Wordsworth Excavations: Bringing Control, Visibility and Accountability to Site Operations with innDex

Who are Wordsworth Excavations?

Wordsworth Excavations Ltd (WEL) is a specialist contractor delivering bulk earthworks, site clearance and enabling works across the UK. Operating primarily within the industrial and logistics sector, the business also works extensively across infrastructure, residential, defence and energy sectors. WEL prepares land to ensure it can support large-scale developments such as warehouses, logistics centres, infrastructure assets and complex multi-sector schemes.

Alongside its core industrial and logistics workload, the business has expanded into housebuilding and smaller infrastructure projects, working with major contractors nationwide across regions including the Midlands, South West and North West. At peak times, WEL operates on more than 20 live projects simultaneously, often in challenging weather conditions that demand flexibility, coordination and strong on-site controls.

Jason Thorp, who joined WEL from a compliance background, quickly identified that while the business was operationally strong, many of its processes were still heavily paper-based, creating risk, inefficiency and a lack of visibility across sites.

Choosing innDex: From Paper-Based to Digital

When Jason joined WEL, health & safety, inductions, inspections and asset checks were managed entirely on paper.

“There was a lot of paper coming back to the office, handled by multiple people, across different departments. With numerous live projects being run simultaneously, it just felt messy.”

Having already moved waste transfer notes to a digital system, the leadership team recognised that the next step was digitising site management and health & safety processes.

WEL evaluated several platforms, but innDex stood out, not only for its usability, but also because many of their key clients, including Winvic and TanRo, were already using it.

“If it works for them, it made sense that it would work for us.”

A trial of innDex began in February 2025, with a focus on proving real operational value before committing to a full rollout.

Trial Period & Rolling Out innDex

Rather than rolling innDex out across all sites at once, WEL took a phased, site-by-site approach.

• Existing live sites continued on paper
• All new projects launched directly on innDex
• Trial sites received hands-on support and on-site training
• Simple user guides were created internally to support adoption

This approach allowed project managers to learn gradually, while the central office team could embed consistent processes.

“Change is always challenging, especially for people who’ve worked the same way for years. But we knew it was the right thing to do.Even some initially sceptical site teams quickly saw the benefits.”

Asset Management: From Manual Checks to Real-Time Control.

Before innDex, WEL’s plant and equipment checks were heavily paper-based. Inspection certificates were printed and filed away in RAMS folders, while operators completed daily machine checks in paper checklist books. The challenge wasn’t just the admin burden, it was having confidence and visibility. Unless someone was physically on site carrying out audits, there was limited assurance that checks were being completed consistently, on time, or to the required standard.

With Asset Management in innDex, that’s changed. Teams are now automatically prompted when inspections are due, removing the risk of dates being missed or compliance expiring unnoticed. Because checks are completed digitally and time-stamped in real time, there’s no opportunity for backdating, and the office team can clearly see what has been done, when it was done, and by whom. Photo evidence has also become part of the process, which means inspections move beyond a “tick-box exercise” and become something that can be verified.

As Jason put it, “Now we can actually see that checks are being done, and done properly.” Just as importantly, innDex has helped WEL build a clear history around each asset. Weekly photos and recorded checks create a running catalogue of condition and damage, making it far easier to trace issues and understand when something first appeared. Previously, operators might take photos and send them through a chain, from operator to project manager to plant manager. Now, everything is captured in one place, reducing friction and keeping the right information accessible at the right time. The result is stronger control, clearer accountability, and a far more reliable picture of asset compliance across every active site.

Inductions: Centralised, Controlled and Consistent

Before adopting innDex, workers would arrive on site, submit their cards and tickets, have photocopies taken, and sign RAMS documents before getting to work. Beyond that, there was limited structure.

innDex allowed Wordsworth to completely reshape this process. Job-specific induction content was built directly into the platform, giving workers access to clear, structured information before they even arrived on site. By completing inductions in advance, including confirmation questions and digital sign-off, the business gained confidence that individuals had genuinely read and understood what was expected of them. Everything is now date and time stamped, removing any ambiguity around compliance.

