This is problematic. It sells a lie to the brave people who take the plunge. They are deceived on so many counts: how easy it is to raise money/how quickly you can make a profit/the effort it takes/the toll it takes on your personal life.
I’m in my fifties now, and have started doing a lot of mentoring and events with start-up founders. Many of the people I meet had a rude awakening when they quit their jobs to go it alone.
No one told them about the sleepless nights, the family struggles, the chancers and snake oil salesmen you meet along the way. Not to mention all the weight you pile on when you don’t have time to exercise or eat properly.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some amazing and honest people telling incredible stories about the life of a business owner but I think there should be more. And you know what they say: if you want something done, you need to do it yourself.
I’ve decided to start posting regularly about my world – the highs and the lows. This won’t be polished or high-minded stuff. It will be a warts-and-all account. But I will make sure someone checks my grammar and punctuation because I’m not so good with letters. Dyslexia diagnosis in my day wasn’t the well-oiled machine it is now. Maybe that’s what I’ve got, who knows? At least I’ve always been good with numbers.
I like to think that my perspective is a bit unusual because I’m not like everyone else. I’m on my third successful business. I’ve lost 70% of my hearing, which has posed some real challenges in my life. I’m outspoken about my Jewish faith. I’ve made every mistake in the book and I’m old and wise enough now to know what I could have done differently. I’ve also learned many of my lessons about leadership and entrepreneurship from some very unusual places…
If this sounds like it could be up your street, please follow me. I welcome all your comments and thoughts. I’d particularly like it if any budding entrepreneurs out there would like to ask me any questions. I’m still very much in the thick of building my business, BigChange, which is now five years old, but I will try and find the time to answer as many as I can.
For now, happy Passover. I’ve been eating a lot of celery at my desk this week. Check back soon for my first post.
A ground-breaking technology deal has seen Leeds-based BigChange confirm a five-year commitment to IoT connectivity provider Wireless Logic Group worth initially in excess of £1.5m with a projected value towards £4m by 2020.
A fundamental component to the BigChange platform is its ability to communicate in real-time, sending and receiving mission-critical data securely. This is achieved through Wireless Logic’s private infrastructure overlay across the cellular networks, delivering a tailored 3G/4G solution for BigChange mobile devices UK-wide. The deal signed between both organisations will see a shared commitment to roll out an additional 40,000 subscriptions with an expected turnover in excess of £40m by 2020. Today, clients include HSS Tool Hire, Silentnight Beds, Morrison Utility Services and Sheffield City Council.
Commenting on behalf of BigChange Apps, Martin Port – Founder and CEO said: “As a relatively fledgling player in the mobile workforce solutions market, our growth has been dramatic. Working with partners like Wireless Logic Group give us the confidence to deliver an unrivalled end-to-end connected platform with built-in resilience and value. In demonstrating our commitment to them, we look to the future with confidence as we seek out further UK opportunities and develop more openings overseas, particularly within the lucrative US-based market.”
Speaking on behalf of Wireless Logic Group, Oliver Tucker – Co-founder and Group CEO said: “Our partnership with Martin and his team has followed on from working alongside him at his previous organisation – Masternaut. In just five years, our journey with BigChange has seen the full implementation of the Wireless Logic connectivity platform with double digit growth year on year. BigChange’s approach to the market is to fill a much-needed gap for flexible and rapid deployment mobile workforce management tools. Our experience in tailoring connectivity and infrastructure solutions is helping the BigChange team to develop highly competitive connected eco-systems with innovation and customer focus at the heart. This is significant business for us at Wireless Logic and we are excited about the huge potential as the application is rolled out to further countries. Already we are trialing a number of global cellular solutions which will form part of a one-stop secure connectivity platform for BigChange’s customer base.”
About Wireless Logic Group
Europe’s leading independent M2M (Machine to Machine) and IoT (Internet of Things) platform provider, Wireless Logic Group works with thousands of application providers, systems integrators and enterprises delivering a portfolio of services including tailored management platforms, private network infrastructure and specialist mobile, satellite, fixed line and low power wireless area network (LPWAN) connectivity. All services are supported by a team of multi-disciplined personnel including technology development, consultancy and client management.
