A global EPC firm joined forces with a major mining company to deliver a new fertilizer production complex, a multi-billion-dollar greenfield expansion designed to boost output and strengthen the owner’s position as a top producer worldwide. 

To manage the complexity of this effort, the EPC turned to O3’s ONBuild solution. The goal was to bring consistency, transparency, and better productivity into every stage of construction. The implementation began in late 2023, and by mid-2024 the project team was already live on the platform.

The Challenge

Before O3, the project team relied heavily on spreadsheets and manual reporting. While familiar, those tools slowed down progress tracking and created confusion between subcontractors. Construction leaders knew they needed a system that could bring all stakeholders onto the same page. 

The hurdles were clear:

• Moving from spreadsheets to a structured Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) platform
• Getting buy-in from planners, subcontractors, and field crews
• Standardizing reporting in a way everyone could follow 

These challenges are common. In fact, McKinsey has found that large construction projects often take 20% longer than scheduled and run up to 80% over budget, with inefficient reporting and poor data flow as frequent culprits. Switching from manual methods to digital platforms is a cultural shift as much as a technical one, and success depends on managing that change well.

The O3 Solution

The EPC deployed O3’s ONBuild, giving teams access to:

• Workface Planning
• Construction Management
• Status Visualization
• Reporting and Analytics 

Alongside the technology, O3 provided implementation support and training to help drive adoption. The emphasis was not just on rolling out software, but on equipping teams to work differently, with a single source of truth across all parties.

Results So Far

Even with construction still in the early stages, the difference is clear. 

• Time saved on reporting: Around 50 users log progress directly in O3. What used to take an hour per person each week now takes minutes, leading to a projected savings of 7,200 hours over the life of the project. 

• Consistent subcontractor reporting: Instead of juggling multiple spreadsheet templates, every subcontractor now reports in a single format, reducing errors and making roll-up reporting much smoother. 

• Real-time visibility: Task-level progress data is entered once and instantly reflected in dashboards, giving leaders an accurate, consolidated view of performance at any moment. 

The total projected savings over the project lifecycle just for progress tracking is 7,200 hours. That is the equivalent of more than 3 full-time employees working for an entire year, freed up to focus on higher-value tasks.

The Benefits of Going Digital 

Adopting ONBuild has made reporting easier, faster, and far more reliable. Subcontractors have embraced the unified process, which eliminates headaches and builds trust across the project. Leadership now benefits from dashboards that replace fragmented updates with real-time clarity. 

Perhaps most importantly, with more than 200 users across the owner, EPC, and contractors actively using the platform, the change has stuck. The system has created alignment at every level, showing how digital workface planning can be a catalyst for stronger collaboration and smoother execution. 

Looking Ahead 

By moving away from spreadsheets, the EPC tackled one of the toughest parts of digital transformation: change management. ONBuild provided the tools, but success came from getting teams to use them consistently. The payoff is already measured in thousands of hours saved, and the gains will only multiply as the project moves into peak construction. 

To learn more about how O3 can enhance your projects, schedule your personalized demo today.