tbf Traffic has been nominated for two industry awards.
East Anglia-based traffic management company tbf solidified its reputation for innovation, thanks to the team’s methods of accelerating workflow.
Diane Newson, Street Works Strategy and Compliance Manager for Anglian Water Alliance (AWA), nominated tbf for two Anglian Water Supplier Awards.
“tbf has implemented two very simple actions,” reads the application, “which has had a significant impact on the customer experience in that area, our reputation with the Highway Authorities and reduction in Street Works related fines.”
The two actions highlighted are:
Do Not Walk By cards
Traffic management operatives (TMOs) are usually the last workers on site. Pete Ryland, tbf business development manager, developed this method of helping AWA avoid fines for equipment left on-site after work had finished.
TMOs could note anything they spotted and send the card to AWA, who would react and keep everything within regulation.
New, digital reporting methods that tie in with Street Works processes superseded the hard copy Do Not Walk By cards – but the core concept remains.
Planner Ted Heath ensured a smooth transition with standardised email templates, and by providing training to TMOs. Training was digital, as Covid restrictions made traditional toolbox talks impossible. The new system has been live since 1 July. There have still been no fines from infractions.
Live Hire – Traffic light coding system
The Live Hire Report, a spreadsheet showing active sites and their permit expiries, is submitted by tbf to AWA each day. As tbf took on more work, the list grew, and expiring permits were harder to spot in the report.
Ted Heath formatted the spreadsheet to automatically highlight, in traffic light colours, permits that were still valid (green), about to end (orange), or which had ended (red).
The concept is simple, but the visual aid is impactful enough to “assist the business significantly,” said the awards application. In fact, AWA asked another supplier to make the same changes to their report.
Awards
The winners will be announced on 21 October, during a virtual conference on plans for the next five years (AMP7). “Sometimes it’s the simple approach that can get effective results,” Diane Newson said in her nomination. “tbf is always ready to help us improve and works closely with us.”