Helping local businesses secure large construction projects
BC Hydro, the province’s electricity company, is investing hundreds of millions into seismic upgrades of dams and electricity-generating infrastructure near Campbell River. They would like to see local companies and tradespeople involved in these projects wherever possible and are working closely with the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce to help make this happen.
We worked with BC Hydro and the Chamber to build a website that allows local companies to understand the scope of the projects, register their interest and promote their capabilities.
Considerations
The site needed to clearly specify what the projects would be, how the procurement process would unfold and how suppliers could get involved. Since infrastructure projects of this size are high profile and garner a lot of media and local attention, the site also needed to function as a platform for suppliers, media, and government to quickly gather facts and key messages about the projects.
What we did
We worked closely with the Chamber and BC Hydro to narrow down what was most important to them and their stakeholders. We created a well-thought-through project specification the included mission, KPIs, audiences, functionality and more, to make sure we captured what really mattered. From there, it was a straightforward process to map out the user experience and create wireframes and site mockups that embodied these requirements.
The site was built as a custom theme in WordPress, integrating a supplier registration and directory system to allow companies to get involved. A fee structure and approval process were built into the site to ensure companies were genuine in their interest and properly qualified.
The results
The site was featured in news media across BC and within a few months of launch, over 30 qualified suppliers had registered. As the procurement process moves forward, the site will work to connect suppliers with the prime contractors and keep economic benefits flowing into the local community.