Alma Rail

Alma Rail Streamlines KPI Reporting Using Gather

Rail track specialist transforms reporting efficiency with 60+ monthly records and 100% company-wide digital adoption.

Return on Investment

Site Records Monthly

100

Company Adoption

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><div class="ge-intro-accent ge-anim ge-d1"><p><strong>21x return on investment. 100% company adoption. 60+ records captured every month.</strong> That’s the transformation at Alma Rail — a specialist rail contractor that turned real-time KPI tracking into a competitive advantage.</p></div><p class="ge-anim ge-d2">Alma Rail is a specialist rail contractor delivering track inspection and maintenance works across the UK network. With £7 million annual turnover and a portfolio of clients including Network Rail and train operating companies, the business had reached a critical inflection point where paper-based systems could no longer keep pace with growth.</p></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><h2 class="ge-anim">The challenge: paper diaries meet growing ambition</h2><p class="ge-anim">Alma Rail had the work and the reputation. What they lacked was a way to capture the value of their delivery with data. Like most rail contractors, the business relied on paper site diaries, Excel spreadsheets, and end-of-shift phone calls:</p><ul class="ge-anim"><li><strong>Communication lag:</strong> Office staff waited days for site updates. By the time information arrived, it was too late to act on problems</li><li><strong>Inconsistent data:</strong> Site diaries captured differently across projects made comparing productivity impossible</li><li><strong>KPI blindness:</strong> Clients demanded real-time reporting, but Alma Rail was sending Excel spreadsheets days late</li><li><strong>Admin burden:</strong> Supervisors spent valuable time filling in paperwork instead of preparing for the next day’s work</li></ul><div class="ge-diagram-wrap ge-anim"><div class="ge-diagram-label">From paper diaries and delayed spreadsheets to real-time KPI dashboards</div><svg class="ge-diagram-svg" viewBox="0 0 660 190" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="min-width:400px;"><rect x="0" y="0" width="285" height="190" fill="#fff9f9"/><text x="14" y="18" font-size="8.5" font-weight="700" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui" letter-spacing="0.08em">BEFORE GATHER</text><rect x="25" y="32" width="80" height="100" rx="4" fill="#fff" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="1.5"/><line x1="35" y1="52" x2="95" y2="52" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="62" x2="85" y2="62" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="72" x2="90" y2="72" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="82" x2="75" y2="82" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="92" x2="88" y2="92" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="102" x2="80" y2="102" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><line x1="35" y1="112" x2="92" y2="112" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="0.8"/><text x="65" y="44" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Paper Diary</text><rect x="120" y="50" width="70" height="38" rx="3" fill="#fff" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="1"/><rect x="126" y="56" width="26" height="8" rx="1" fill="#e5e5e5"/><rect x="156" y="56" width="26" height="8" rx="1" fill="#e5e5e5"/><rect x="126" y="68" width="26" height="8" rx="1" fill="#e5e5e5"/><rect x="156" y="68" width="26" height="8" rx="1" fill="#e5e5e5"/><text x="155" y="100" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Excel</text><rect x="205" y="40" width="60" height="50" rx="3" fill="#fff" stroke="#d6d3d1" stroke-width="1"/><text x="235" y="60" text-anchor="middle" font-size="16" fill="#d6d3d1" font-family="Inter,system-ui">☎</text><text x="235" y="78" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#78716c" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Phone calls</text><line x1="105" y1="80" x2="120" y2="70" stroke="#ef4444" stroke-width="0.8" stroke-dasharray="2,3" opacity="0.5"/><line x1="190" y1="70" x2="205" y2="60" stroke="#ef4444" stroke-width="0.8" stroke-dasharray="2,3" opacity="0.5"/><text x="142" y="125" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Days between site and office</text><rect x="25" y="138" width="235" height="36" rx="4" fill="#fff9f9" stroke="#fecaca" stroke-width="1"/><text x="142" y="152" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Clients want dashboards; we send Excel sheets days late</text><text x="142" y="164" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#dc2626" font-family="Inter,system-ui">— Richard Walker, MD</text><line x1="297" y1="16" x2="297" y2="174" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="1" stroke-dasharray="4,3"/><line x1="310" y1="95" x2="340" y2="95" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2.5"/><polygon points="340,90 352,95 340,100" fill="#22c55e"/><rect x="360" y="0" width="300" height="190" fill="#f0fdf4"/><text x="374" y="18" font-size="8.5" font-weight="700" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui" letter-spacing="0.08em">WITH GATHER</text><rect x="390" y="32" width="240" height="80" rx="6" fill="#dcfce7" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="510" y="50" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="700">Real-Time Dashboard</text><rect x="400" y="58" width="50" height="40" rx="3" fill="#bbf7d0"/><rect x="410" y="72" width="30" height="2" rx="1" fill="#22c55e"/><rect x="410" y="78" width="20" height="2" rx="1" fill="#22c55e"/><rect