The creators of Compliance Chain, an innovative construction software tool, have allocated a further £500,000 investment into the social value management tool
The new tool is designed to help manage the feedback received from social value managers in both the public and private sectors. The platform helps overcome data challenges by offering a tool that can accurately measure social impact in a clear and transparent way.
Developments began in November 2022 following a research project involving public and private sector organisations. The research revealed that over 40% of social value managers faced difficulties in accurately measuring the delivery of social value in ongoing projects.
Data collection is an issue in social value management
Based on feedback from over 200 engagements, it became clear that there was a strong demand for effective data collection and reporting.
72% of social value managers expressed difficulties with understanding the language and requirements of social value measures in existing platforms. This made it difficult for them to evidence and track progress effectively.
In response to their research, Compliance Chain invested in a new user-friendly interface. The aim was to improve the user experience by eliminating the need for excessive scrolling and simplifying the language used in the programme.
Compliance Chain placed a strong emphasis on intelligent and transparent reporting capabilities. As part of the updates, a new programme planning tool was created, allowing users to not only set targets but also schedule their introduction to generate real-time progress reports.
“After extensive market research with public sector and private sector stakeholders, we found existing platforms to be described as ‘difficult to navigate’ and ‘provide poor reporting outputs,” said Adam Cochrane, head of operations at Compliance Chain.
“Our mission has been to make the lives of social value managers, and CSR Leads easier, whilst driving home that planning and tracking your social impact is of huge importance to the construction industry now and in the future,” he added.
The tool has been streamlined for easier use
To provide users with an overview of the impact of their projects, a dedicated social value dashboard was incorporated into the platform. This feature allows users to easily visualise the overall effects of their projects on the ground.
The platform consists of five main measures that align with the strategic priorities of local authorities. These measures include nurturing talent, fostering local business growth, enhancing community well-being, preserving the natural environment, and promoting social progress.
“Working closely with the developers and Compliance Chain, we have delivered a person-centred system that is both fit for purpose and self-explanatory. Our aim was to ensure all users from social value experts to those new to role would find the process of planning, through to delivery and reporting, a seamless one,” concluded Lizz Lee, head of social value at Advance Social Value.
