Small Business Capability Uplift - Commercial Builder

Executive Summary: Digital Transformation & Quality Uplift
Client: Australian construction company (seeking NSW & Federal government opportunities)
Consulting Team: Hunterstone Consulting, Sydney
Project Value: AUD 5.2M (program budget) - client project pipeline uplift target: AUD 48M
Duration: Delivered in 5 months (phase 1); full roll‑out and adoption in 9 months

PROJECT BACKGROUND & CHALLENGE

The client’s legacy processes, fragmented digital tools and inconsistent quality management prevented compliant, auditable bids and constrained capacity to pursue NSW and Federal government contracts.

Key issues: slow bid preparation (manual workflows), poor version control of specifications and QA documents, limited visibility of subcontractor performance, and no integrated compliance reporting for government procurement standards.
Objective: streamline operations, implement a fit‑for‑purpose digital workflow and quality management system, and harden compliance to win government work within 12 months.

HUNTERSTONES SCOPE & APPROACH

End‑to‑end transformation program: business process diagnostics, target operating model design, digital tool selection (workflow, document control, QA/QC modules, subcontractor portal), configuration & integration, change management and training, data migration, and governance for ongoing continuous improvement.

Stakeholder engagement: workshops with commercial, delivery, quality, legal and IT teams to map current state, define future state and prioritise requirements for government tenders (including probity, WHS, environmental and subcontractor due diligence).

Digital solution: implemented a cloud‑based construction workflow platform integrated with document management, QA checklists, non‑conformance reporting, and a subcontractor performance dashboard; enabled single source of truth and automated compliance reporting.
Process controls: standardised bid templates, modular schedules of rates, approval gates, and template QA plans mapped to NSW/Federal procurement clauses. Rapid pilot executed on two live tenders.

OUTCOMES AND BUSINESS IMPACT

Operational efficiency: bid preparation cycle reduced by 45% (average preparation time cut from 20 to 11 working days); administrative overhead reduced ~28% (estimated annualised savings AUD 420k).

Quality & compliance: automated audit trails and standard QA workflows produced 100% completeness on mandatory compliance checks for government tenders during the pilot phase. Non‑conformance recurrence rate dropped by 62% across pilot projects.

Commercial impact: improved bid quality and compliance contributed to immediate commercial wins - secured two government contracts valued at AUD 18.6M within three months of go‑live. Projected additional pipeline opportunities worth AUD 29.4M over 12 months, driven by renewed capacity to pursue higher‑value tenders.

Risk & supplier management: subcontractor onboarding time reduced by 55% via portal automation; performance visibility enabled targeted interventions and reduced subcontractor‑related defects and delays.

Change adoption: staff adoption rate of core modules exceeded 85% within eight weeks; bespoke training and governance ensured sustained usage and continuous improvement.

WHY THIS ENGAGEMENT SUCCEEDED

Rapid, governance‑led implementation focused on highest‑value pain points for government procurement. Strong stakeholder alignment and change management that secured early wins and behavioural change.

Pragmatic selection and configuration of digital tools (not wholesale replacement), preserving current systems where effective and integrating gaps.
Measurable KPIs tied to commercial outcomes - efficiency, compliance and revenue capture.

SUMMARY

Hunterstone delivered a focused digital and quality uplift in under six months that materially improved bid speed, compliance and delivery performance - resulting in AUD 420k annualised administrative savings, immediate contract wins of AUD 18.6M and a strengthened pipeline enabling pursuit of larger NSW and Federal government opportunities. The program positions the client as a competitive, compliant and scalable partner for public sector work.