Automating and simplifying supplier safety and compliance management with Avetta Connect™

Industry
Telecommunications
Region
USA
Solutions
Contractor Management
Audits and Assessments
Safety Audits
Safety Manual Audits

Overview

NWA Tower Services specializes in many different aspects of telecommunications. In addition to building and removing tower structures, the team also specializes in cellular and internet services.

For each project, the company works closely with the client to understand its unique rigging needs, installing two-way, point-to-point, and wireless internet services to meet business specifications. NWA also installs equipment and completes network upgrades, in addition to decommissioning old and obsolete networks as required.

An emphasis on client-first personalization is a cornerstone of NWA, built into its very fabric from the very beginning. The company’s founder began working in the industry as a tower hand, learning every aspect of the field before branching off in 2018.

Since its inception, NWA has grown 100% year over year, maintaining an excellent rapport and reputation with all of its clients along the way.

Business Specifications

NWA Tower Services is built upon teamwork, with a strong employee culture that influences the company’s approach to each project.

Understanding that clients require robust safety protocols as well as strict adherence to industry compliance, NWA teams focus highly on safety and training, as well as continued education.

Before joining Avetta, NWA did not have an organized and efficient way to manage its safety and compliance activities. Although the emphasis was always there, the internal structure needed solidifying.

Much of the initial challenge centered on organizing the vast amount of data that the company handles on a daily basis. To maintain compliance and meet client requirements, NWA must routinely supply clients with documented proof of its safety operations, including:

  • Safety manuals
  • Updated policies and procedures
  • OSHA 300 logs
  • Certificates of Insurance (COIs)
  • Run loss reports

NWA needed a simplified, more efficient way to keep track of all of these documents, as well as organize them by client and project type.

The requirement was two-fold. First, NWA needed a digital platform to help modernize and consolidate its safety data, with the ability to easily retrieve and share pertinent compliance documents with clients, partners, and stakeholders as required.

Second, it also needed a way to organize its hard-copy safety and compliance documents. Those documents serve as valuable reference guides for on-site employees, and also set the stage for employee training and education.

For both needs, Avetta Connect™ was a natural fit.

Tower

Avetta Solutions Delivered

NWA has been utilizing the Avetta Connect™ platform for nearly three years, maintaining an active green status for the entirety of the time. This indicates that they’re in complete compliance with industry-mandated and client-required safety standards.

One of the pillars of the solution is the company’s improved documentation and record-keeping approach. Avetta helped NWA organize its safety and compliance data into easily accessible three-ring binders that employees can reference on the job. While the company has always had a robust safety training program, these materials are now more tailored, accessible, and adaptable to changes in industry requirements.

In addition, team members were also able to upload their safety manual onto the platform, creating digital, shareable versions of their mission-critical documents.

During the migration process, NWA discovered that it needed to update several elements of its manual to maintain compliance with changing client requests. Avetta worked closely with employees to audit the new document and make sure that all concerns were addressed.

With its safety data now available in a digital format, NWA can also make real-time changes and updates to its policies and procedures as required. As soon as clients send their detailed project requirements to Avetta, NWA employees can quickly incorporate them into their practices.

For instance, most clients require suppliers to complete annual refresher training on core practices. In response, NWA incorporated quarterly training into its safety approach. Now, all employees can see that the company refreshes all of its certifications and in-house policies every quarter.

As an NWA Office Management and HR representative shares,

Avetta has 100% changed how we look at compliance, keeping our focus on safety at all times.”

A Dedicated Approach To Support

The amount of documentation that NWA must create and share with both its clients and Avetta can be complex. Yet, the degree of support built into Avetta Connect™ makes these steps simpler to complete.

Any time questions arise around a certain document, such as OSHA Logs or Avetta’s EMR, Annual, and Manual Audits, the Avetta support line is always there to clarify the requirements and answer questions.

While compliance documentation can be a challenge to upkeep, NWA explains that Avetta’s supplier-friendly approach has made it simple, offering training and support services that help the team maintain its green status and attract more clients.

Explains the manager, “The [Avetta] auditors are meticulous in their work and want you to succeed. The last auditor I worked with was emailing me while heading out on vacation. He wanted to make sure our company was set before he left.”

Looking ahead, NWA is leveraging its improved approach to safety and compliance to secure new connections. It recently added Nokia to its list of clients — a connection made after the worldwide telecom leader heard about NWA’s strong reputation and quality work.