorithm can replicate, improving customer service. Additionally, our

AI-powered solution equips them with the right tools to fully embrace the potential of digital transformation.

Optimised order-taking processes is a great example.

Customer service starts at the point of taking orders, but many do not realise that logistics costs are also triggered at this point. Balancing customer needs with logistics constraints presents several challenges, and failing to perfect this process can be costly.

For example, let’s say tomorrow afternoon is a peak period and your logistics assets are already overbooked, or close to it. Accepting further orders is critical – in terms of service level as well as cost. You need the right tool to manage or avoid overbooking.

Our AI-powered software provides a real-time, consolidated view of current orders and transport planning. It delivers all the information needed to prevent resource overbooking during the order-taking process.

Being continuously updated helps your team find optimal delivery times that work for customers and your available logistics resources.

Ethical approach to AI

AI models and their applications in business and daily life are advancing rapidly.

The remarkable progress in large language models like GPT-4 and other AI technologies captivates people and society; however, it also raises concerns about AI’s reliability and safety in certain cases, and its broader impact on society, businesses and the workplace.

AI providers can no longer view algorithms as purely technical tools; they must address the questions of impact, ethics and responsibility when deploying these solutions.

INFORM’s commitment to “trustworthy AI” is built on six core principles:

1. Beneficial AI – ensuring AI systems enrich users and society, mitigating negative impacts like bias and misinformation.

2. Human-centric AI – promoting AI’s supportive role to humans, enhancing decision-making processes, and upholding human responsibility.

3. Aligned AI – guaranteeing that AI aligns with human and business values, with clear and understandable AI as a foundation.

4. Privacy-preserving AI – committing to privacy and data protection and adhering to the legislation.

5. Reliable AI – prioritising quality, consistency and transparency in AI applications, especially in vital sectors.

6. Safe AI – crafting AI algorithms that ensure safety and ward off potential threats, eg excluding malicious API calls, code injection, jailbreaking, or other malicious practices.

How far will AI take your business?

The best way to find out is by directly comparing your current manual or legacy transport plans and our AI-powered solutions. How does that works?

You’ll provide us with real-world data from a recent transport plan, ideally covering three days representing a range of operations: a busy day, an average day and a quiet day. Once we’ve cleaned the data and resolved any inconsistencies with your logistics team, we’ll input it into our AI software to generate an optimised delivery schedule and fleet configuration. The side-byside comparison of KPIs will reveal how AI can enhance your financial, environmental and service-level outcomes.DiA

A must-have CPQ solution

In an industry where margins are razor thin and complexities abound, the construction materials sector faces unique challenges that demand cutting-edge solutions. Enter PriceBee.

Atrailblazer in configure price quote (CPQ) software, and designed specifically for the construction materials industry, PriceBee is more than a tool – it’s a transformational solution.

By addressing long-standing pain points, unlocking revenue potential, and streamlining processes, PriceBee has solidified its place as a must-have solution for businesses in the construction materials sector.

Unique challenges of the industry

Before diving into the specifics of PriceBee’s offerings, it’s essential to understand the hurdles faced by businesses in this field:

• Complex product configurations –construction materials often require intricate configurations based on project needs. Whether it’s custom dimensions, material mixes or compatibility with other products, quoting errors can cost businesses time and money.

• Dynamic pricing variables – pricing is influenced by multiple factors, including raw material costs, transportation, regional demand and competitive market dynamics. This complexity often leads to inconsistent pricing, eroding trust and profitability.

• Slow quoting processes – manual quoting systems are not just time-consuming, they’re error-prone. Delays in providing

accurate quotes can result in lost opportunities, especially in competitive bidding situations.

• Lack of data-driven insights – decisionmaking in many construction material companies still relies on intuition rather than data. This leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for optimisation.

• Fragmented customer journeys – with multiple touchpoints across sales, production and delivery, ensuring a seamless customer experience is a challenge that traditional systems fail to address.

The solution built for the industry

PriceBee was built to tackle these pain points head-on, offering a suite of features that empower construction materials companies to operate with greater efficiency, precision, and profitability.

Dynamic and accurate pricing

PriceBee’s advanced pricing engine is designed to ensure that every quote reflects real-time cost variables, market trends and company-specific rules. This eliminates guesswork and ensures consistency across all customer interactions. For example:

• Tiered pricing structures can be applied effortlessly to cater to different customer segments.

• Real-time margin optimisation helps safeguard profitability on every quote.

Streamlined quoting process

Generating a quote is no longer a bottleneck with PriceBee. Sales teams can create complex, customised quotes in minutes using the intuitive interface. The system integrates seamlessly with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, ensuring all relevant data is accessible and current.

The result? Faster turnaround times and improved customer satisfaction.

Powerful product configuration tools

PriceBee’s product configurator enables sales teams to build accurate configurations without needing deep technical expertise. Features like visual configuration guides and built-in error-checking ensure only viable product combinations are quoted, reducing costly mistakes downstream.

