Capital Launches Nationwide Facilities Support Service using BigChange Platform

Posted on 13 April 2022 by Martin Port

Capital, a specialist cleaning and facilities management company, has deployed BigChange field service management software to launch a new nationwide outsource service. Providing support to other facilities management companies that need to boost their field service capacity or businesses that require additional resources or skills, Capital’s Service Team will help with a range of tasks including office moves, regular cleaning, site inspections, equipment installations and audits. Using the integrated job management platform from BigChange, Capital can take online bookings, schedule work, report on completed tasks and issue invoices.

“We like to think of our Service Team as the business equivalent of the A-Team – if you have a problem, if no-one else can help, you can hire the Capital Team,” commented Eddie Tomlins, owner of Capital. “But Service Team was inspired not by a TV programme but by BigChange. Without BigChange we wouldn’t have thought of the idea and we certainly couldn’t have delivered it.”

Capital was originally established as Capital Computer Care in the 1980’s offering equipment installation, maintenance, cleaning, testing and decommission of PCs, data centres and server rooms. To aid service delivery Capital used a multitude of different processes including a standalone CRM, multiple Excel spreadsheets, a vehicle tracking system, paper field reports and a manual invoicing system.

“Before discovering BigChange we used a hotchpotch of different systems which meant everything took longer, was harder to control and was susceptible to human error”
Dave Usher, Director of Capital

“Also, it was a challenging time for the business. We had been growing organically for around 30 years, but we had not invested in our business’s processes or the future evolution of the business. We needed a complete rethink as to how we ran the business and the type of services we offered,” added Dave.

Capital selected the BigChange job management solution, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, following an independent review of available systems. Initially attracted by a cloud-only solution, Capital was also impressed with the range of functionality, competitive pricing and evolving application lifecycle.

Since implementing BigChange, Capital has transformed its business by identifying and launching new revenue streams and expanding the operation in terms of service offering and geographical coverage. The integrated CRM and scheduling are saving hours of admin resource every month whilst digital worksheets, complete with photographs, are improving customer satisfaction.

Capital also uses BigChange to manage UK wide stock levels, moving essential supplies between operatives at a time when supply chains faced unprecedented difficulties. The BigChange report and alert functionality is saving management time with automated reminders and notifications of a host of event or date driven actions including MOTs, contract renewals or vehicles using toll roads or entering charging zones.

“BigChange has already saved us literally hundreds and hundreds of hours in management and admin time and continues to do so”
Dave Usher, Director of Capital

“We have streamlined our business in terms of expenditure and productivity but have still maintained the highest levels of customer service and satisfaction,” continued Usher.

“I am convinced that had we not invested in BigChange we would not have been able to make the changes required to our systems, processes and personnel, to continue trading. So, we would not be around today, especially if you factor in the additional impact on the business of COVID,” Tomlins concluded. “We also know that BigChange will continue to evolve with new features offered on a regular basis so will be around to support us for many years to come!”

Capital Launches Nationwide Facilities Support Service using BigChange Platform

It’s official: we are now the UK’s worst-kept secret

Posted on 8 April 20221 July 2022 by Martin Port

I’m trying to remember a time when I started one of these quarterly update blogs without referencing the challenging economic climate. Between Brexit, Covid, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, it feels like the UK has spent the last five years battling one headwind after another. Throughout all this uncertainty, BigChange has tried to be a dependable partner, consistently and diligently saving customers money and helping them to grow. At first, the impact of our technology remained under the radar but now, in 2022, it feels like the word is out. We have had a bumper quarter in terms of new contracts, partnerships with established companies, and impact. Here are some of the highlights…

A trusted partner

Over the last three months, BigChange has experienced extraordinary growth. New contract wins in the first quarter of 2022 are up by a third on the previous year, worth £7.2m. We have welcomed 100 new customers, bringing thousands of new users onto the platform. Our customer base is more diverse than ever, as we welcome many big, established companies into the fold. Special mentions go to facilities management firm First In Service, which has been going since 1966, and supports major organisations across the NHS, government and the private sector, to RGE Services, which has been providing best-in-class property services for the last 30 years, and to Cork Crane Hire, which has been going 40 years.

