Croydon Consolidates Asset Management System to Deliver Safer Roads 2026

Key Points

• The London Borough of Croydon has adopted the Confirm asset management system to streamline its infrastructure services.
• The adoption formed a key pillar of Croydon’s broader strategy to simplify operations, reduce system fragmentation, and improve operational transparency across local council services.
• The platform replaced four to five separate software applications and multiple spreadsheets previously used to oversee local infrastructure.
• Confirm is currently deployed across highways, drainage, parks, trees, and playgrounds to centralize inspections, works orders, contractor oversight, and statutory compliance.
• Operational leadership from Highway Operations Manager Rowland Gordon and Drainage Engineer Daisi Osibona proved vital in championing the unified platform.
• The transition to Confirm Web boosted efficiency, allowing staff to double their daily capacity when handling public enquiries.
• Centralized records have bolstered funding confidence with the Department for Transport (DfT) and strengthened the council’s legal standing in defending liability claims.

Croydon (South London News) September 23, 2026 – When the London Borough of Croydon adopted the Confirm asset management system as part of a major transformation of its highways and infrastructure services, it coincided with a new highway maintenance contract with FM Conway and formed a key pillar of Croydon’s strategy to simplify operations, reduce system fragmentation, and improve transparency across services.

Prior to adopting Confirm, Croydon relied on four to five different software platforms, alongside multiple spreadsheets, to manage highways and related assets. This fragmented approach created duplicated effort, data silos, and limited visibility between teams. The council’s objective was clear: consolidate assets, inspections, jobs, and performance data into a single, trusted system that could support a modern, mobile, and data-driven highways service. Today, Confirm is used across highways, drainage, parks, trees, and woodlands, supporting operational delivery, contractor management, financial reporting, and statutory compliance. What began with the Trees and Woodlands team has grown into a multiservice platform underpinning the council’s day-to-day infrastructure management.

How did Croydon transition from fragmented systems to a single source of truth?

Before the implementation of Confirm, Croydon’s highways and drainage teams operated across disconnected software platforms and manual spreadsheets, with each system holding only a partial view of overall municipal assets and operational activity. This lack of integration made it challenging for municipal officers to track operational performance consistently, demonstrate regulatory compliance, or respond quickly to emerging road defects and public enquiries.

By consolidating all highway, drainage, parks, tree, and playground assets into a single system, the platform fundamentally altered the council’s workflow. For the first time, Croydon established a single, centralized source of truth for inspections, works orders, asset condition monitoring, and contractor activity. The consolidation eliminated administrative duplication, heightened accountability, and provided a clear, unified operational picture across public service departments. Asset data that once existed in isolated spreadsheets is now centrally managed, searchable, and fully auditable, offering council teams greater confidence in the information guiding their daily operations.

Who led the operational rollout across highways and drainage services?

The operational success of the Confirm adoption in Croydon is closely linked to the internal leadership of Rowland Gordon, Highway Operations Manager, and Daisi Osibona, a Drainage Engineer with over 20 years of experience at the council. Together, Gordon and Osibona championed the system as a practical tool for improving operational control, transparency, and efficiency across complex, diverse asset portfolios.

Osibona oversees drainage and flood risk management, operating as a specialist function supported by external consultants and contractors. Confirm plays a critical role in enabling this relatively small team to manage a high volume of public enquiries, routine inspections, and reactive events with operational confidence.

As reported in coverage detailing the council’s infrastructure transformation, Daisi Osibona stated that

“It’s much quicker for me now. I can go straight into the enquiry, view the photos, find the asset and decide what action to take almost immediately.”

From a strategic perspective, Rowland Gordon and his team sought a platform capable of scaling across multiple council departments while remaining flexible enough to meet specialist operational needs. Confirm’s modular design and established track record across UK local authority services made it the preferred software choice for the council.

As reported by media coverage on the borough’s digital overhaul, Rowland Gordon noted that

“We were using four or five different systems before. Bringing everything into one place and having a single source of truth was a major factor in choosing Confirm.”

How has mobile technology and software updates improved staff productivity?

