It’s common for those with the loudest voices, from politicians to business groups, to talk about the shortcomings of UK infrastructure. Over the next decade or more, some of our most essential infrastructure – the networks that bring us energy and water, and which move us around – will be the subject of tens of billions of pounds of investment.

In electricity, for example, distribution network operators are currently investing a combined £22 billion to make Britain’s network more resilient and efficient, as well as ready for net zero, in line with Ofgem’s RIIO-ED2 settlement. Under ED3, which will run from 2028 to 2033, billions more will be spent on the network.

Meanwhile, everyone knows that the UK’s water infrastructure needs significant upgrades to stop leaks and pollution – and that’s what’s about to happen. By 2030, water companies have pledged to invest over £100 billion, with the spending set to create ten new reservoirs along with upgrades to pipes that stretch over 200,000 miles long in England and Wales.

And, in the face of uncertainty, the government has signalled its commitment to investing billions of pounds in the north of England’s rail network over the coming years. An announcement spelling this out in more detail could come in the chancellor’s budget on 26 November.

These plans are all very welcome. Yet infrastructure investment only works if it’s managed well. The planned upgrades in Britain’s electricity, water and rail networks are underpinned by fundamentals like the expectation that electricity demand will rise exponentially over the next 25 years, a growing population needing reliable and high-quality water and more people using our railways. It’s crucial, then, that the investments are closely controlled and monitored.

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Trusted by network operators

Against this background, our CHIME INVEST application gives network operators and contractors a tool to closely manage investment plans more efficiently. We understand that effective delivery is about controlling budgets but also delivering volumes: the fixes and upgrades tracked by regulators.

Where legacy systems fall short, delivering only fragmented workflows and spreadsheet chaos, CHIME INVEST is a no-code, user-friendly application that integrates seamlessly into existing processes.  It quietly captures cost and volume data across the lifecycle of projects, helping teams improve productivity, maintain visibility, and ensure no volumes are lost.

We tend to think of several infrastructure programmes across the UK as megaprojects. Some of them are, of course, but at its heart, efficient infrastructure delivery and sound maintenance depend on the effectiveness of countless micro-projects: faults being fixed, leaks being prevented and track laid many times over across Britain.

Real-time cost and volume visibility are essential for well-managed infrastructure upgrades that benefit us all – and particularly the millions of consumers and businesses that rely on modern, safe and efficient electricity, water and rail networks.

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