Founded in 1999 by CEO Oliver Tucker and CSO Philip Cole, Wireless Logic is backed by CVC Capital Partners (www.cvc.com). The organisation’s European headquarters are located in Hurley, Berkshire UK with country offices in Denmark, France, Germany and Spain.
BigChange by name, BigChange by nature! BigChange is an established force in mobile workforce management, offering a system that transforms the way companies manage their mobile operations. JobWatch from BigChange is the paperless way to plan, manage, schedule and track any mobile workforce. This powerful all-in-one Mobile Workforce Management platform combines back office software, mobile apps, fleet management and real-time vehicle tracking in one simple to use system. Using JobWatch, customers can manage their entire operation, from quote all the way through to invoice.
At the end of March, four long-term supporters of Transaid embarked on a self-funded trip to Zambia to visit our projects, meet our partners and learn more about what Transaid is doing to transform lives through safe, available and sustainable transport.
Mike Daly, Transaid Ambassador and Clipper Non-Executive Director; Chris Dolby, Head of Talent development at XPO Logistics; Martin Port, Founder and CEO of BigChange; and Alan Thornton, Commercial Director of W H Malcolm, were joined by Freelance Journalist Ian Norwell, and were welcomed to Zambia by Transaid’s Chief Executive, Caroline Barber, Corporate Partnerships Officer, Jade Ashby, and Project Manager, Victor Simfukwe.
Martin Port explained the rationale of organising such a trip: “BigChange are a corporate partner of Transaid and as part of our close ties with the charity I decided I wanted to view all the great work the organisation does to save lives in Zambia.”
Together, the group made the 14 hour round trip from Lusaka to Serenje, where Transaid is working alongside a consortium of partners and the Zambian Ministry of Health to tackle severe malaria in children aged under six years old, by improving access to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) approved drug, rectal artesunate (RAS).
In Serenje, the group were able to meet with a range of stakeholders: the District Health Management Team, local health facility staff, community health volunteers, emergency transport scheme (bicycle ambulance) riders, traditional leaders, and community members, including families whose children have survived severe malaria thanks to timely access to RAS and the injectable form of artesunate.
“It was truly humbling, touching and extremely powerful to see the impact that the work is having on the people living in very remote and hard to reach communities,” commented Chris Dolby.
On returning to Lusaka, the group were introduced to Transaid’s road safety and professional driver training programme, delivered in partnership with the Industrial Training Centre (ITC). Here, they were invited to celebrate the formal handover of a training vehicle, donated by W H Malcolm, alongside all ITC staff, board members, students, trainers and the Zambian Ministry.
“W H Malcolm is delighted to be able to donate a truck to the ITC. Personally, I have been overwhelmed by the response from everyone at the ITC and feel privileged that this vehicle will have a positive impact on road safety in Zambia, reducing the number of incidents on the roads.”
Transaid’s corporate partners are crucial to our work. Without their support, whether that is financial, the donation of vehicles, the secondment of staff overseas or providing guidance, Transaid would struggle to achieve everything it does. We are delighted that some of our supporters were able to see our work on the ground.
We’ve all received unwanted nuisance calls and SPAM emails, some of us may have suffered from identity theft and fraud too. These are just some examples of the misuse of our personal data.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Commission’s way to strengthen and unify data protection for individuals within the European Union and beyond. Whilst the UK may be leaving the EU, the UK has confirmed GDPR will still become UK law. There’s no opt-out from the legislation, it dramatically increases the levels of fines for non-compliance and data breaches, and your systems, processes and data need to be in shape by 25th May 2018.
BigChange is a software and data company that continuously improves information security and uses its flagship JobWatch system to manage its business including personal data. We have our GDPR compliance well in hand, and we’re making available some of the JobWatch tools we’ve developed to help our customers with their compliance.
As a business, a Data Controller, you may be managing data about individuals because they consent to you doing so, or because you have a contract in place. We can help.