Mobile capability served as a decisive factor during Croydon’s procurement process. At the time of evaluation, the system was the only solution that fully supported both Apple and Android mobile devices, enabling field inspectors and maintenance contractors to work flexibly on site using their preferred hardware.

The shift to mobile-first workflows generated substantial productivity gains across council operations. Since upgrading from Confirm Enterprise to the cloud-based Confirm Web, council personnel have reported marked improvements in efficiency when responding to service requests.

As reported in coverage of Croydon’s digital transformation, Daisi Osibona explained that

“Where I might have processed five enquiries before, I can now do ten using the web version. It’s much quicker to search, view photos and decide whether to raise a job.”

Field inspectors can now access incoming enquiries directly from mobile terminals, inspect attached photographs, locate assets on digital mapping interfaces, and issue works orders in a few clicks. This streamlined workflow has improved responsiveness across council services, particularly within drainage and flood-related operations where rapid response times are critical.

How does the unified platform enhance statutory compliance, funding, and legal defense?

Beyond daily field operations, Confirm has established itself as a foundational platform for Croydon’s statutory reporting requirements and financial compliance, particularly regarding funding allocations from the Department for Transport (DfT). By maintaining fully auditable records of asset conditions, maintenance schedules, and financial expenditure, the council can demonstrate rigorous governance and justify central government infrastructure funding.

The system also supports automated emergency response workflows. Weather alerts automatically trigger proactive road inspections and drainage cleansing work orders, with all follow-up actions logged centrally to ensure operational compliance.

Furthermore, the centralized asset database has significantly strengthened Croydon’s ability to defend against public liability and insurance claims. Detailed inspection records, photographs, and historical maintenance logs are stored centrally, providing clear evidence when legal claims arise.

As reported in coverage covering Croydon’s operational strategy, Rowland Gordon highlighted that

“We have a very good inspection regime and Confirm helps us evidence that. Having everything centrally recorded has helped us successfully defend claims.”

Background of the London Borough of Croydon infrastructure transformation

The London Borough of Croydon is one of the largest outer London boroughs by population, managing hundreds of miles of highway networks, extensive drainage systems, public parks, and urban green spaces. In 2018, the council initiated a comprehensive transformation of its highways and infrastructure services aimed at modernizing public service delivery and achieving greater value for taxpayers.

Prior to 2018, infrastructure management in Croydon suffered from legacy software choices. Different operational units deployed distinct platforms—ranging from standalone desktop software to managed spreadsheets—creating operational siloing. This fragmented digital footprint often led to delayed reaction times, mismatched contractor work logs, and increased administrative costs.

To address these vulnerabilities, Croydon linked its digital transformation strategy to a major highway maintenance contract with infrastructure contractor FM Conway. The contract necessitated a shared digital environment where council managers and external contractors could operate from identical data sets. The implementation initially commenced within the council’s Trees and Woodlands team before expanding systematically into parks, highways, and specialized drainage management. Over recent years, the system was further upgraded to Confirm Web, shifting operations fully into cloud-based, mobile environments.

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Prediction: How this development will affect local residents and council taxpayers

The consolidation of Croydon’s municipal management systems into a unified, web-based platform will yield direct, long-term benefits for local residents, businesses, and taxpayers across the borough.

For local residents and road users, the increased operational speed—exemplified by staff doubling their enquiry processing capacity—translates to faster turnaround times for repairing potholes, clearing blocked drainage gullies, and maintaining green spaces. Enhanced responsiveness in flood risk management directly mitigates localized flooding risks during severe weather events, protecting private property and reducing road disruptions.

For council taxpayers and municipal finance officers, the ability to maintain central, auditable maintenance records provides crucial backing when securing Department for Transport (DfT) infrastructure grants. In an era of tight municipal budgets, securing consistent central funding protects public services. Additionally, the council’s improved capacity to successfully defend against unmerited public liability claims reduces payout expenditures, keeping public funds directed toward essential community maintenance rather than legal defense costs. Over time, this data-driven model sets a benchmark for local authority asset management, leading to safer roads, transparent governance, and greater financial resilience.