Enhanced collaboration

PriceBee’s cloud-based platform simplifies collaboration, allowing sales, production and logistics to work from a single source of truth. This helps to ensure alignment at every stage, with fewer miscommunications and a smoother workflow.

Data-driven decision-making

PriceBee doesn’t just help you manage pricing and quoting; it provides actionable insights through robust analytics. The platform tracks metrics like win rates,

PriceBee can help quarries face their unique industry challenges.

quote turnaround times and margin performance, enabling companies to make informed strategic decisions.

Improved customer experience

In a competitive market, a superior customer experience can be a game-changer.

PriceBee’s automation and accuracy allow sales teams to focus on building relationships, not crunching numbers. Customers benefit from faster quotes, greater transparency and tailored solutions.

Addressing pain points and driving revenue

PriceBee’s features are more than bells and whistles; they address core industry pain points, unlocking opportunities for growth and innovation.

Eliminating errors and inefficiencies

Manual processes are a breeding ground for errors. Incorrect quotes, missed deadlines and communication breakdowns can erode customer trust and profitability. PriceBee’s automation ensures accuracy, allowing teams to operate with confidence and precision.

Unlocking new revenue streams

By optimising pricing strategies and improving win rates, PriceBee helps companies tap into new revenue opportunities. Dynamic pricing models enable businesses to adjust to market changes quickly, ensuring they remain competitive without sacrificing margins.

Accelerating time-to-quote

Speed is critical in a fast-paced industry. PriceBee reduces the time it takes to deliver a quote from days to minutes, boosting efficiency and giving companies a competitive edge in securing projects.

Supporting scalability

As businesses grow, managing increased complexity becomes a challenge.

PriceBee scales with your company, accommodating new product lines, pricing structures and customer segments without compromising performance.

Real-world success

PriceBee has had a real and measurable impact across the construction materials sector.

Improved profit margins

A regional supplier of construction aggregates used PriceBee to implement dynamic pricing strategies. By analysing market data and customer behaviour, the company identified opportunities to increase margins by 12% without affecting demand.

Faster sales cycles

A leading manufacturer of prefabricated components reduced its quote turnaround time by 70% after adopting PriceBee. This improved customer satisfaction and helped the company win more contracts in competitive bidding situations.

Error reduction

A company specialising in custom steel beams struggled with quoting errors due to complex product configurations. With PriceBee’s configurator, the company eliminated errors entirely, saving an estimated $250,000 annually in rework costs.

Why PriceBee stands out

There are plenty of CPQ solutions on the market, but PriceBee’s industry-specific focus sets it apart. Unlike generic software, PriceBee is tailored to the nuances of construction materials, ensuring that every feature delivers tangible value.

Here’s what makes PriceBee a must-have: • Built for construction materials –generic CPQ tools require extensive customisation to meet the needs of

this industry. PriceBee, on the other hand, comes preloaded with features designed specifically for construction materials, saving time and reducing implementation costs.

• Seamless integration – PriceBee integrates effortlessly with popular ERP, CRM and project-management tools, creating a unified ecosystem for your business operations.

• Ease of use – despite its powerful capabilities, PriceBee’s user-friendly interface ensures teams can get up and running quickly. Minimal training is required, and ongoing support is readily available.

• Proven return on investment (ROI) –companies using PriceBee consistently report significant ROI through cost savings, increased revenue and improved operational efficiency.

The future of construction materials pricing

The construction materials industry is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements and changing market dynamics. Companies that fail to adapt risk being left behind.

PriceBee offers a clear path forward, equipping businesses with the tools to thrive in this competitive landscape. In a world where efficiency, accuracy and adaptability are paramount, it stands among the best CPQ solutions for construction materials. By addressing industry pain points and unlocking new opportunities for revenue, PriceBee is not just a tool – it’s a strategic advantage.

Whether a small supplier or a large manufacturer, PriceBee empowers you to operate confidently, win more deals, and drive sustainable growth. The time to embrace the future of CPQ is now, and that future is within reach with PriceBee. DiA

PriceBee’s software is specially designed for businesses in the construction materials sector.

PriceBee continuously invests in training its team and technology to be at the cutting edge.

Choose enhanced maintenance and operations

CheckProof is working to drive operational improvements and create smarter, more connected plants and sites.

Swedish-based SaaS (software as a service) company CheckProof was born from industry experience and made for industry experts to enhance operational efficiency, safety and quality. The business provides a mobile-first platform that simplifies maintenance management and health, safety, environmental and quality (HSEQ) processes.

Combining intuitive technology with actionable insights, CheckProof helps companies in the construction materials and heavy industries to follow routines, mitigate risks, minimise costs and enhance safety procedures.

This year saw CheckProof selected as a key vendor at the AggNexus Digital Innovation Conference at the Austin campus of the University of Texas in September, highlighting its position as a leader in digital transformation for the aggregates sector.