Managing data subject consent could be time consuming, GDPR requires that you record a periodic opt-in. JobWatch CRM records which data subjects opt-in, how and when. We will soon release the ability to select a set of people, send them a branded email requesting consent, and record who opts-in. Specifically:
JobWatch CRM will include a list of Persons that you can filter on criteria including their Group and consent status;
Select Persons to whom to send an email based on your template; the data subject can click on links to either consent (aka “Opt-in”) or Opt-out to your processing;
Automatically or manually receive Opt-in requests, and record Opt-in or Opt-out for each Person;
For one or more Persons, your JobWatch administrator will have the option to mark the Person(s) as “do not process”, or to delete;
For a Group of Persons, report on the number of consent request, opt-ins, consenting persons, and opt-outs. This report may be used to demonstrate you are managing consent.
All companies using personal data may receive requests from data subject requests. To comply with GDPR, your business has a fixed time to respond. JobWatch supports you in the timely recording, managing, fulfilling and reporting on your processing of data subject requests. Specifically:
JobWatch CRM Notes can be used to record and track the completion of all Data Subject Requests;
Your JobWatch administrator can extract a data subject’s personal data into a formatted report, and this may be used as the basis for responding to a Data Subject Access Request;
Similarly, your JobWatch administrator can extract a data subject’s personal data into an electronic file and this may be used as the basis for responding to a Data Portability request.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the GDPR legislation requires that you manage personal data and keep it secure. This may be onerous for many businesses, but perhaps less so for BigChange customers who trust BigChange as its secure Data Processor with a history of information security continuous improvement. We secure all data in Amazon AWS which includes security features that just can’t be replicated with on-premise storage. Additionally:
JobWatch already has a comprehensive system of user profiles, privileges and constraints defined by your system administrator;
Furthermore, we are enhancing the logging and reporting of user activities within JobWatch so that your administrator can report on changes to user privileges, and significant data changes.
GDPR – is coming soon to businesses across the UK and beyond; BigChange can help you to comply.
Multi-Trade property service company The McDougall Group has boosted the productivity of its mobile workforce with the introduction of a BigChange service management system.
Providing all trades reactive repair services to social housing and new build sector, McDougall has equipped its tradesmen and engineers with smartphones and tablets running JobWatch, part of the all-in-one solution from BigChange.
McDougall services predominantly social housing landlords across central Scotland with a fleet of 30 vans and 4×4’s operating from offices in Grangemouth and Glasgow. The entire mobile operation is managed using BigChange, with the cloud-based system handling all work planning, CRM, scheduling and reporting via Samsung tablets and phones. Integrated vehicle tracking and navigation provides live information for customer service with recorded data for billing, timesheets and driver duty of care.
David Robbie, Managing Director of The McDougall Group commented:
“The introduction of BigChange has had a fundamental impact on the way we operate.”
David continued:
“By automating job scheduling and routing, and cutting paperwork we have increased the number of jobs we can do with the same resources. Productivity has been boosted by 17 percent and mileage has been cut. It’s a move to real time working which has allowed us to extend the working day. Our tradesmen no longer need to come in to get their jobs and are now on site an hour earlier and Gas Landlord and Electrical Certificates are delivered to clients electronically as soon as the job is complete. Tenants receive an appointment for every repair and text updates at every stage of the process. Customer Satisfaction is completed electronically for every job completed.”
McDougall provide a very wide range of services backed by a team of multi-skilled tradesman and workshop facilities. Jobs can involve anything from kitchen unit repairs to fixed leaking taps and boiler servicing, installation and repair and this adds a lot of complexity to subsequent billing. Records therefore need to be good. With a move away from paper-based systems, BigChange provides more accurate and up to date data which is vital for providing proof of service and dispute-free invoicing.
David commented:
“BigChange provides valuable management information for tighter control over operations.”
“Introducing new technology to manage work is a one-off opportunity to re-engineer the business. It basically puts the onus on our tradesmen to adhere to good working practices and proper procedures and that ultimately means a more professional, more efficient and better-organised business and taking a mandatory photograph of completed works introduces an element of self-auditing ensuring the standard of work left is always high.”
David added:
“We chose BigChange because we were looking for a fully integrated system between vehicle management and job scheduling, with the ability to invoice and ultimately track orders all the way through from start to finish. With previous systems there was always paper involved somewhere so we were looking for one system that was completely paperless, giving us real control and providing a proactive experience for the end customer.”
