Project Story
Smart Commercial Energy delivers solar for a net zero-ready WSI
On Western Sydney International Airport, Smart Commercial Energy used Procore to manage quality, financial control and project records across a 4.5 MWp solar build.
The Challenge
Delivering a fixed brief across a complex build
Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport was designed with sustainability built into the project from the outset. Smart Commercial Energy joined the project in late 2021 to deliver a fixed 4.5 MWp solar system across the terminal roof, piers and walkway canopies.
The capacity requirement was clear; however, delivering it within an evolving construction environment was more complex.
Smart had to coordinate with multiple stakeholders including Heyday 5, Multiplex, roofers, walkway contractors, mechanical trades, architects and structural engineers while responding to numerous design revisions. Solar installation had to progress alongside other trades, with the team finding space for the required system while maintaining safety, quality, program and commercial control.
With design changes continuing around them, Smart's project managers needed to know what had been installed, what had changed and what still required action without relying on separate emails or individual memory.
The Solution
Building the project around Procore
The timing was ideal for Smart to fully implement Procore so WSI would become one of the first major projects the company ran comprehensively through the platform.
More than 90 ITCs were managed through Procore Inspections, giving the team a consistent way to check work, attach evidence and retain the quality record as installation progressed.
Approximately 12,000 photographs documented site conditions, progress and completed work, giving project managers evidence they could review without having to reconstruct events later. Subcontracts were issued through Procore with DocuSign, while project information and subcontractor communication remained connected to the project record.
Financial control was equally important. Project managers reviewed budgets daily, using Budgets, Commitments and Head Contracts to track purchasing, payments and variations. Transparent reporting gave SCE a live view of commitments and changing costs, helping the team identify issues early and support clearer commercial conversations.
“Running the ITCs through Procore on this has really worked very well, and it’s allowed us to realise that’s a great thing to implement across the whole business.”
Ben Adamson
Head of Projects and Performance
Smart Commercial Energy
A delivery model SCE could take forward
Across the multi-year project, SCE maintained a detailed quality, photographic and financial record while coordinating a 4.5 MWp installation through changing designs and multiple construction interfaces.
Ben Adamson, Head of Projects and Performance, estimates the Procore financial workflows saved project managers around 20 per cent of the time previously spent updating spreadsheets, filing documents and reporting costs.
The ITC process developed on WSI also proved strong enough for SCE to adopt it across other projects. What began as a way to manage quality on one complex project has helped establish a more consistent approach to inspections, reporting and financial visibility across the wider business.
For SCE, WSI became a practical benchmark for managing larger and more complex projects from delivery through to handover.
