Revolutionising environmental risk management for Wates Construction
Saving circa 11k hours of work per year totalling £900k
Promoting and working toward ISO 14001 compliance
First application of its kind for the Wates Group
The Wates Group is one of the largest family-owned development, building, and property maintenance companies in the UK. Founded in 1897 and currently led by the fourth generation of the Wates family, the firm employs around 6,000 people and operates across the entire lifecycle of the built environment.
Core Services Provided
Our task
Our digital experts were tasked with transforming Wates’ approach to environmental risk management and unlocking future business opportunities.
To do this, we worked closely with the business to build a bespoke application that surpassed the limitations often seen in off-the-shelf SaaS solutions.
The application needed to:
Identify and reduce environmental risks.
Ensure ISO 14001 compliance (the international standard used to manage companies’ environmental responsibilities).
Drive continuous improvement in performance.
Our approach
For this application, flexibility was key.
Wates needed a solution that would grow with the business, adapt to changing requirements, and accommodate group-wide operational variances. This meant delivering customisation only achievable through deep discovery work and a fluid approach. So, while our overarching objectives were agreed from the outset, we also introduced the space and structures required to pivot and/or expand our plans in response to ongoing findings.
Next, through research and discovery workshops, we mapped out how the business currently worked and how it wanted to operate in the future. This involved outlining entity relationships, user personas, and more. Once that progression plan was defined, our UX & Design teams created the system architecture to support it through wireframing, prototyping, and UI design. Our Software & Product Engineering experts also developed a centralised Digital Control Centre, which would act as the ‘golden thread’ of data for the business. Fronted by a business-friendly activity feed, this one point of reference enabled Wates to standardise disparate systems, provided the mechanisms to control and power its environmental risk application, and facilitated future digital estate applications.
The final application launched in January 2026, with a range of transformative and market-leading features, some of which are listed below.
A personalised user dashboard with key information on required tasks and activities.
A centralised LOR (legal and obligations register).
Assessment modules to facilitate strategic, office, and project-specific assessments. Stakeholder assessments were also introduced as a unique and market-leading function.
Project overviews with CEMP report generation for local authority approval and EMP report generation.
Today, Tribus continues to provide maintenance and support, ensuring the application remains at the forefront of the industry, leading in efficacy, security and reliability.
Where things developed
Business improvements
Enhanced relationships
Exposed data
Our results
Identify Environmental Risks
10,900+ Hours Saved
Mitigation Made Clear
Track & Improve
Support ISO 14001
SSO Integration
Don't take our word for it
"On behalf of the Project Team, I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Tribus team for your continuous patience, professionalism, technical expertise, and general goodwill throughout this journey. This has been a long road, and the delivery simply would not have been possible without the dedication and development effort of your team. You have consistently made the process easier through your clarity, responsiveness, and unwavering professionalism. Thank you again for all your support — it is greatly appreciated." Ukachi Nwosu-Whenu, Project Manager, Wates