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Bence field service and workshop engineers have been equipped with rugged tablet devices as part of a complete management system for paperless working that is improving efficiency, productivity and customer service.
Bence design and build specialist vehicles and trailers that include everything from emergency vehicles to mobile units for MRI scanning, endoscopy, breast-screening, command and control and motorsport workshops. The Bristol-based company also provides transportation, servicing and rentals of units.
Bence field service engineers, who provide 24/7 rapid-response services nationwide, use JobWatch the 5 in 1 app that synchronises in real-time with cloud-based BigChange software for managing the entire operation from transportation, to installation, scheduled maintenance and emergency call out. Engineers in the Bence workshop have also been equipped with tablets and JobWatch.
The system is completely replacing paper records providing Bence with around the clock visibility of operations, from scheduled maintenance and refurbishment in the workshop to engineers servicing and fixing units on site. Onsite work is typically scheduled out of hours.
Conrad Stanley, Service Manager at Bence commented:
“Many of our vehicle and mobile units are deployed in critical work at the frontline so we have to maintain exceptional levels to minimise downtime.”
“Through BigChange we now have real-time, 24/7, visibility of our mobile operations and this has completely transformed the way we work and allowed us to provide a better, more dynamic service.”
With the outbreak of Coronavirus Bence saw a significant increase in demand from hospitals needing mobile units for undertaking screening and treatment in separate COVID-safe areas.
“It was fortunate we had BigChange up and running when the COVID-19 crisis hit – having a fully digital, paperless system made a lot easier coping with the surge in demand”.
Bence typically recalls their specialist vehicles and mobile units once a year for major servicing in the workshop. Onsite servicing is undertaken at between 8 and 12 week intervals, with generators serviced every 200 hours.
As a complete end-to-end system BigChange incorporate job scheduling, route planning, vehicle tracking and comprehensive management reporting with the mobile app providing a complete job management tool. For engineers, the JobWatch app has replaced their paper time-sheets, job- sheets and inspection reports and the devices offer navigation and image capture.
Bence find the tracking really useful giving visibility on where engineers are so they no longer need to be called on route. It means that customers can be informed on the expected arrival time of their engineer.
Stanley concluded:
“That’s a really good addition to customer service especially as we are in such a critical, time sensitive area. The other big benefit is that we can dynamically schedule jobs during the day to optimise their time and do extra jobs; something that was impossible before”.
“We also really like the photo-capture allowing engineers to record their work and issues such as damage to units so we can assess what work and parts are required.”
The system, which incorporates CRM, job scheduling, a customer portal, vehicle tracking and a mobile app, is helping to improve services, reduce costs and boost productivity.
Thirteen’s facilities management team provides services such as grounds maintenance, estate care, caretaker and cleaning services to its 70,000 customers.
Michael Hall, Senior FM manager at Thirteen commented:
“Previously we relied on a combination of paper records and spreadsheets and with the volume of work we had it was clear we needed to replace what was a cumbersome, largely manual system”.
“BigChange has transformed the way we work by eliminating paper and providing complete visibility of our work.”
Thirteen’s mobile teams carry out planned and reactive maintenance. Equipped with tablets running the 5 in 1 JobWatch mobile app linked to real-time vehicle tracking, the devices are used for everything from vehicle inspections, COVID-19 safety checks and electronic job sheets linked to photographs from site.
“JobWatch gives us a live 24/7 view of all our work; scheduled and reactive. It’s the data that the system collects and processes that is really useful. We have real insight into our actual costs and performance – something we simply didn’t have before. Now we can look at our performance against what are more realistic targets”.
“Already we’ve been able to halve daily mileage, reducing wasted travelling time and costs and we expect we will be able to dramatically improve our productivity through better resource planning, allocation and coordination”.
Rolling out the new system has proved easier than expected.
Michael clarified:
“We are always busy, so we expected this to be a challenge, but remarkably just one person was able to set up and manage the implementation of BigChange – it was that easy and the support was great”.
The other anticipated issue was in persuading colleagues about the benefits of the new system.
“One factor we did not anticipate was Coronavirus. Thirteen continued to provide services to customers during the COVID-19 lockdown and that meant introducing safety procedures for our colleagues. Immediately we were able to introduce a COVID-19 safe working procedure using JobWatch – an app that everyone embraced straight away”.
For Thirteen tablets quickly became the accepted way of working, but as a cloud solution, the BigChange system itself also allowed major operational changes to be made quickly. This included working from home and negated the need for teams to come into the office at the start of the day.
“Suddenly we switched to complete mobile working and our teams simply working from home saving at lot of time and mileage. We can track departure and arrival times and without the depot visits productivity is much better and it has been a real transformation – everyone is very happy with the change”.
Russell Thompson, Executive Director commended:
“The system now gives us vital management information. We can now measure things and for the first time we have been able to introduce an optimal delivery model. That means we can do more work in less time allowing us to improve the value of services to our customers”.
The BigChange solution includes a booking app that Thirteen feel offers great potential.
Thompson concluded:
“This web portal facility is a brilliant addition to BigChange as it allows jobs to be booked through a very simple app. This means managers, caretakers and other frontline staff can request a service via the app while onsite and the job can be scheduled immediately. This eliminates delays getting paperwork signed off – we’ll be a lot quicker and more efficient as we roll out this handy tool.”
