Roc has launched Coria – a Roc company, focused on developing intelligent automation solutions that address pervasive industry problems at scale. The name itself—a re-arrangement of Roc AI —reflects the company's commitment to embedding artificial intelligence within its solutions while maintaining a distinct yet complementary brand identity to its parent.
The inaugural product from Coria is a Digital Cost Assurance platform, developed over three years in close collaboration with National Highways and other key players within the UKs major infrastructure and construction industries. This solution targets the endemic cost control and transparency issues plaguing major government-commissioned infrastructure projects in the UK, spanning road, rail, energy, defence and health, but the list goes on.
What distinguishes this platform is its ability to establish standardised rule sets and processes for continuous cost submission and supply chain payment acceleration. This approach delivers benefits across the construction ecosystem, including complete audit trails, with the ability to audit 100% of project data rather than the current estimate of 20%.
Coria has implemented a pragmatic two-phase commercial strategy. Initial engagement begins with a low-code platform that can be rapidly deployed for proof-of-value projects, allowing clients to trial the solution using their own data within specific workstreams. Once value is established, clients can transition to the high-code SaaS platform for full programme deployment, ensuring minimal disruption to existing processes.
The company has identified three primary market segments: government infrastructure buyers or ‘client advocates’ seeking better fiscal control, global consultancy firms (such as Mott MacDonald and Mace, and tier-one construction suppliers such as Balfour Beatty and Skanska who stand to benefit from better use of limited resources reduced overheads and improved cash management capabilities.
A key technological differentiator is the tool’s AI overlay, which employs machine learning to progressively improve accuracy through usage cycles. This allows the system to evolve from requiring significant manual intervention initially to increasingly automated operation, shifting human focus from finding problematic data to addressing issues already identified by the system.
The platform's development has been informed by industry expertise, with team members bringing experience from organisations like HMRC and major infrastructure projects. This domain knowledge has been crucial in creating a solution that Roc believes sets it apart from the competition.
Market reception has been enthusiastic, with one government infrastructure buyer reportedly asking, "Where do I sign? This is what we need." The company emphasises that the platform delivers a value proposition rather than merely cost savings, with current users exploring the potential for incentive mechanisms such as 110% contract value payments for suppliers demonstrating compliance and transparency.
While Digital Cost Assurance is initially focused on UK infrastructure projects aligned with NEC4 standards, Coria has identified expansion opportunities in both domestic utilities sectors and international markets where regulatory frameworks share a high degree of commonality with UK standards, including France, the US, and Australia.
As a Roc company operating independently from industry participants, Coria positions itself as a neutral provider capable of changing the sector without preferential treatment or competitive conflicts—a refreshing approach in a market traditionally dominated by industry-specific solution providers seeking competitive advantage.
Posted by Marc Hardwick at '09:40'
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