BigChange provides a paperless way to plan, manage, schedule and track any mobile workforce with a seamless solution for managing the entire operation from quote all the way through to invoice. BigChange is a 5-in-one Mobile Workforce Management platform that combines a customer booking app, cloud based back-office CRM and job scheduling, a rich mobile app for the driver or engineer combined with real-time vehicle tracking. Easy and intuitive to use, customise and implement.
Brendeck provides a one stop shop for commercial vehicle washing and supplies pressure washers and truck washers, together with servicing and chemical supplies. Brendeck washers are used by some of the UK’s largest transport operators with 14 field engineers undertaking Preventive Planned Maintenance work and ad hoc repairs.
Prior to the roll out of BigChange, Brendeck relied on handwritten paper job sheets from their engineers. However, to collate and process these paper reports was proving time consuming and there were delays in communicating back to the customer with, for example, quotes for spare parts or further servicing work.
Alan Taylor, Managing Director of Brendeck commented:
“Since introducing BigChange, we have completely transformed our field service operations.”
Mr Taylor continued:
“Because we are getting job sheets back immediately after engineer visits we in turn report back to the customer almost immediately, perhaps with a quote or equipment care recommendation.”
Back at Brendeck’s headquarters which are located centrally in Alfreton, Derbyshire, customer services have instant, always-on visibility of the engineers on the road.
Linda Clarke, Brendeck’s Finance and Operations Director commented:
“When we get calls asking ‘where is the engineer?’ we can respond straight away. Sometimes our engineer is already onsite but with large depots they are hidden from view but thanks to BigChange’s live tracking and status updates we have total visibility and customers are always impressed.”
Brendeck has expanded its services to include the supply of chemicals for its wash equipment and has pioneered a system for remotely monitoring chemical tank levels. Plans are being made to extend BigChange to the chemical distribution service, with vehicle tracking and drivers equipped with BigChange tablets for reporting dispensing volumes and sales onsite.
Alan Taylor added:
“There is no doubt BigChange has been good for business. It gives us a real advantage by improving the utilisation and productivity of our service operation and certainly enables us to fit in more jobs in the day.”
He continued:
“The biggest benefits are in service as we can be a lot more responsive. It is, for example, much easier to call an engineer back to a site on the same day to rectify a problem. Before we had live BigChange reporting and tracking, the return visit would have been two days later.”
Nicolas Hamilton is confident he can become a regular front-running name in the Renault UK Clio Cup in 2018 as he prepares for his first pre-season test of the year at the famous Brands Hatch circuit in Kent today.
Hamilton will rejoin the WDE Motorsport team for the forthcoming season after contesting five race events for the Ashford based squad last year.
Born with Cerebral Palsy, he is an ambassador and inspiration for disabled athletes and to compete in the Clio Cup requires modifications to his car (such as a hand clutch and minor pedal adjustments).
Hamilton, also the 25-year-old brother of four-times Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, commented: “I’m super excited about getting back in a car as, after Silverstone last year, I was contemplating quitting motor sport all together. Now after working as hard as possible to raise the budget over the winter, I am so proud to have independently secured the support of my sponsors to give myself the best opportunity this year.
“The Clio Cup cars are terrific to drive and, with all the data you’re able to work with and the high level of competition, it’s a championship that stands out in terms of driver development. “Crucially for me, I’ll be doing some actual testing which I’ve never had an opportunity to do since I first started racing in 2011 (in Clio Cup) or even when I had a spell in the British Touring Car Championship a few years ago. “I’m aiming to consistently be inside the top ten which I showed was possible during parts of last year with barely any practice. I’m going into this season with a ‘fresh start’ and better prepared than ever – so much so that it actually feels like I’m starting my whole career again…”
Hamilton’s brand and profile makes him a big hit with the vast numbers of public that come to see the Clio Cup race alongside the BTCC. Notably for 2018 he will have a new-look car, with JET Petroleum becoming his primary sponsor along with Monster Energy, DUO Plc, BigChange, Ark Build Plc and Ark MEP Plc.