Expanding the team

As our order book grows, as does the BigChange team. I’m delighted that we have been able to welcome 25 new starters into the fold over the past quarter – and we’re still looking for 14 more (take a look at our vacancies here: BigChange – Current Openings. Our software development team is now 100-people strong, and we are well on the way to establishing a new Customer Success team.

Culture is everything

As we grow – and we are now a team of 250 colleagues – it’s important that we work hard to maintain our inclusive and entrepreneurial company culture. This is why I’m proud to announce that BigChange has retained its 2* Best Companies to Work For status, which proves that our growth has been achieved without sacrificing the wonderful work environment we have tried so hard to build here. Our management and our brilliant HR People team remain focused on supporting the careers of all our people, and it’s been a privilege to watch so many colleagues rise through the ranks in recent months. I’m talking about people like Georgia Murphy, who has moved from a front of house role to Customer Marketing and Events Manager, and Francis Chuma, who started as a tester at BigChange and now has a pivotal role within the Professional Services team. Regular readers of the blog will also remember Lisa’s story: Lisa Boonin started in RoadCrew Customer Service and was supported through a CIPD qualification to take on a new career in HR at BigChange.

World domination

We may now be an established player in the UK but we are also gaining traction internationally. BigChange now operates in France, Cyprus, Australia, New Zealand the US, and Canada. The French arm of the business has grown significantly over the past three months, expanding its base to reach over 60 customers. Across the globe, 60,000 people from around 2,000 companies now use BigChange.

Ready for a bumper Q2

Despite the many challenges that the world faces right now, I’m confident that BigChange will continue this impressive growth trajectory in the second quarter of 2022. After what feels like a lifetime of lockdowns, we’re back out there, attending events and exhibitions, and meeting potential customers all over the world. To put this into context, we attended just two exhibitions in the first quarter, and six are already tabled for Q2.

We continue to receive awards nominations and accolades, which also helps to raise awareness. In the last three months, BigChange has been shortlisted for Most Sustainable Installer (alongside Celsius Plumbing & Heating) at the Heating Installer Awards, and for the Best Use of Technology Award (alongside Nserv) at the Construction News Awards.

Proud to support entrepreneurs

It’s a tough trading environment out there but that just makes our technology even more attractive. Businesses must create more value than ever in order to survive and we are here to help them do just that, to increase profit margins while banishing waste and inefficiency. It’s no coincidence that 30% of our new business comes from existing customers buying new licenses. BigChange customers are not laggers: I would wager their growth far outpaces the rest of the UK economy. During two recent Shop Floor days with BigChange customers, I saw this ambition, drive and tenacity first-hand. At Sherwoods, revenues have doubled during the company’s time as a BigChange customer. At Crucial Engineering, which has been with BigChange almost since its formation, revenues recently hit over £3m. Watching businesses like these thrive is an absolute highlight of life as BigChange chairman, and I look forward to sharing many more success stories with you soon.

BigChange sets FM entrepreneur apart from competition

Posted on 6 April 2022 by Martin Port

BigChange field service management software is helping facilities management start-up Urban Maintenance achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Out-performing larger competitors in customer service reviews, Urban Maintenance adopted the BigChange platform to automate workflows across its operation from job allocation to completion reporting. Working for individual householders up to FTSE 250 professional landlords, BigChange gives Urban Maintenance 24/7 visibility of the mobile operation allowing for prompt resolution of customer queries, efficient response to emergency call-outs and improved workforce health and safety.

“I established Urban Maintenance mid-pandemic when I was unable to take up a job offer abroad and opportunities in the domestic FM market were limited,” commented Nathan Yates, Managing Director of Urban Maintenance. “With nearly a decade’s experience in property management, I understood the complexities of running a lettings agency, the legalities of block management and the pitfalls of insurance claims. I also knew the importance of making sure that Doris at number 9 is happy and that her landlord knows it!

