In France, 95% of gas connection operations are carried out by GRDF (Gaz Réseau Distribution France). This is an ordinary process that requires extraordinary means. In practice, gas connections follow precise and standardized steps. In addition, a large number of public and private players are involved to ensure the safety of users and workers.
GRDF - which acts as the project manager - receives the users' requests and allocates the worksites to different public works providers. Several fundamental documents are necessary to start up the job site :
Once the documents have been collected and the marking and staking have been done, the job site can finally begin. If the opening of the trench is mechanical, the search for and clearing of the gas structure is necessarily done manually. This is to avoid the risk of damaging the gas network, which is not always in the place initially indicated. This is a delicate task, and a frequent source of hazards.
GRDF then takes care of the connection of the box, verifies its tightness and proceeds with the gas connection. Once the installation has been checked by a plumber and heating engineer, the contract between the gas supplier and the user can be formalized. GRDF then proceeds to open the gas tap.
Several issues are inherent in the management of gas connections by public works contractors. Some of the more important ones include:
Kraaft is a simple messaging application for tracking job site. With a mobile interface, site managers send photos and messages, just like on WhatsApp, to share what's going on at job site. At the office, site managers receive the photos and messages, sort them, and generate automatic reports to share with their client.
But the application goes further. On Kraaft, 1 job site = 1 conversation. In addition to companions, you can invite your customers to join directly the conversations related to their worksites on Kraaft.
You have two choices. The first, radical transparency, invites you to share directly the conversation related to a job site with the concerned customer. This option allows the customer, in this case GRDF, to react directly when needed. It is the insurance of a better relationship, in all transparency, between the public works provider and the client.
For more discretion, you can also create a customer conversation linked to your job site. You invite GRDF (or any other stakeholder), and send him the documents that concern him when this seems appropriate. A green colored banner highlights conversations shared with external guests to avoid any mistake.
On Kraaft's computer interface, work managers can also standardize all the steps related to job site with a list of precise tasks. It is also the occasion, in the case of gas connections, to include the various documents necessary for the opening of the job site. Please note that even if the DITC are available on Kraaft, it is mandatory to have the paper format on job site.
Kraaft also geo-locates all the worksites and gives you access to a satellite map that shows all your connections. A color code linked to the status of the worksites allows you to distinguish between ongoing and invoiced worksites. It is also very easy, from this map, to access the details of each job site, and even, if necessary, to trace the route to get there (from the telephone or computer interface). A real plus in the rush of everyday life.
A small plus but not the least: the connections are easily accessible on an online table and exportable to Excel. This saves a lot of time when it comes to sharing and invoicing the as-built records of the week.
Finally, the hazards are listed and plotted in a simple way. Rock not listed on the DITC is discovered when opening the trench? Hop, the leader of job site takes a picture via Kraaft and shares it on the job site conversation.
Automatically time-stamped and geo-located, the photo can be transformed into hazard by the work manager. The latter then calculates the amount to be invoiced, and can even note the labor and materials required on the same hazard. Everything is traced and easily justifiable.
Sade Télécom Argentan uses Kraaft on a daily basis as a monitoring software for job site, especially for gas connections. Sylvain Leduc, works manager, and Frank Lessieur, job site manager, talk about their use.
"In the teams it has been very well accepted, even by the old ones. The application is well done, simple and easy to access. You can do everything directly." (Frank Lessieur, head of job site for La Sade Telecom)