This shift has saved time on site while also significantly improving control, particularly when working with agency labour and subcontractors. Rather than relying on site teams to manage paperwork locally, inductions are now centrally overseen, giving the office team full visibility without needing to wait until the end of the week to check documents. As Jason explained, the process now offers “a lot more control than someone walking into the office, signing a sheet and walking out.”

Site Messaging, Progress Photos and Toolbox Talks

Site communication at WEL had historically relied on multiple WhatsApp groups, with one created for each job number and key members of the business added in. While this worked when the company was smaller, it quickly became noisy and difficult to manage as more projects ran concurrently. Important information was easily lost among constant notifications, and there was no formal record of activity or progress.

innDex has provided a more structured alternative. Progress photos are now uploaded directly from site into the platform, giving senior leadership and office teams a clear, visual understanding of what’s happening on the ground without needing to chase updates. Over time, this has begun to replace informal photo sharing, building a reliable evidence base of site progress in one central location.

Site messaging has also helped improve communication between office and site teams. Project managers increasingly use it to coordinate activity, while the office team can contact individuals directly without needing to track down phone numbers or escalate through HR. Read receipts add an extra layer of assurance that messages have been seen, making communication more efficient and accountable.

Toolbox talks have followed a similar evolution. Previously, project managers would print talks from the company network and collect signatures throughout the week, with little control over what was delivered or when. With innDex, toolbox talks are now centrally issued by the health and safety team, ensuring the right messages are shared at the right time. This has improved consistency across sites while eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

Inspections: Evidence Over Tick-Boxes.

Inspections were another area where WEL saw immediate value in moving from paper to digital. Like many contractors, inspections were traditionally recorded on paper and then filed away, which meant evidence and visibility could sometimes depend on when documents were returned and reviewed. While the process was in place, it wasn’t always easy to get a consistent, real-time picture across multiple live sites, especially during busy periods.

With innDex, inspections are now completed live on site, supported by photographic evidence and automatically time-stamped. This has made it easier to capture accurate site conditions as they happen, while creating a clearer record that can be reviewed at any time. If a query is raised later, teams can quickly look back at previous inspections and see what was recorded on the day, helping to improve consistency, traceability and confidence across the business.

As Jason explained, this has removed much of the uncertainty that previously existed. Inspections are no longer about assumption or memory, they’re backed by evidence. This has given WEL far greater confidence in site standards and made inspections a genuinely valuable part of the safety process.

Document Library: Always Audit-Ready.

innDex has also become the central home for WELs key documentation. Policies, insurance details and compliance documents are now stored in the Document Library, making them instantly accessible when needed.

This has been particularly valuable during audits, where information that once had to be gathered manually can now be shared immediately. By keeping everything in one place, Wordsworth has reduced disruption to site teams and ensured that critical documents are always up to date and easy to find.

The Results: Measurable Improvements Across the Business

The impact of innDex has been felt across every level of the organisation. By moving away from paper-based processes, WEL has gained real-time visibility across its sites, allowing the office team to see exactly what’s happening without needing to wait for files to return at the end of the week. Accountability has improved significantly, with time-stamped actions, photo evidence and live data replacing assumptions and manual checks.

The reduction in paperwork has freed up valuable time for both site and office teams, while improved inductions, inspections and asset management have increased confidence that work is being carried out safely and correctly. Perhaps most importantly, innDex has given WEL confidence, confidence that checks are being done, that information is accurate, and that the business is in control of its operations.

The Future: A Continued Partnership.

With innDex now firmly embedded into day-to-day operations, Wordsworth Excavations Ltd continues to look for ways to build on the foundations already in place. The team is expanding its use of observations and near-miss reporting to strengthen safety culture on site, supported by incentives that encourage consistent engagement. Time management and geofencing are also being refined to further improve site safety and visibility, while upcoming enhancements to asset management are expected to deliver even greater value.

As the business continues to grow and take on new projects, innDex remains a key partner in supporting that growth. What began as a trial has become a core operational system, helping WEL move confidently from traditional, paper-based processes to a modern, controlled and digital way of working.