Skanska faced a major challenge during the LaGuardia airport project, needing to meet high safety standards while dealing with a shrinking pool of qualified contractors. Traditional contractor prequalification tools fell short, so Skanska partnered with Highwire to assess and elevate contractor safety, expanding their supplier ecosystem and ensuring project success.
Skanska faced three business problems:
Labor Shortage and Limited Contractor Pool
The construction industry faced a shrinking workforce, and Skanska needed more qualified contractors to meet demand.
Inconsistent Safety Standards
Skanska struggled to find contractors who met their high safety and risk management standards, especially on large, complex projects.
Ineffective Prequalification Processes
Traditional tools focused on binary, pass/fail outcomes and lacked the ability to assess and improve contractor safety performance.
“If you can help elevate these firms, you increase the pool of available subcontractors, which all general contractors and building owners want to see.“
— Russell Johnson, Vice President, Insurance & Surety, Skanska USA
The Highwire Solution
Prequalification
Skanska combined leading and lagging safety indicators to evaluate contractors with strong potential but who didn’t meet traditional qualifications, allowing them to onboard skilled contractors that aligned with their safety standards.
Advanced Safety
Skanska used Highwire's detailed assessments to gain insights into contractor safety and spot high-risk areas. This data-driven approach helped them focus risk management efforts on the contractors needing the most attention.
“We're always looking for safe and financially strong companies to work on our projects. But if they're not where we need them to be, we utilize Highwire’s results so we can help them be safer and more fiscally responsible. You know, we work together. It's all one big team.“
— Lou Muszynski, CCIP Manager/Risk Management, Skanska USA
Results
Increased Contractor Viability
Skanska dramatically expanded its pool of viable contractors by using Highwire’s risk assessment tools, enabling more subcontractors to meet safety standards.
Safety Score Improvements
Contractors were able to improve their Highwire safety scores by ten to twenty points through targeted training and guidance.
Successful Project Delivery
Skanska successfully completed the $4 billion LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment project, supported by Highwire's platform for safety and risk management.
“Don’t think about it as disqualifying contractors, but instead educating them on how to be safer and more financially sound.“
— Russell Johnson, Vice President, Insurance & Surety, Skanska USA