“That’s where BigChange has had a huge impact on the business,” he continued. “From a one-man-band start-up, Urban Maintenance is well en route to becoming a successful scale-up and BigChange has played an integral part.”

“Using BigChange we have automated our reporting, so our customers, and their tenants, know what is going to happen when it’s going to happen and if it doesn’t happen why! It’s this efficient and timely communication that sets us apart from other service providers.”
Nathan Yates, Managing Director of Urban Maintenance

Urban Management provides a range of domestic and commercial property management services including plumbing, joinery, decorating and cleaning. Following a recommendation from an established FM operator and existing user of BigChange, Urban Management implemented the job management solution, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, to support its ambitious growth plans. By demonstrating its commitment to customer service using BigChange, Urban Management has secured several high-value contracts and is continuously hiring to ensure it has the capacity to meet growing demand.

“We are still at the early stages of our BigChange journey, and I know there is so much more the platform can do,” continued Yates. “I am keen to customise elements of the system to meet our exacting requirements and implement additional reporting and financial management and, with the support of the BigChange team, we will achieve it.”

Stop doomscrolling and turn fear into positive action

Posted on 31 March 20221 July 2022 by Martin Port

These days, every meeting starts with doom and gloom. The war in Ukraine. Rising Covid cases. Sky-high inflation. The escalating cost of living. There’s a lot to be worried about right now, so it’s natural that these issues are front of mind for many of us.

But I worry that all this negativity is sapping our ability to make positive changes in the world around us.

We are so focused on challenges and threats that we have stopped thinking about the future. We are so exhausted by current affairs that we don’t have the energy to respond effectively.

This week, I want to encourage all business owners – including myself – to try and move beyond the doomscrolling and focus instead on the things in our lives that we can control.

As entrepreneurs, we don’t think about problems, only solutions, and this situation is no different. If we are worried about the rising cost of living, and the impact on our customers and teammates, the best thing we can do is ensure that our products and services are the best they can be, offering value for money. We need to think about how we can grow our businesses, creating more jobs during what is likely to be a tricky time for many.

If we are worried about Ukraine, then we need to ensure our businesses are profitable, allowing us to contribute to charities and causes that are close to our hearts. Eight of my BigChange colleagues are based in Ukraine and we check in with them all frequently to make sure they are safe and have all they need. The time spent in contact with them is so much more valuable than time spent absorbing more coverage of the horrors unfolding there.

At BigChange, our entire business proposition is based on driving efficiencies and helping customers to be more successful. We help businesses to save money, reduce waste, and ensure every hour of the working day is spent as effectively as possible. What does this mean in practical terms? Well, fuel bills are rising, and our technology dramatically reduces miles spent on the road, ensuring the right engineer is sent to the right job via the most efficient route. Cash is key to business survival right now, and our systems make invoicing easy and ensure customers are paid as quickly as possible. Covid cases are rising which is why our in-built health and safety procedures have become one of our most popular features. No wonder we have had a record quarter for new customers, bringing 100 new organisations on board.

We never stop trying to find new ways to support our customers, which is why we keep investing heavily in customer service – it is only by working hard to understand issues that customers face that we can keep iterating our software to break down barriers to success. I am also about to launch a new video series, Growth Stories, sharing some of the smart strategies that have helped our customers to grow and succeed, so that we can all learn and be inspired.

It is also important to be pragmatic, especially when it comes to Covid. Yes, the doom-laden headlines are never nice to read but we have known for a long time that we must learn to live with Covid, as we live with the flu. It’s about protecting ourselves and one another – working from home when needed – and not getting derailed by fear. I have just recovered from Covid myself – several members of my family caught it for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, with remote working, I was still online and able to be productive throughout my illness.