He continued: “There’ll be a lot of yellow which is one of the colours that stands out most on TV! I just need to be up near the front a bit more, that’s all… “The Clio Cup is a great environment to build your brand and your sponsors’ brands and I’m even looking to up my presence a bit more this year – JET are very family orientated and that connects with my story and how I want to inspire people.”
WDE Team Principal Wayne Eason said: “We’re delighted to have Nic back as part of our team in 2018. Despite what people might think, he has to work just as hard as anyone else to put his racing budget together and I’ve never seen him so hungry to succeed. I strongly believe he can make considerable gains in his performances with us this year and will play an extremely important role in our results.”
The 2018 Renault UK Clio Cup gets under way with its opening two rounds at Brands Hatch on Sat 7/Sun 8 April. All 18 of its rounds will take place at the BTCC’s high-profile events meaning it appears in front of huge trackside crowds (38,500 on average in 2017) and also live on ITV4.
Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager Will Fewkes said: “Nic’s inspirational story continues to capture the imaginations of thousands of people and we are very pleased to see him choosing to race in the Clio Cup again. His determination is second to none and this could lead to some great results in 2018.”
Media Opportunity
The Renault UK Clio Cup’s annual Media Day will take place at Silverstone, Northamptonshire on Thursday 15 March. The event offers media a first glimpse of the 2018 grid and plenty of opportunity to film, photograph and interview the drivers. Media wishing to attend should contact championship Media Officer Carl McKellar:
Over the last 5 years BigChange has built a great company and I want to share with you some of our accomplishments since we launched in January 2013. We’ve created THIS VIDEO that features some of the major highlights.
Growth – Both our company and our customers have grown significantly over the last 5 years. Since Year 1 we have grown from a £300k annual turnover to £7m in 2017. There are many great entrepreneurial customer stories of growth driven using BigChange technology. We have recorded over nearly 1 billion kilometres of driving equivalent to 2,330 trips to the moon or 16 trips to mars, customers have invoiced fast approaching £200m through the system and completed over 4m jobs, 1 job every 2.5 seconds.
Awards – In 2017 alone, we won over 10 awards including the prestigious Deloitte Fast 50, recognising the fastest growing tech businesses. We ranked 25th in the UK and 98th in the Fast 500 in EMEA.
Unique Technology – BigChange has developed a 4-in-1 System that is unique in the marketplace and includes Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Job Scheduling, a rich Mobile App for Tablet or Smartphone and integrated Vehicle Tracking & Fleet Management. This innovative system continually evolves with new features. Our latest development is the BigChange “Uber for Service and Transport” customer branded on-demand Booking App (iOS/Android) where BigChange clients can rapidly deploy their own app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, request a demonstration now.
Investing in People – We now have a 60-strong team who continually strive for excellence and are collectively responsible for our rapid growth and achievements. I am proud of our success. We provide lots of employee benefits including a series of “Motivational Mondays” that we have held at the beginning of each month as part of our Team Building events. We kick off 2018 welcoming Toya Wilcox with her own unique story and journey through life.
RoadCrew Customer Service – A highly dedicated team that is growing fast, and providing the very best service and support 24/7 . RoadCrew provide Implementation, Training & Technical support for the Office Employees, Drivers & Engineers every individual can call us at NO COST for telephone support.
Customers – 650 Companies representing over 15,000 mobile subscribers reaping the benefits of the BigChange system in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. We have no barriers, our system can be used in any country in the world as it is multilingual and multi-currency. BigChange has customers operating in many Public & Private sectors including Construction, Hire, Highways, Civil Engineering, Utilities, Facilities Management, Waste & Recycling, IT Services, Medical, Foodservice, Transport & Logistics, Passenger Transport Home Delivery and Couriers.
Benefits & Savings – Customers have generated significant financial tangible and intangible benefits, including and most importantly, improved Customer Service all driven by the use of BigChange technology. Glowing testimonials, Press Coverage and Case Studies prove the added value that the system delivers. (Hyperlink website)
CEO Shop Floor Days – I want to meet as many customers as possible in 2018. I would like to visit your offices and understand your businesses better and even go out with Engineers and Drivers, to make sure you’re getting all the benefits out of the BigChange system. Please let me know dates when you will be free just email [email protected] offering me dates any Tuesday, Wednesday or a Thursday.
