COMMUNICA | No. 3
Using a smartphone, members of the public can scan John Henry Group courtesy boards to find out more information about John Henry Group works on Inmystreet. info
“ We are about to enter a nationwide rollout of new‘ interactive’ work sites, which will eventually allow members of the public to‘ scan’ our sites on major projects with their smartphones and access more information about what is going on outside their homes or businesses,” says John Henry Group HSEQ director Martin Cook.“ The QR code points the user to a new Google-like search engine called Inmystreet, which is powered and supported by John Henry Group.”“ By using QR code technology in street works on specially developed permit and courtesy boards or on residential noticing and communications letters, John Henry Group can now not only assist with providing more information to members of the public about what works we’ re carrying out near them. Martin adds:“ The Inmystreet services also offer John Henry Group ISP partners, to also generate sales leads on the same website, meaning that customers can subscribe to their fibre services directly from the works site.” Martin’ s view is that every utilities company or contractor with any form of powers to dig in the street has an obligatory and moral duty to take every measure to inform residents and members of the public of works that are either impending or ongoing.“ When these works may impact on social space, such as living environments or where businesses may be jeopardised by potential delays, such as road closures from traffic management around utilities works, we must make every effort to enhance our communications message,” he said“ We have simply taken this a step further and developed something of a USP which allows us a new and easy-access platform for members of the public to find out what we’ re doing and how long we’ re going to be doing it for.” Impact of utilities and road works on the community and on commuters has been well discussed in the media and it remains topical and was most recently in the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation’ s Transportation Professional magazine. In the July edition of Transportation Professional, the official publication of the institution, the body’ s network management and operations panel chair Steve Kent wrote about overcoming major challenges to overcoming‘ the long running’ disagreements between highway authorities and statutory undertakers which install and maintain extensive networks of buried pipes and cables usually buried beneath busy and fragile infrastructure. He wrote:“ From the road users’ perspective is seems that not enough is done to plan and coordinate activities, resulting in unnecessary delays and disruption to local businesses and the travelling public.” Which is why the John Henry Group’ s technology, HSEQ and corporate communications team have come together to deliver the Inmystreet initiative.“ This technology allows us to offer a powerful and supplimentary communications channel from which we are able to inform people effectively of what we are doing in their living and working space”, says Martin Cook.“ We like to think that as a business we are relatively forward-thinking, embracing and developing technologies and Inmystreet is one such an example, where internal departments have come together within the business to drive this initiative.”
“ The Inmystreet services also offer John Henry Group ISP partners, to also generate sales leads on the same website, meaning that customers can subscribe to their fibre services directly from the works site.”
| 15