Psychologists have warned of a marked decline in mental health across the UK as many Brits, still reeling from the impact of the pandemic, now react to all the frightening news we are consuming on a daily basis. We need to be there for our teams right now and be prepared to listen. We must also find ways to bring our people together – we are social animals and need the support of face-to-face interactions. This is why BigChange is working hard on bringing our summer soiree plans safely to fruition.

I hope that this post can be a rallying cry for entrepreneurs everywhere. Don’t be disheartened. There is so much you can do. Is your business as lean as it could be? Are there any changes you could make right now to help ensure its continued success long into the future? The time to act is now.

BigChange Fires Business Growth for AinsCo

Posted on 30 March 2022 by Martin Port

AinsCo Fire and Security is using BigChange field service management software to drive business growth. The company designs, supplies, installs and maintains bespoke fire and security systems working alongside organisations such as the NHS, Network Rail, Alstom Transport, Mersey Rail and Light Cinemas. Using the cloud-based platform, AinsCo has made efficiency gains across the board, reduced operational costs and improved customer service.

“Since implementing BigChange we have achieved many wins that, when we look at the bigger picture, have had a massive impact on the business overall,” commented Dan Ainscough, Operations and Finance Manager at Wirral-based AinsCo Fire and Security.

“We have reduced our carbon footprint, made efficiency savings across sales, operations and finance, reduced call-out rates and increased first-time fixes. We have lowered our costs and charges, whilst improving the service we provide and the protection we offer.”
Dan Ainscough, Operations and Finance Manager, AinsCo Fire and Security

AinsCo Fire and Security, formerly M P Electronic Fire and Security, turned to BigChange when it was looking to invest in technology as part of a major rebranding exercise. Prior to this, the Wirral-based company had used industry-specific software that required in-house servers to run and offered little visibility and even less automation of processes. AinsCo reviewed several solutions before selecting BigChange basing its decision on system capabilities, user-friendliness, and the ability to customise.

“Most of the systems we considered had a focus on sales and marketing and, like our old system, were very defined and restrictive,” continued Ainscough. “Our focus was on system functionality, and we knew we needed the ability to tailor the solution to meet our specific requirements. BigChange met all our benchmarking criteria, and the support and training were fantastic. We now feel we own our system rather than the other way round!”

Since implementing the complete job management solution, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, AinsCo has achieved a number of milestones in the management of its mobile operation. AinsCo uses the BigChange CRM to streamline new client onboarding resulting in efficiency savings across sales, operations and finance. All AinsCo vehicles are tracked giving real-time visibility and intelligence to respond to reactive jobs and the introduction of automated van stock has resulted in an increase in first-time fix rates.

BigChange is also helping AinsCo introduce new working practices and reporting processes with improved health and safety monitoring, including COVID risk assessments and method statements, job completion reports, complete with photographs, daily job cards and contactless sign-offs.

“BigChange has allowed us to streamline our business and has been instrumental in allowing us to scale up our operation whilst still maintaining the high levels of customer service we demand and our customers expect.”
Dan Ainscough, Operations and Finance Manager, AinsCo Fire and Security

“As a family business we are only as strong as our relationships, and we value BigChange, and the team behind it, as a key relationship that has already contributed to our success and will continue to positively impact the future of our business, ” Ainscough concluded.

BIgChange customer AinsCo desktop office shot

Chairman’s spotlight on… Jo Sherwood, director of Sherwoods

Posted on 23 March 20228 June 2022 by Martin Port

So many of the nation’s small businesses hold fascinating stories just waiting to be told. One of these is the history of Sherwoods, which has become one of the most admired firms in its sector, serving big-name customers all across the Southwest.

This month’s Chairman’s Spotlight is on Jo Sherwood, finance director of the fast-growth firm. She has helped grow Sherwoods from just 15 people to 111, and from a local electrical services provider to a fully-fledged building services facilities management company.

I first met Jo in the early days of BigChange. Sherwoods is run by four outstanding individuals: Jo, her husband Kev, whose father founded the company, Kevin Wiltshire and Jamie Bonner. Kevin W and Jamie started as apprentices in the business and have worked their way up to board level. It was Jamie who first saw the value in BigChange, and the whole team has worked with us over the years to help hone our offering. I’m so grateful to the team for their insight, recommendations, and feedback over the years.

I caught up with Jo to find out how her team has grown the business and the secrets to their success. It all started in 1970 when Kev’s father Mike Sherwood created Sherwoods as an electrical business in Torquay, South Devon. Kev had no intention of joining the business. He did an electrical apprenticeship at another firm! But when Mike decided to join Sir Chay Blyth on a year-long yacht trip around the world, he asked Kev to come and manage Sherwoods in his absence.

“Kev had no experience, he was in his early twenties, and it was during a recession, but he said he would give it a go,” says Jo. “He did such a good job that when his dad came back, he asked him to go into partnership.” In 2003, Jo and Kev were married, and she joined the business. “I started off doing a part-time admin job but, two years later, I was full-time finance director.” Jo has learned everything on the job, achieving her Association of Accounting Technicians’ level 3 qualification around the time she spent growing the business (and raising a family).

“When you are running a business, you have to live and breathe it,” she says. “When I went into hospital in 2005 to have my firstborn, I gave birth on the Sunday night, and Kev came back the next morning and I was there in my hospital bed doing the sub-contractors wages to make sure they got paid!”

Here are Jo’s five top tips for growing a successful family firm.

1.) Invest in your team – culture is everything!

“Our mission is to become the facilities management building services partner and employer of choice across the Southwest region, and we can only achieve this by continuously investing in our people.”

2.) Support your suppliers and clients

“When the first lockdown was announced, I pulled off our debtors’ report and saw we were owed £1.2m. I thought it was all over. But we worked closely with our customers and suppliers to make sure we all survived. We had a policy whereby when we were paid, we would pay as many people as we could, so everyone had some cash flow coming in. It was amazing to see everyone pull together and we built some really strong relationships during that difficult time.”

3.) Bring in new perspectives

“One of the best decisions we ever made was to bring other people into the business. When it was just Kev and I, it could sometimes be difficult. Being husband and wife and business partners, there was not always a clear way to resolve disagreements. But Jamie and Kevin W have grown with the business, they know our culture and how we do things. They now sit on the board and between us, we always find the best solution for the business. We even have heated debates! But we never fall out because we are all committed to Sherwoods.”

4.) Use BigChange

“BigChange has transformed the way we work. We couldn’t be without it now. Every job starts and finishes with BigChange. We cover a lot of the Southwest – it’s one of the hardest regions to cover as a contractor – but BigChange gives us the tools to do it efficiently.”

5.) Keep diversifying

“We are always looking for ways to spread our risk and a great way to do that is through diversification. That’s how we have become a one-stop shop, starting with electrical and then adding mechanical, and then onto a full FM service. We have also diversified into providing compliance services and planned maintenance for a range of clients. During the pandemic, shops, restaurants, medical facilities, and hotels needed to stay compliant and had we not diversified into that area, our challenges would have been significantly greater.”

I have such respect for Sherwoods’ commitment to its customers, colleagues and suppliers. I hope that you are as inspired by their story as I am. Check back soon for my next Chairman’s spotlight!

Your customer’s success is everything

Posted on 17 March 20221 July 2022 by Martin Port

What can you do today to help your customer be more successful tomorrow? Ian Burgess, BigChange’s Chief Customer Officer, explains what you need to know.

I have spent my whole life building businesses and my obsession with my customers has been the constant that unites all my ventures, whether it’s a bakery or a software company.

But when it comes to going the extra mile for customers, it’s easy to talk the talk and far harder to walk the walk. A customer-centric approach takes investment, focus and a relentless determination to keep improving.