Partnerships – We work closely with technology leaders such as Google, Samsung and Amazon, as well as industry trade bodies such as the Road Haulage Association, Freight Transport Association, Service Associations and Tech North.
Corporate Social Responsibility – At the heart of BigChange is a real commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. As a Corporate Partner of the fantastic charity Transaid we are getting involved with as many events as possible. I along with a group of Transaid’s key supporters I will be making a trip to Zambia in March 2018, to better understand the international development organisation programmes in the country. Also, various other charities which include amongst others BRAKE, the Road Safety Charity and even a local social enterprises.
We look forward to welcoming many more new customers in 2018 and continuing our strong partnership relationship with growing existing customers.
All at BigChange wish you a joyful festive season and a happy and healthy New Year.
All the best
Martin Port CEO
Tel +44 113 4571000 Ext 333
Mobile +44 7973 671779
Yorkshire’s smEs can deliver a huge productivity boost to Britain’s economy after Brexit if they embrace new technologies, an entrepreneur has predicted.
Speaking at a Connect Yorkshire event in Leeds, Martin Port said many companies turning over up to £25m still rely on accounting software, spreadsheets, emails and paperwork to manage their operations.
He said: “Yorkshire was at the forefront of the first industrial revolution with coal mines, steel works and textiles mills. “Yorkshire can be a world beater again if SMEs, the lifeblood of our economy, embrace new technologies to become more efficient and more agile. SMEs can automate everything behind the scenes and free up their people to focus on the human side. Technologies will cut out waste and failure and allow customers to serve themselves.” Mr Port said smarter mobile workforce management will lead to greater collaboration between companies. He said they can use data insights to share jobs and save travel costs, which in turn will reduce the growing number of commercial van journeys on roads. Mr Port said technology can also help SMEs to become safer and more compliant with health and safety regulation and added the development of driverless vehicles will lead to fewer accidents as cars and lorries stick to the speed limits. An increase in productivity would provide a big shot in the arm for the North of England’s economy, a stated priority for the Government after Britain’s departure from the EU. Productivity is a measure of output by hour per worker and is a key economic indicator.
Mr Port is founder and chief executive of BigChange, a fast-growing technology firm which helps companies plan, manage, schedule and track mobile workforces and transport operations. He said the vast majority of his company’s 600 customers are growing and adding new employees. BigChange and Connect Yorkshire, the not-for-profit membership group for entrepreneurs wishing to grow their businesses, hosted the roundtable event to discuss the impact that technology will have on Yorkshire businesses over the next decade.
It was attended by owner managers from some of the region’s most successful companies, who were either Entrepreneurs in Residence or members of Connect Yorkshire, and chaired by Connect Yorkshire chief executive Nick Butler. Simon Gray, managing director of Boost Drinks, told the gathering: “If companies are investing in technology, they are investing in people and quality of output. “If employees are not sitting on the motorway for two hours and they can get a better work-life balance, it will generally lead to more sales and more profits.” Simon Bodsworth, managing director of Daval Furniture, said technology can be used to inspire customers and get rid of grey areas in expectations. Mark Gibson, managing director of e2m ltd electrical engineers, said technology can create a sense of theatre for customers. Samantha Goodhart, managing director of Bon Couer Fine Wines, said some customers embrace technology but others do not. “For us, it’s about personalising what we do,” she added. “It allows our staff to spend quality time with our customers.” Alistair Maiden, founder of legal engineering business SYKE, said the nature and complexity of technology means that many companies can lose sight of user experience. “If you focus on user experience, you will probably win,” he added. Mark Bowers, chief executive of Redfern Travel, said his company had achieved huge productivity gains through the use of data processing in an industry dominated by legacy IT systems from the 1970s.
Mr Port launched BigChange in 2012 after exiting Masternaut, the telematics business he founded in the UK and led through a series of acquisitions. BigChange is on course for sales of £7m this year and £12m in 2018. Customers include SMEs, corporates and public sector organisations. It has 60 employees. The company has won a number of accolades, including this year’s Yorkshire Post Excellence in Awards, and was named in the Deloitte 2017 UK Technology Fast 50. It is expanding into Europe and the United States, via new offices in Paris and New York. Connect Yorkshire specialises in helping regional businesses to achieve their growth ambitions through its network of experienced Entrepreneurs in Residence who provide time and expertise free of charge to members.
