Safe Systems of Work. Audits. Engineering. Survey. App.

Guest Blog: Safe System of Work Digital Audits

This week, we’re bringing you the first ‘Guest Blog’ for PPL Engineering Services. A continuation of last month’s entry around our asset/condition survey and compliance audit services.

This piece has been authored by Stephen Bartlett – CEO of Invigilatis. Stephen is a well respected voice in the Digital Transformation and Risk Management spaces. He has a proven track record for improving operational efficiencies for Invigilatis’ clients across the Healthcare Estate and beyond.

We’re very happy to have Stephen produce this piece for our followers that goes behind the scenes on how our digital auditing tool has come to fruition.

What Went Into Building The UK’s First Digital Safe System of Work (SSoW) Audit Service?

A Brief History

In 2024, PPL Engineering Services began to provide the UK’s first digital SSoW audit service.

Based on a smart solution developed and supplied as a hosted service by Invigilatis, it consists of:

  • App for audit data collection

  • Processor for automated reporting and analysis

  • Portal for online access to audits, non compliances and managing remedial works

In doing so, it provides:

  • Easier data collection for the audit

  • Immediate automated Reporting and Analysis of each audit

  • Digital archive for all audits

  • Holistic views on audits with charts to show periodic trends

  • Benchmarking among clients

Safe Systems of Work. Audits. Engineering. Survey. App. Survey.

Not only that, but the app cuts out the following manual data-handling steps, which are both time-consuming and risk mis-keying items of data:

  • Multiple data handling steps necessary to deliver reports ( i.e. data has to be rekeyed and mistakes can be made)

  • Manual extraction of data from reports to decide which remedial jobs are needed and for analysis of overall compliance

  • Manual aggregation of reports for periodic reviews needed for determining maintenance programmes and life cycle planning

These time-saving steps also provide PPL Engineering Services, and their clients with better quality information; with much less effort, and in an easily digested format. 

Instead of clients needing to find time to analyse audits, the required information is immediately available and they can complete required remedial works promptly to improve overall operational performance their assets, systems and processes.

Also, PPL’s Authorising Engineers have more time for other client support activities, fostering improvements in both customer experience, and PPL’s operational efficiency.

Operational Benefits in Brief

  • Immediate – Improved reporting times – i.e. faster delivery of consistent reports with easier access to information on non-compliances

  • Ongoing operations – Better reports are received more promptly which enables faster remediation and risk reduction

  • Strategic – Better information from aggregated reports enables continuous improvement programmes to be developed and delivered

Looking Ahead: The Future for PPL Engineering Services and Invigilatis

Given my experience with Digital Transformation and Risk Management, the opportunity to work with Perry Dixon MEng BEng (Hons) CEng MIMechE MIHEEM and the team at PPL Engineering Services Ltd on a tool that can assist the PPL team whilst hopefully improving the safety of PPL’s client sites was one too good to pass up.

We have worked tirelessly on beta testing, gathering client feedback, as well as end-user feedback (the Engineers conducting audits and surveys) to help us continuously improve our system.

Speaking of continuous improvement – there are two key opportunities for the Safe System of Work auditing app that we have identified as next in our development pathway, such as:

  1. Include standard comments – this is to ensure even faster reporting and better analysis of remediation – effectiveness.

  2. Develop standard question set – Ideally this becomes recognised as an industry standard which can position them as thought leader which will strengthen promotional messages.

Thank you for reading.

If you are interested in having Invigilatis help you to build your own digital record keeping system, then please do not hesitate to contact us via our website:

Visit the Invigilatis Website

Special thanks to Stephen and the team at Invigialtis for their work on our Safe Systems of Work auditing service.

To find out more about the tools available to our team, and how they can support your organisation, please contact us: