Walker Construction adopts Gather for Network Rail projects

Walker Construction, a leading specialist in railway infrastructure delivery, has partnered with Gather to revolutionise their commercial record management processes on Network Rail's Southern Renewals Framework.

With decades of expertise in complex rail infrastructure projects, Walker Construction knows that successful delivery depends on meticulous commercial record-keeping and proactive cost management.

Gather is helping Walker to meet the robust processes and demands of modern contracting under NEC4. “We’re helping Walker to capture robust records that result in the smooth operation of, early warnings, compensation events, programme and payment activities. Such contractual processes are fundamentally supported by having detailed contemporaneous records and provide enormous benefit to all involved in the projects,” comments Will Doyle, Gather CEO.

From WhatsApp Chaos To Strategic Data Management

Walker's team was managing multiple concurrent Network Rail projects using a mix of WhatsApp messages, spreadsheets, and disparate systems to track change, costs, and compliance requirements.

The fragmented and inconsistent approach made it difficult to operate NEC4 processes. Walker’s commercial team additionally struggled to use historical data effectively when preparing quotations for new work.

Walker needed a consistent approach to capture and structure shift records in support of the various commercial processes and reporting requirements under the Renewals Framework

Gather allows Walker's field teams to move away from WhatsApp. Coordination is now achieved in a centralised, easy to use mobile solution that captures every commercial detail in real-time.

Gather makes life easier for field teams who can quickly log progress, variations, and updates without drowning in paperwork or wasting time double handling records. Their input feeds directly into accurate commercial tracking and forecasting.

Gather enables Walker to use record data from completed projects to estimate future work with confidence. It demonstrates a competency and capability in meeting compliance with NEC4 within a complex framework. Gather provides real-time visibility of Walker’s commercial position across multiple Network Rail projects, helping them proactively manage early warnings, programmes, payment and compensation events, rather than reactively chasing paperwork after the fact.

"Moving from WhatsApp and spreadsheets to Gather has transformed how we approach commercial management on Network Rail projects. We can now use our project data to forecast more accurately and stay on top of NEC4 requirements without the constant admin burden. It's given us complete confidence in our commercial processes," said Bernie Keens MRICS, Walker Construction.

"Our project commercial team were spending more time chasing information than actually measuring progress. With Gather, we can see exactly where we stand on every activity and compensation event in real-time. The system helps the team focus on what they are trained to do - commercial analysis and forecasting - rather than hunting through WhatsApp messages for the latest updates. It's transformed how confidently we can report our cost-to-complete position.".

Ready To Transform Your Commercial Management?

If you're managing complex contracts and struggling with informal, inconsistent and fragmented record management, Walker Construction's transformation shows what's possible. Whether you're working on rail, utilities, airports, highways, power or other complex infrastructure projects, Gather helps teams move from reactive administration to proactive commercial management.

Ready to see how Gather could streamline your processes? Let's have a conversation about your specific challenges and explore how we can help you get paid for everything, in full, and on time.