This is why, at BigChange, we made sure that as the business grew, we kept revisiting the concept of customer success. Regular readers of this blog will have seen some of my posts on the topic. We were delighted when Ian Burgess, who has spent his whole career helping companies better support their customers, joined the team as our BigChange Chief Customer Officer in September.

So, for any business owners out there who want to build businesses with customer success at their heart, I’ve asked Ian to share some of the insights we have learned on our journey. I hope that you find them useful, and that you and your customers will thrive!

Over to Ian!

Q: What does customer success mean?

In a traditional account management structure, a customer will call in with an issue, the team jumps to sort it out, and it can be chaotic. Customer success is about being proactive, not reactive. You understand your customer so well that you can anticipate their needs.

Q: How does a customer success focus change the structure of the business?

In many businesses, the hierarchy (if laid flat) looks like a conveyor belt. One team passes the order to another and so on. Service teams usually sit right at the end of that conveyor belt.

When you put customer success at the heart of the organisation, it becomes a pivot around which all departments turn.

In BigChange, this means that customer success engages with all teams across the customer journey to ensure they know all about the latest developments that can help customers thrive.

Q: How do you establish customer success processes?

Customer success is an ethos as well as a function. You don’t just introduce a customer success team; you need to get buy-in from the whole business. We created a customer success platform; an aggregation layer on top of the BigChange technology.

We look at things like: when was the last time we engaged with the customer? How are they using the product? What might they like some help with?

Q: Are there any pitfalls to be aware of?

Your customers are busy people so you must only contact them when you can genuinely add value.

There’s no point calling up and saying, ‘It’s raining’ – they’ll know that already. But if you can tell them it’s going to rain tomorrow, you give them insight they can act upon.

This is also why we recommend you have a dedicated customer success team – one point of contact for these proactive approaches.

You don’t want people from lots of different teams calling up with different propositions.

Q: What impact did this approach have on BigChange and its customers?

The more we help our customers to get the maximum value out of our product, the quicker they will grow. And the more value they get from the platform, the more efficiencies and benefits they will experience, which also breeds loyalty to BigChange.

That’s really powerful for us, as you can see in our Net Promoter Score. As we grow, it’s very important to everyone in the business that we stay human.

We will never be a faceless corporation. We are always at the end of the phone, always looking to help. It’s a real differentiator for us, especially at a time when other companies in the space charge extra for this kind of service.

For us, it is fundamental to our core offering.

Quora Group Grows with BigChange

Posted on 17 March 2022 by Martin Port

A leading provider of mechanical and electrical building services says a new job management system is helping it to win more business. Founded in 2005, Quora Group works nationwide with a range of clients across the public and private sector. The £10 million turnover company operates a fleet of more than 20 Ford Transit Custom vans for its mobile engineers. Quora uses the BigChange field service management software which it says is enabling it to win new public sector tenders.

Craig Firth, director and co-founder of Quora Group, said, “BigChange is definitely a sales tool for us and has helped us to grow the business. We work primarily in the public sector, with contracts predominantly in healthcare and education. In these environments, there is a high level of compliance and documentation required. BigChange enables us to offer a far higher level of service in terms of digitised, evidence-based compliance and reporting than a company that still uses a paper-based system. It has been a big advantage for us in terms of winning and delivering these public sector contracts.”

The North Tyneside company started out in 2005 servicing and installing gas boilers but has grown from a father and son operation into a thriving business with more than 50 direct employees. “Part of that growth has been down to BigChange,” added Craig. “We use it across three of our four divisions, and it has helped us scale quickly. It is a simple product to use but it has so many functions and our clients love it.”

Quora uses BigChange in its electrical, service and maintenance, and water treatment divisions. A complete, simple to use and easy to integrate platform bringing together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, job finance and business intelligence, BigChange allows for all job scheduling and reporting to be done digitally, eliminating the need for mobile engineers to visit the office to pick up or drop off job cards. Rugged PDAs are also used to record job completion, including photographic evidence.

