Delivering a large volume of short-duration works within a dynamic environment is inherently challenging.  Accidents, weather, unforeseen damages, and emergencies can frequently disrupt meticulously planned schedules, necessitating on-the-spot adjustments and decision-making.

The innate flexibility of paving and maintenance work programs - whether it involves shifting locations, reallocating resources, or adjusting timing / logistics - becomes a critical factor in navigating these constantly changing circumstances.

This rapid dance of unpredictability, adaptability, and the constant demand for responsiveness makes maintenance work in infrastructure a complex task… and therefore one that requires a nuanced approach.  In this blog post I will unpack three ways Mooven supports the responsiveness of paving and maintenance works:

1. Unlocking visibility and context, creating a foundation for rapid on-site adaptations. 

2. Providing 'hour ahead predictions' and pre-start checks to confirm on the day conditions align with expectations.  

3. Matching all maintenance activity to actual impact to enable refinement over time.

Why is innovation in paving and maintenance so often overlooked?

First of all, it can't go unacknowledged that paving and maintenance often get overlooked when it comes to technology investment.

Unlike capital improvements, which undergo intense scrutiny and meticulous planning, the integration of technology into paving and maintenance works is frequently neglected or 'çar-parked'- as It can be seen as impractical due to the sheer volume of small-scale tasks and nuanced, dynamic delivery.  

Ironically, reducing the burden on repetitive manual tasks and quickly processing complex information is what technology does best. This is where a burning question arises: 

"How can we make the sophisticated practices of major capital projects more accessible and actionable for the world of maintenance and paving?  And where are there opportunities that are unique for this group?"

Unlocking Visibility + Context 

The answer lies in unlocking visibility and context and creating a foundation for rapid on-site adaptations.

Enter the Mooven platform, a game-changer for paving and maintenance works. Through rich continuous network visibility, Mooven constructs a dynamic heat map that supports the scheduling of jobs - creating a foundation for rapid on-site adaptations. 

Imagine having a cheat sheet for the entire year, highlighting the optimal times to work in specific locations. 

Leveraging this concept, by unlocking visibility and context, teams can strategically plan their maintenance jobs based on the time of day / week, maximizing productivity in different areas.  Change of plan? Importantly, when schedules quickly change, all the information you need for the next job is already on hand.

Mooven's impact assessment reports are another avenue to provide rich visibility and context on demand.  Information on the businesses and public transport routes that will be impacted can be gathered in under 10 minutes. Learn more about how impact assessments work here:

Predictive advice and AI insights

Another invaluable feature is Mooven’s ability to provide 'hour ahead predictions' and conduct pre-start checks to address uncertainties. 

In the face of consistently high volumes and dynamic operations, quickly checking live conditions match expected conditions enables teams to avoid costly re-starts or unexpected disruption.  

Seeking a scheduling crystal ball? The use of AI-driven alerts in Mooven can provide hour-ahead predictions so that pre-emptive decisions can be made if conditions rapidly change.  We see AI transforming delivery, with predictive advice informing the following::

• 1-hour predictions are used to assist live working decisions, preventing work from starting when it shouldn’t and enabling teams to avoid emerging issues.   

• 1-day predictions are used to assist next-day execution and prioritisation.

• Anomaly detection beyond what humans can spot, using cutting-edge analytics and broad datasets to control uncertainty.

• Simple next-best actions that are easy for teams to understand and implement. 
  
  

Optimise for real-impact

The last method to mention is the ability to match all maintenance activity to actual impact.  This enables refinement over time, based on the real impact of maintenance activity - supporting critical business activity such as lane access negotiation and efficiency gains.

One recent problem to solve was a customer needing to gather evidence that the actual disruption caused was less than assumed.  The scenario:

• The customer/contractor was seeking evidence to position alternative approaches with a client so they could complete their program before the end of the summer works session.  

• Mooven mapped over 1,000 jobs to the impact on journey times, and ran analytics to determine the real impact of maintenance activity for them.

Achieved Outcomes:

What's next for paving and maintenance?

The future of paving and maintenance is tech-infused, adaptive, and ready for transformation.

As the journey of tech innovation into the infrastructure delivery sector continues, we recognize the need for a nuanced approach to the complex task of paving and maintenance work in infrastructure delivery - and we're excited by the opportunities it brings and the actions to drive it forward.  

Keen to chat about the topics above?  Reach out to me to discuss further, or watch a recording where I recently discussed Mooven's value proposition for maintenance works and a quick demo in our platform below.

- Micah Gabriels