Success Story: Glenbrier Construction

[Bulbthings] Your construction projects are quite innovative and impressive! Can you tell us more about your business/mission?

[Rebecca Lamb, Operations Specialist] Thank you! We are Glenbrier Construction, a premier main contractor and property developer founded in 1996 and based in Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. Backed by over 30 years of industry experience, we specialize in delivering complex, large-scale residential, commercial, and industrial developments, and we pride ourselves on being unique in Ireland for completing our own complex Insitu concrete structural frames and basements entirely in-house. Operating under our guiding philosophy “Developing for the Future,” we manage projects seamlessly from design to handover with an uncompromised commitment to site safety, budgets, and timelines.

How did the need for an asset tracking system arise?

As Glenbrier has continued to grow and deliver larger, more complex projects across Ireland, the volume of tools, plant, equipment, and temporary works assets moving between sites increased significantly. Managing these assets through spreadsheets, phone calls, and manual records became increasingly challenging and time-consuming.

We needed a system that would give us real-time visibility of where our assets were located, who was responsible for them, and when inspections, servicing, or certifications were due. Our objective was to improve accountability, reduce unnecessary purchases and hire costs, and ensure that critical equipment was always available where and when it was needed.

Digitalisation plays an important role in your company, why did you choose Bulbthings?

At Glenbrier, we are continually investing in technology that improves efficiency, accountability, and decision-making across our projects. When evaluating asset management solutions, we wanted a platform that was easy for our teams to use both in the office and on-site, while also being flexible enough to support our operational requirements.

BulbThings stood out because of its intuitive interface, mobile accessibility, QR code functionality, and ability to provide real-time asset visibility across multiple projects and locations. The implementation process was straightforward, and the support provided by the BulbThings team gave us confidence that the system could scale alongside our business as we continue to grow.

What type of assets are you tracking with Bulbthings? Roughly how many do you track and how many people have access to Bulbthings?

We use BulbThings to manage a wide range of construction assets, including power tools, survey equipment, lifting accessories, temporary works equipment, safety equipment, site welfare assets, and other high-value plant and equipment.

We currently track approximately 2,500 assets across our projects and operational facilities. Access to the platform is available to approximately 10 users, including site managers, plant coordinators, project teams, and key operational staff who require visibility of asset availability and movement.

What benefits (quantitative and qualitative) are you getting out of it so far?

The biggest benefit has been having a single source of truth for our assets. We now have much greater visibility over asset location, utilisation, and condition, which has significantly reduced the time spent searching for equipment or verifying availability.

From a quantitative perspective, the system has helped us reduce unnecessary asset purchases and external hire requirements while improving utilisation of existing equipment. It has also streamlined inspection and maintenance processes, helping ensure compliance and reducing administrative workload.

Qualitatively, BulbThings has improved accountability across the business, increased confidence in our asset data, and enabled faster decision-making for project teams. Site personnel can quickly locate and request equipment, while management has better oversight of asset performance and investment requirements.

Are there any preferred features or user tips you’d like to share with our community?

The QR code scanning functionality has been particularly valuable for us. It allows site teams to quickly identify assets, update locations, and check equipment in and out without unnecessary paperwork.

We have also found that maintaining good asset data from the outset and encouraging teams to update movements in real time delivers the greatest value from the system. Our recommendation to other users would be to invest time in the initial asset setup and standardisation process, as this pays significant dividends in reporting accuracy and operational efficiency later on.