The Shift in Construction Planning

For years, construction teams across Australia relied on spreadsheets and static Gantt charts to manage short-term schedules. But as projects have grown more complex — with multiple contractors, tighter deadlines, and ever-changing site conditions — those tools are no longer enough.

That’s why more delivery teams are turning to collaborative, cloud-based scheduling platforms like Aphex.

From London to Sydney

Aphex launched in London in 2015 and has since been adopted on major projects including  Crossrail Bond, Thames Tideway, and London City Airport.

In early 2022, we introduced Aphex to Australia and New Zealand through a pilot programme. Since then, the platform has been rolled out on landmark projects such as WestConnex and Sydney Gateway. With local data centres in Sydney and a 24/7 Australian support team, Aphex is now firmly established in the region. (You may have even spotted us at FCON ’22 and ’23.)

What Makes Aphex Different

Aphex started as a replacement for the countless spreadsheets used to manage short-term planning. Today, it has grown into a complete scheduling platform designed specifically for construction delivery teams.

• Multi-player planning – Everyone can work on the same plan at the same time, filtering to what matters to them without overwriting others.
• Simple distribution – Share plans as printouts, PDFs, or live read-only links, keeping tight control over how information flows.
• Flexible views – Switch between Gantt, task list, or site map to suit your workflow. Plans can even be overlaid with site images or integrated directly with ArcGIS.
• Clash detection – Get notified when two activities overlap in time or location, and resolve conflicts before they cause disputes or delays.
• Automatic data collection – Track every task, change, and delay reason without extra admin, and export data straight into your preferred dashboards.

Whether teams build plans directly in Aphex or import from P6, Microsoft Project, or Asta Powerproject, the result is the same: a clear, connected short-term plan.

Real-World Impact in Australia

WestConnex

WestConnex is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia: a $16B, 33km motorway designed to connect Sydney’s western suburbs with Port Botany and the airport. Delivered by ASBJV (ACCIONA, Samsung C&T, and Bouygues), the project is being built almost entirely underground to minimise disruption to communities.

To manage the complexity of this constantly evolving site, ASBJV used Aphex to build a disciplined short-term planning process:

• 15 engineers own and update their plans directly in Aphex.
• Weekly updates are published across the project, with cycles compressing to daily updates during critical sprints.
• Interactive links and standardised PDF outputs keep more than 50 subcontractors and site teams aligned.
• Sandbox projects allow planners to run “what if” and acceleration scenarios before making changes to live plans.

Tim Kelly, Mechanical Engineer at ASBJV, summed it up: “We run a very strict publication deadline so everyone knows not to be late!”

Read the complete case study here.

Sydney Gateway

Sydney Gateway is often described as one of the most complex infrastructure projects in the country. The project involves building 19 new bridges, moving 340,000 cubic metres of earthworks, installing 8,500 tons of steel structures, and driving 6.5km of piles.

Led by John Holland and Seymour Whyte (JHSWJV), the project aims to complete missing links between the WestConnex St Peters Interchange and Sydney Airport. Once finished, it’s expected to divert 10,000 trucks per day off local streets — reducing congestion and improving travel times.

With more than 150 engineers working across earthworks, structures, utilities, and traffic disciplines, planning could easily become fragmented. To avoid silos, the joint venture adopted Aphex as the central planning tool. This “one team” approach allowed engineers to plan collaboratively, align across disciplines, and spend more time on delivery rather than chasing updates.

Read the complete case study here.

Why It Matters

Construction projects are only getting larger and more complex. With more stakeholders involved, the need for reliable, transparent, and collaborative planning has never been greater.

Spreadsheets and traditional scheduling tools can’t keep up. Platforms like Aphex are designed for the reality of modern delivery — fast-moving sites, multidisciplinary teams, and constant change.

Ready to Try Aphex?

Choosing new software is always a risk — the last thing you want is to roll out a tool your team doesn’t use. That’s why we recommend the simplest approach: let your team trial Aphex first.

That way, the people actually using the platform can see the benefits before you make a decision.