Engineering Excellence: Vaughan Constructions Streamlines Compliance and Quality with BuildPass

Engineering excellence: Vaughan Constructions streamlines compliance and quality with BuildPass

Building a legacy of innovation

Since 1955, Vaughan Constructions has been a trusted name in Australian industrial and commercial construction. Known for its expertise in design and construct projects, Vaughan services clients nationwide from offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Their projects span distribution centres, cold storage facilities, manufacturing plants, and even landmark educational institutions like Loreto and Brighton Grammar.

As Vaughan continues to grow—especially in New South Wales and Queensland—maintaining quality, safety, and efficiency across large, complex sites has become more challenging. That’s where BuildPass comes in.

“We needed a smarter way to build”

Before BuildPass, Vaughan relied on largely paper-based systems to manage safety and compliance. SWMS submissions, inductions, and audits all involved physical paperwork and site visits. According to Commercial Operations Manager Will Thornton, this process worked—until the scale and complexity of their projects outgrew it.

The Challenge

Despite decades of success, Vaughan’s rapid growth highlighted the limitations of paper-based systems. Safety and quality management processes, including SWMS collection and site inductions, were reliant on physical documentation. This not only made auditing labor-intensive but also complicated communication between HQ and site teams.

The Solution

Recognising the need for a more scalable and efficient approach, Vaughan adopted BuildPass across all active sites. The platform has transformed daily operations, particularly around safety, quality assurance, and contractor management.

How Vaughan Uses BuildPass

Inductions & Sign Ons: BuildPass helps Vaughan manage a large and dynamic workforce with ease. QR code-enabled sign-ons ensure seamless access for subcontractors, while digital inductions maintain compliance and save hours of admin time.

SWMS Management: Previously handled through bulky paperwork, SWMS are now uploaded, reviewed, and approved digitally. The system flags pending or overdue submissions, allowing the team to act before issues arise—ensuring subcontractors are site-ready from day one.

“Previously, we’d get thick folders delivered to site daily for subcontractors. Now, all of that is done digitally. Our team can review and respond to SWMS in real time, with better record keeping and fewer delays.” Will Thornton, Commercial Operations Manager

Site Diaries & Photos: Gaining visibility into project progress no longer requires a physical site visit. Digital Site Diaries provide insight into daily activity, with all photos automatically consolidated in the Photo Library—alongside images uploaded through any other BuildPass feature.

Checklists & Quality Assurance: Fully customisable digital checklists have allowed Vaughan to tailor safety and QA processes to ensure they're specific to the needs of each site. Plus, any legislative changes or procedural updates could easily be applied across multiple projects - preventing an administrative burden.

ITPs & Defects Modules: By replacing clunky third-party systems and endless follow-up calls, BuildPass has streamlined Vaughan’s defect management—making it faster, clearer, and more accountable to deliver high-quality builds.

“Even when we used other softwares, we found with BuildPass, it was by far the most efficient way to record and distribute defects.”

Easy adoption, even for seasoned staff

With team members who’ve been with Vaughan for over two decades, there were concerns about how easily BuildPass would be adopted. But the transition was smoother than expected.

The Result

BuildPass has become integral to Vaughan's operations, allowing them to:

• Audit sites remotely and focus on strategic insights.
• Maintain uniform safety and QA processes as the company expands.
• Reduce admin burdens, saving time for project delivery.

A platform built on partnership

“From the beginning, the team listened and implemented our feedback...We’d recommend BuildPass to any construction company. It helps teams work smarter—not harder—resulting in safer, more efficient projects.” Will Thornton

Let's chat

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