x="410" y="84" width="25" height="2" rx="1" fill="#22c55e"/><text x="425" y="68" text-anchor="middle" font-size="6" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui">KPIs</text><rect x="460" y="58" width="50" height="40" rx="3" fill="#bbf7d0"/><path d="M470,88 L480,78 L490,82 L500,68" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5" fill="none"/><text x="485" y="68" text-anchor="middle" font-size="6" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Trends</text><rect x="520" y="58" width="100" height="40" rx="3" fill="#bbf7d0"/><text x="570" y="72" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">60+ records/month</text><text x="570" y="84" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui">100% adoption</text><rect x="390" y="125" width="240" height="40" rx="5" fill="#dcfce7" stroke="#bbf7d0" stroke-width="1"/><text x="510" y="140" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Clients see live data — not delayed spreadsheets</text><text x="510" y="154" text-anchor="middle" font-size="7.5" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Trust built. Repeat business won.</text><text x="510" y="180" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8.5" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">21x ROI in the first year</text></svg></div></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body" style="padding-bottom:0"><h2 class="ge-anim">The solution</h2><p class="ge-anim">The rollout started with three key projects chosen deliberately — each with different client requirements, team compositions, and reporting demands. If Gather could work across all three, it could work anywhere.</p><div class="ge-gauge-row ge-anim"><svg class="ge-gauge-svg" width="88" height="88" viewBox="0 0 88 88" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><circle cx="44" cy="44" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#bbf7d0" stroke-width="9"/><circle cx="44" cy="44" r="34" fill="none" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="9" stroke-dasharray="213.6 213.6" stroke-dashoffset="0" stroke-linecap="round" transform="rotate(-90 44 44)"/><text x="44" y="40" text-anchor="middle" font-size="16" font-weight="800" fill="#15803d" font-family="Inter,system-ui">100%</text><text x="44" y="54" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#16a34a" font-family="Inter,system-ui">adopted</text></svg><div class="ge-gauge-label"><h4>100% company-wide adoption</h4><p>Every supervisor, every project, every shift now uses Gather. There’s no parallel paper system. The platform became the single source of truth for all operations.</p></div></div><div class="ge-quote ge-anim"><span class="ge-quote-mark">“</span><p class="ge-quote-text">Gather allows us to record shift details and track inspection output in real time. It’s a massive time saver for us. It keeps our clients happy.</p><div class="ge-quote-attr"><span><strong>Richard Walker</strong> · Managing Director · Alma Rail</span></div></div><h3 class="ge-anim">From pilot to competitive advantage</h3><div class="ge-timeline-outer ge-anim"><svg class="ge-timeline-svg" viewBox="0 0 580 148" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="padding:20px 16px 8px;"><line x1="84" y1="44" x2="496" y2="44" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round"/><line x1="84" y1="44" x2="290" y2="44" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round"/><circle cx="84" cy="44" r="26" fill="#22c55e" stroke="none"/><text x="84" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">01</text><text x="84" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">PILOT</text><line x1="84" y1="74" x2="84" y2="78" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="84" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#171717" font-family="Inter,system-ui">3 Key Projects</text><text x="84" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Llandudno, Breedon,</text><text x="84" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Arriva Train Care</text><circle cx="290" cy="44" r="26" fill="#22c55e" stroke="none"/><text x="290" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">02</text><text x="290" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">2 WEEKS</text><line x1="290" y1="74" x2="290" y2="78" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="290" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#171717" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Full Adoption</text><text x="290" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Supervisors finishing</text><text x="290" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">shifts earlier</text><circle cx="496" cy="44" r="26" fill="#fff" stroke="#d4d4d4" stroke-width="2"/><text x="496" y="38" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11" fill="#a3a3a3" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">03</text><text x="496" y="52" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#d4d4d4" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600" letter-spacing="0.05em">ONGOING</text><line x1="496" y1="74" x2="496" y2="78" stroke="#d4d4d4" stroke-width="1.5"/><text x="496" y="92" text-anchor="middle" font-size="11.5" font-weight="700" fill="#404040" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Competitive Edge</text><text x="496" y="107" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Real-time dashboards</text><text x="496" y="120" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9.5" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">win repeat business</text></svg></div></div></div>