The industry, characterised by heavy machinery, complex operations, high safety risks and navigating sustainability challenges, stands to gain immensely from digital tools. Paper-based processes are timeconsuming and prone to errors, often leading to costly inefficiencies, a strain on resources and overlooked risks.

Digitalisation and solutions like CheckProof address these challenges by streamlining data collection, automating insights and enabling predictive maintenance. Artificial intelligence (AI)

tools further enhance operational efficiency by analysing patterns and recommending proactive actions, ensuring equipment reliability and workplace safety.

Cemex UK’s transformation

A standout example of CheckProof’s impact is its collaboration with Cemex UK, a leading building materials provider operating quarries,

CheckProof is trusted by major companies, including Cemex UK.

wharves and plants nationwide. Faced with the limitations of paper-based routines, Cemex UK sought a digital solution to modernise its maintenance and reporting processes.

“We wanted to remove paperwork, reduce administration time and reinforce our maintenance processes. In short, bring our sites into the 21st century,” Cemex UK head of operations Kevin Cage said.

Håkan Holmgren presented at AggNexus in 2024.

Image: David Jones, SEMCO

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To achieve its goals, Cemex UK partnered with CheckProof.

“We chose CheckProof over other vendors because we wanted an app that’s easy to use from an operator perspective,” Cage said.

Cemex UK now uses CheckProof to set up customised, easy-to-follow checklists for maintenance and HSEQ routines, and to report and follow up on any deviations detected at the sites. This means defects spotted by frontline staff are dealt with in time – before they turn into major issues.

“Before we implemented CheckProof, you would sometimes wait until the end of the week before you picked up the deviation, which could have been in place for several days,” Cemex UK finished product manager Mark Gould said.

“Something as simple as a truck knocking itself out of gear could damage the whole transmission and lead to thousands of pounds worth of damage.

“CheckProof has helped us save time and money and minimise health and safety issues at our sites.”

RFID increases speed, accuracy and accountability

Cemex UK uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology supported by CheckProof to ensure its frontline operators perform critical checks correctly.

Electronic tags are attached at strategic places around the sites and connected to a corresponding checklist in the app. All performed checks are logged in the platform, including their location, date, time and user. The app also enables the taking of photos or recording of videos, which can be a mandatory part of completing the task.

“The operator just goes up to the tag and scans it to get straight to the right check at the right location. This means our operators have accountability and the information they provide is accurate,” Cage said.

“Not one operator would want to go back to the old paper system.”

The results have been transformative, with measurable savings in both time and money.

“We’ve not yet found a problem we can’t solve with CheckProof,” Cage said.

For more on this success story, scan the QR code to view Cemex’s video case study.

A platform built for innovation

CheckProof is committed to continuous innovation and helps businesses effectively manage their maintenance and HSEQ processes. The company’s platform and digital tools are tailored to meet the demands of the construction materials and heavy industries.

The platform digitises maintenance processes, enhancing asset availability and performance while ensuring quality control and compliance with health and safety standards. Connecting a frontlinefriendly app with an admin panel ensures data is captured from the field, nothing is missed, and routine maintenance checks and inspections are completed with ease.

While the digital checklists help streamline frontline inspections, instant deviation reporting enables users to capture and address defects in real-time. From fleet optimisation to production planning, CheckProof can integrate key processes, helping teams to maximise efficiency and drive operational excellence.

Further focus on telematics and integrations

At CheckProof, telematics and integrations are central to enhancing operational efficiency in the aggregate industry. The platform connects to telematics systems across various machines and vehicles, regardless of brand. This integration enables seamless access to vital data such as fuel consumption, geographic location, idle time, error codes and CO2 emissions.

CheckProof can then merge this machine data with frontline employee reports. This holistic approach allows businesses to proactively address deviations, monitor performance trends, and ensure compliance with maintenance routines – all from a single platform.

Additionally, CheckProof offers integrations with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) leaders and other thirdparty providers of vibration and temperature sensors and belt-weigher software. This helps users harness real-time insights and automate maintenance workflows, bringing the concept of a truly connected plant to life. This innovative approach transforms raw telematics data into actionable insights, driving operational improvements and creating smarter, more connected plants and sites.

Driving shared success

CheckProof’s success is rooted in collaboration. By working closely with clients, the company refines its platform based on real-world challenges and opportunities. This collaborative ethos fosters long-term partnerships, drives innovation, and ensures the platform remains indispensable to its users.

CheckProof showcased these capabilities at the AggNexus conference, sparking conversations about the future of aggregates. The event highlighted the importance of digitalisation in addressing industry pain points, from improving productivity to achieving sustainability goals.

As the aggregates sector evolves, CheckProof remains committed to leading the charge. The company is transforming operations and helping businesses build a more efficient, safer and sustainable future by harnessing the power of digitalisation and AI. DiA

CheckProof has helped companies save time and money, while minimising health and safety issues.

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