“The ability to adapt the worksheets is a great feature of the software,” said Craig. “We have just won a big contract for a local authority, and that includes specific documentation that they want us to use. I can create a worksheet in BigChange and provide them with a document that is exactly what they want.”

Quora also uses live tracking for its emergency call-out service. “We have service level agreements that require us to respond to emergencies within a certain time frame,” said Craig.

“With BigChange we can see the locations of the engineers in real-time, identify the person who is closest and has the right skill set to respond to the call-out, then inform the client with an accurate ETA.”
Craig Firth, director and co-founder of Quora Group

Quora Group has three ISO accreditations: 9001 (quality management), 14001 (environmental management), and 45001 (health and safety). BigChange has helped it achieve all three. “As part of our ISO management system we use BigChange to monitor and measure the greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles,” added Craig. “It also helps with our health and safety management, because we can easily provide evidence that we have done what we said we were going to do.”

What do we want? More women on the tools. When do we want it? Now.

Posted on 10 March 20221 July 2022 by Martin Port

Where are all the female apprentices? Why are so few attracted to jobs in the trades?

These are the questions I posted two weeks ago. Thank you to everyone who shared and commented, I really value all your contributions. This is a topic that is very important at BigChange – and to all our customers.

I want to return to this theme now, during an important week for women, when the whole world is talking about International Women’s Day. Every business, every product, every service benefits from input by a diverse group of individuals.

I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve seen it: teams perform better when they have a balance of men and women. That’s just how it is.

This is why I was so alarmed to see the research from RatedPeople.com, claiming that women make up less than 1% of carpenters and joiners in the UK, and less than 2% of electricians, plumbers and metal workers. Without more women taking on these roles, championing women-led design, and providing role models for future generations, we are missing out on their vital contribution to the industry.

To find out why there are so few women taking this route, I caught up with Lili Baines, an apprentice at Gas Smart Heating in Brighton & Hove, to find out how she found her way into the trades – and asked how we can encourage more women to follow in her footsteps.

At BigChange, we love people like Lili, and love to see them progress and thrive. Here’s her story.

Lili’s experience

“I started thinking seriously about changing career in the summer of 2020. It was during lockdown, and I was working for a call centre. I had been to university, but it hadn’t really gone anywhere. I came out the other side saddled with loads of debt. I thought, ‘What am I doing? Is this the life I want?’

“During my school days, I was never given the opportunity to think about manual trades or vocational careers. It just wasn’t part of the careers advice when I was young. But while working from home for that call centre, and dreaming about a better life, I started Googling other options. That’s when I found Stopcocks on Facebook.

“It’s a group for women plumbers, and the page was packed with useful information about the training required. I met loads of supportive women through that network and realised that it could be easier than I had thought to start retraining.

“Unfortunately, most of the women on that group were based quite far away so they advised me to start calling up local firms to see if they needed an apprentice. I was lucky; Gas Smart Heating was the first company I found. When I looked at the website, I saw they already had a female heating engineer and the message on their ‘join the team’ page was simple: ‘Get in touch if you share our enthusiasm’.”

‘People want to give you a chance’

“I called up and explained who I was and what I wanted to achieve. I went out with the team over four Saturdays so they could assess my drive and aptitude. In life, if you show a bit of willing, people will usually give you a chance. They invited me to join as an apprentice.

“From the moment I started going out on jobs, I loved it. Doing something hands-on is completely new for me but I have always enjoyed thinking and solving problems and that’s a big part of heating and plumbing. You assess the clues to work out what’s going on. Then, you’re a hero when you get someone’s heating back on or give them hot water.

“None of my female friends work in this industry. Why aren’t there more of us? Part of the problem is that working-class jobs are often considered unskilled – even though that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“You’re told that if you don’t do well in your GCSEs, you can go and do something with your hands, but the truth is, people can make a lot more money – and develop incredible skills – by working in the trades. We need to get rid of that stigma.”