<div class="gather-embed"><div class="ge-body"><h2 class="ge-anim">The results: 21x ROI and a competitive advantage</h2><p class="ge-anim">Within the first year, Alma Rail achieved a 21x return on investment. The ROI included time savings, reduced admin costs, and — critically — revenue protected through proper documentation of work delivered.</p><div class="ge-callout ge-anim"><div class="ge-callout-big">21x</div><div class="ge-callout-title">Return on investment</div><p class="ge-callout-body">Time savings, reduced admin costs, and revenue protected through contemporaneous documentation. The investment paid back many times over within the first year.</p></div><h3 class="ge-anim">ROI breakdown</h3><div class="ge-chart-outer ge-anim"><div class="ge-chart-label">Investment vs returns across efficiency gains and revenue protection</div><svg class="ge-chart-svg" viewBox="0 0 560 162" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><text x="9" y="82" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#a3a3a3" font-family="Inter,system-ui" transform="rotate(-90 9 82)">Value</text><line x1="36" y1="122" x2="540" y2="122" stroke="#e5e5e5" stroke-width="1.5"/><rect x="56" y="98" width="100" height="24" rx="4" fill="#fb923c" opacity="0.7"/><text x="106" y="113" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="700">Gather cost</text><text x="106" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Investment</text><rect x="196" y="36" width="100" height="86" rx="4" fill="#22c55e" opacity="0.7"/><text x="246" y="56" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Time savings</text><text x="246" y="74" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">Admin freed</text><text x="246" y="88" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui">shifts end earlier</text><text x="246" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Efficiency</text><rect x="336" y="28" width="100" height="94" rx="4" fill="#22c55e" opacity="0.85"/><text x="386" y="48" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Revenue protected</text><text x="386" y="68" text-anchor="middle" font-size="10" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">Documentation</text><text x="386" y="82" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui">evidence for disputes</text><text x="386" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#737373" font-family="Inter,system-ui">Revenue</text><rect x="476" y="14" width="60" height="108" rx="4" fill="#16a34a"/><text x="506" y="36" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Total ROI</text><text x="506" y="58" text-anchor="middle" font-size="22" fill="#fff" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="800">21x</text><text x="506" y="76" text-anchor="middle" font-size="8" fill="#dcfce7" font-family="Inter,system-ui">in year one</text><text x="506" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-size="9" fill="#22c55e" font-family="Inter,system-ui" font-weight="600">Net result</text></svg></div><p class="ge-anim">One client specifically cited Gather’s reporting capabilities as a factor in awarding additional work. They’d worked with contractors who promised visibility but delivered spreadsheets. Alma Rail delivered actual dashboards with actual real-time data.</p><div class="ge-takeaways ge-anim"><div class="ge-takeaways-head">Key takeaways</div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>21x return on investment</strong> achieved within the first year of deployment</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>100% company-wide adoption</strong> — every supervisor, every project, every shift</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>60+ site records captured monthly</strong> in a structured, searchable format</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>Real-time KPI dashboards</strong> replaced delayed Excel reports for clients</div></div><div class="ge-takeaway-item"><div class="ge-tick"><svg width="10" height="8" viewBox="0 0 10 8" fill="none"><path d="M1 4L3.5 6.5L9 1" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg></div><div class="ge-takeaway-text"><strong>Repeat business won</strong> — data-driven reporting became a competitive differentiator</div></div></div><div class="ge-closing ge-anim"><p>For specialist rail contractors looking to scale, Alma Rail demonstrates that structured digital records don’t just save time — they become a competitive weapon. When you can show clients proof instead of promises, you win more work.</p></div></div></div>

<section class="ge-cta-banner"><div class="ge-cta-inner"><p class="ge-cta-label">Get results like these</p><h2 class="ge-cta-title">Could Gather do this on your programme?</h2><p class="ge-cta-text">Alma Rail achieved 21x ROI and turned real-time reporting into a competitive advantage that wins repeat business. See how Gather could do the same for your rail operations.</p><p class="ge-cta-stat"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><path d="M22 11.08V12a10 10 0 1 1-5.93-9.14"></path><polyline points="22 4 12 14.01 9 11.01"></polyline></svg> 100% company adoption achieved across all projects and shifts </p><div><a href="/en/book-a-demo" class="ge-btn-demo"> Book a demo <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><line x1="5" y1="12" x2="19" y2="12"></line><polyline points="12 5 19 12 12 19"></polyline></svg></a></div></div></section>

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Project Profile

Client

Alma Rail

Industry

Rail

Value

£7 million annual turnover

Rollout

Enterprise

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