Member Article

Waymark's joint venture to launch new software solution

A LEADING regional software house is joining forces with a fledging IT company to launch a new product which they believe will revolutionise the construction industry.

Waymark, an award-winning software company with offices in Gateshead and Sunderland, is launching a joint venture with Middlesbrough-based Project Control Tools and will soon launch StoresMate on to the market.

StoresMate is aimed at the construction sector and is designed to save costs and to increase efficiencies around tool management on construction projects.

Paul Lofthouse, Commercial Director at Waymark, explained: “We first got involved with the guys at Project Control Tools last year when they came to us with the idea of StoresMate. They have some great ideas, and we were intrigued and impressed by StoresMate.

“We’ve been in the development stage since, with three members of the Waymark team working on a StoresMate mobile and Android app, and also a desktop-based management system for the software.

“Basically, the StoresMate app will give site teams the abilty to scan and track every tool or piece of equipment – whatever the shape or size – used on-site. Traditionally, any sort of site inventory has been purely paper based, but once scanned, StoresMate can track anything being used on site, taking the human element out of the equation.”

“Our background is in the construction sector,” explained Fin Gregory, Director of Project Control Tools. “We know what a difference StoresMate will make on construction sites, and its scaleable from small sites to large-scale projects.” Fellow director James Staines added: “On large sites in particular there can be hundreds of pieces of equipment being used – either on hire or owned by the construction firm. This equipment can very often be on a long-term lease and it is notoriously difficult to keep track of every piece of kit in use, or in storage. “StoresMate will enable site team to identify exactly where any given tool is at any given moment.”

Project Control Tools was founded with the help of a DigitalCity Fellowship programme from Teesside University last summer. James and Fin had met while working on the NEXUS infrastructure project being delivered by TXM Rail. Fin, originally from Doncaster, is a project manager for TXM Rail and James, originally from South Shields, is a self-employed health and safety consultant, working mainly in the construction and shipping sectors.

“Because of our backgrounds we know the challenges project teams face especially knowing and controlling where everything is – be it on-site, or in the stores. StoresMate will make their lives considerably easier and will save companies time and resources, resulting in cost savings overall,” said James. Fin added: “Waymark understood what we wanted in a software solution very quickly and have been great to work with since our initial meetings. We were impressed with the passion they shared for the ideas we have brought to them and they also share our values of doing things openly and honestly.”

The joint venture idea came out of working so closely together on StoresMate. “We were very impressed by the idea and the enthusiasm and commitment from Fin and James and we firmly believe in StoresMate as a product so we suggested the joint venture,” explained Paul Lofthouse.

“We’re sure it will answer the prayers of site teams throughout the UK and beyond and we’re already talking about developing another software solution with Fin and James,” he added.

Waymark was set up seven years ago, and began developing software for utility services. It has since expanded into the education, health, logistics and commercial sectors, working with more than 30 clients, rapidly expanding its workforce in doing so.

The company recently recruited a new sales development executive to sell its Wayforce software solution, taking its headcount to 16.

For more information on Storesmate and Waymark, log on to www.waymark.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Lofthouse .