Hard to shake stereotypes

“We still live in a male-dominated world. As a girl in school, you’re taught that boys are strong – it’s always a big strong boy who is asked to carry a chair by the teacher. It’s hard to shake these labels, even when you grow into a strong-willed woman.

“But then I also noticed that many of the stereotypes applied to women are useful in this industry. Being organised, being able to communicate well, these are real assets. And the muscles will come too, in time!

“I do think that having women on the team is a huge benefit. We get a lot of jobs from women who live alone, who feel more comfortable with a woman engineer. They trust that I won’t overcharge them or take the mickey. As a woman sitting in the van, I get a lot of approaches from customers asking me to take on jobs. Women control most of the purchasing power in UK households after all.

“It’s not always easy to be an apprentice. You must make financial sacrifices in the short-term knowing that you are investing in your future. My partner and I live very frugally and that’s part of the drive to make it work. You learn as quickly as you can so that you can progress. This apprenticeship is only two and a half years, so it won’t be long till I’m on a trained gas engineer’s wage.”

Tips for employers

“To employers who are looking to attract female apprentices, I would say that it’s helpful if you already have women on your team. You don’t want to be the first and stick out like a sore thumb. I have also seen reports about a pay gap. Luckily for me, my boss believes in equal opportunities and equal pay. But there is still some sexism out there, and perhaps a lack of progression for women.

“When I first got started, my boss Steve Cahalane took into account that I might not be as strong as the other guys. So from day one, he made sure I had the best tools to make jobs easier. That means the investment in me might be a little higher, but I’m hoping that I’ll be a great return on that investment.

If you think about it, firms everywhere take a chance on a 16-year-old boy to become an apprentice. They may not know what they want to do. They might not really care about the trade. I hope I’m a better bet.”

BigChange Digitisation Transforms Faelsafe Fire and Life Safety

Posted on 10 March 2022 by Martin Port

Faelsafe Life Safety, the national fire and life safety company, has transformed its business using BigChange field service management software. Since implementing the cloud-based platform, Faelsafe has reduced its administrative resource, eliminated paper from its mobile operation and improved the efficiency of engineers working across mainland UK.

Working directly for organisations such as Stoke and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, Wooltex and Smurfitt Kappa, Faelsafe specialises in the installation and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems, Fire Extinguisher supply and maintenance, fire safety equipment and through its sister company Faelsafe Electrical, commercial electrical works, specialising in sprinkler plant rooms.

“Our motto is ‘don’t fael to be safe’ yet we were ‘faeling’ to secure the future of the business by not investing to succeed,” commented Andrew Hutchinson, Director of Faelsafe. “Despite having job management software, we were still producing paper worksheets and reports, in triplicate, and having to wait for engineers to return to base before we could process them. This was labour intensive, resulted in delays in invoicing and meant dealing with customer queries was virtually impossible.

“Since implementing BigChange we have slashed our administrative resource, we have removed every filing cabinet from the office, eliminated delays in invoicing and query resolutions and improved the efficiency of our engineers.”
Andrew Hutchinson, Director of Faelsafe

Headquartered in Leeds, Faelsafe made the move to BigChange following a recommendation from its IT support company. The complete job management solution, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, has helped Faelsafe remove paper from its job allocation and reporting workflows.

Engineers are automatically allocated work and completion reports, including photographs and customer signatures, which are digitally captured, stored and shared with the back-office operation. Route scheduling and live tracking is also helping Faelsafe optimise the use of mobile engineers reducing time spent travelling between jobs.

Additional aspects of the BigChange system that are helping Faelsafe improve service levels include the online library, which it uses to store information pertaining to specific customer sites and equipment, and customisable worksheets which are used to allocate health and safety checks such as PPE and equipment.

“BigChange supports our ambition to be a forward-thinking business,” concluded Hutchinson. “As it is truly cloud-based every member of the team can access and share the information they need, when they need it and from wherever they are, which positively impacts the service we provide every single day.”