Waste and Recycling machinery leader Blue Group rolls out BigChange Mobile Workforce Management technology, fully integrated with SAP Business One.
Blue Group, leading specialist provider of materials processing equipment for the quarrying and waste recycling industry has implemented BigChange’s 4-in-1 Mobile Workforce Management Platform across its Service division. The all-in-one system is fully integrated with Blue’s SAP Business One ERP system and provides intelligent job scheduling, an Android mobile app for service technicians and real-time tracking of all vehicles across the fleet. The solution was implemented by BigChange in partnership with Blue’s SAP Business One integrator, Frontline Consultancy.
Blue Group chose BigChange as part of a digital transformation project to enhance customer service and automate the warranty claims process. The BigChange system has revolutionised the booking and scheduling of planned and reactive maintenance, connecting customer service teams with mobile technicians in real-time. Intelligent scheduling has replaced the use of Outlook and jobs raised in SAP are instantly synced with the BigChange platform. It allows advisers to quickly offer customers urgent maintenance slots at a time and date to suit them, considering real-time technician and equipment availability, proximity to the customer and live traffic data. The intelligent scheduling engine ensures maximum flexibility for the customer whilst minimising travel time and distance, driving fuel savings and a reduction in emissions.
Real-time visibility of the operation ensures customer service advisors are empowered to answer customer questions in an instant and automated estimated time of arrival (ETA) alerts by email and text message ensure customers are always fully informed.
Peter Lidbetter, Group IT Manager at Blue Group said:
“BigChange have worked extremely well with everyone involved in this project. Across the business they have always been willing to go the extra mile and give us the support needed to take the project forward. As a company they are at the cutting edge of service management, producing a fantastic product that is easy to use for everyone involved from our service engineers to the back office staff.”
Stuart Hardiman, Commercial Service Manager at Blue Group commented:
“The BigChange technology has put us in another league and has made the customer experience completely seamless. It has empowered the entire service team and gives us true real-time visibility into the KPIs that are fundamental to successful service delivery.”
Blue Group supply, install and maintain crushers, screeners, shredders, material handlers and recycling plants for leading industrial users across the UK and Ireland from 8 strategically placed sites. They provide an industry leading maintenance offering to maximise uptime and to keep machines running efficiently. The group turned over in excess of £100 million in 2017.
The BigChange technology is saving hundreds of thousands of pieces of paperwork annually, and has replaced an electronic pen and paper based legacy system with digital workflows running on rugged waterproof Samsung Android Tablets. Each day, Blue technicians complete an electronic walkaround check, logging and photographing any defects that are managed to resolution via integrated fleet management functionality. On starting their timesheet, technicians have instant access to their jobs for the day with detailed information about each customer, site and machinery. Job data is automatically loaded into the integrated sat-nav with turn-by-turn guidance and live traffic updates. On arrival, the app takes care of risk assessments and method statements and guides the technician though equipment specific service workflows, capturing a detailed audit trail. Photos are captured during the service process for added proof of service.
On completion, customers automatically receive electronic job-cards via email, proactively confirming completion. This instant sync with the back-office means no ‘paperwork’ needs to be returned for processing and allows Blue group to instantly raise warranty claims, avoiding any delays and boosting cashflow. The system is also delivering duty of care benefits for lone workers, providing confirmation that all engineers have returned home after their jobs.
BigChange founder and CEO Martin Port said:
“With their adoption of the latest BigChange technology, fully integrated with SAP Business One, Blue Group are delivering a world class-leading customer experience that will maintain their competitive winning edge in the market.”
Caine Fearn, Managing Director of Frontline Consultancy commented:
“Frontline have been working in partnership with BigChange to deliver a truly business changing solution for Blue Group. With a fully integrated SAP Business One back office and their remarkable field service application, Frontline and BigChange have delivered a complete, scalable business solution for anyone serious about field automation, job & stock control and customer service.”