Using the latest mobile workforce management technology from Leeds-based BigChange, Europump has developed what it believes is an industry first level of service in the design, supply, installation, service and maintenance of commercial fuelling solutions.
The cloud-based and mobile system provides real time synchronisation between Europump’s office and field service engineers using the JobWatch 5 in 1 mobile app. Providing a complete end to end business system replacing all paperwork, it has already been deployed by parent company Eurotank and across Europump’s existing services to fuel filling stations.
Jack Aplin, Director, Eurotank commented:
“Fleet operators work in a demanding industry where schedules are critical and reliable equipment is crucial; a fleet of buses or trucks could well depend on one or two pumps to fuel up.”
“There is clearly a demand for a service company that can maintain all types of pumps and that is exactly what Europump do.”
“Speed, communication and professionalism of our response is as important as our engineering capability and BigChange has been absolutely vital to our approach to the market and the winning of new business. It underpins the whole service offering and gives us a distinct competitive edge.”
Europump’s engineers are equipped with tablets running the JobWatch linked to vehicle trackers as part of a real-time system that gives customer service staff and management complete 24/7 visibility of the field operations. The office uses BigChange cloud-based CRM, scheduling and business software all seamlessly linked together with operations as a complete end-to end solution.
Aplin explained:
“Being fully digital, cloud based and completely free of paperwork proved critical during the COVID-19 lockdown. “We literally flicked a switch and were all instantly up and running from home. Coupled with video conferencing we just carried on working as normal.”
Since the initial implementation of BigChange last year, Europump has been focusing on enhancing services to the commercial sector. One development, managing stock, has in particular provided very significant service and financial benefits.
Traditionally engineers would identify faults on a first visit and if required order parts for collection at the depot before returning to site. With commercial fleet fuel services, pump uptime is paramount and Europump knew first time repair would be a crucial measure of their performance and reputation. Now the company has used BigChange to completely automate stock ordering and replenishment to keep vans fully stocked to minimise return visits to site.
Aplin concluded:
“With this automated stock management capability on BigChange we have completely transformed our business. By virtually eliminating return to sites and improving our first time fix performance literally 10-fold we are saving all that unnecessary engineer time and cost. We anticipate this development will bring a £100,000 a year boost to the business through improved productivity and service.”
As part of a digital transformation replacing paper throughout the company, the new system combines back office management software with a mobile app to support rapid expansion of H2O’s business.
H2O specialise in the installation, maintenance and repair of pumps, pumping stations and sewage treatment plants. The Bury-based company looks after over 600 different pumping stations, operating in the North West in an area extending from North Wales to Yorkshire, Cumbria and Midlands.
Private pumping stations and treatment plants – usually buried underground – are owned by local authorities, commercial property companies and private estate owners. With new waste legislation coming into force in January 2020 to limit the use of certain types of septic tanks, H2O has seen a surge in business for plants that treat sewage and discharge clean, safe water.
Mick Brindle, Director, H2O FlowTech commented:
“Our largely paper based system was cumbersome and slow, and dealing with paper forms was difficult outdoors in poor weather. With the increasing demand for our equipment and services we knew we’d be overwhelmed with paperwork if we didn’t switch to a digital system,”
H2O vans are fitted with BigChange vehicle trackers and the two-person teams use JobWatch the 5 in 1 app that provides digital versions of all paper forms. JobWatch synchronises in real time with the office giving H2O operations complete 24/7 visibility of engineer movements and job status.
Lead engineers are equipped with rugged tablets and their assistants run the app on their mobile phones. Photographs taken on site for evidence of work completed such as newly installed pumps and control panels are provided as part of instant digital reports to customers.
Mick continued:
“With BigChange we’ve considerably increased our turnover without needing any extra staff. We are more productive and have much better visibility. The data is all collected in one hit and this is a big improvement and the digital job reporting is a tremendous step up – customers are very
impressed especially with the supporting photos from site showing work completed.”
H2O are finding BigChange is very useful for emergency work. If there is an equipment breakdown a job is created and simply dragged into the scheduler which instantly schedules the work. JobWatch also provides access to records of previous work done at a site which is proving a real asset to engineers arriving on a job.
H2O see BigChange as important for expanding allowing the company to work nationally. The system is also seen as key to securing and winning larger contracts with facilities management companies who need to provide electronic records to their customers.
Mick explained:
“With BigChange everything is at our fingertips and it is synchronised with Sage giving us total visibility of the business – margins on jobs, cash flow and we can keep a close eye on quotes and invoicing. From our mobiles we can immediately see what’s going on across the business including the status of every job. This means we can work from anywhere”
Mick concluded:
“In fact during Coronavirus lockdown we’d have been completely floored without BigChange. If we’d still been paper-based we simply couldn’t have done our job – as things were customers did not see any change at all.”
Folkstone-based Metroline Fire & Security design, install and maintain fire alarms, intruder alarms, access control and CCTV systems for commercial and residential clients throughout Kent and East Sussex. The BigChange system, which went live in January 2020, has replaced an ageing job management software and a separate vehicle tracking system.
“BigChange has enabled us to undertake a complete digital transformation of our business, replacing a series of separate systems giving us a single view and total visibility of the business” says Paul Roberts, Director Metroline Fire & Security.
Running a fleet of 25 vehicles – tracked as part of the BigChange system – the company’s engineers use JobWatch a 5 in 1 mobile phone app that synchronises in real time with the central office CRM and scheduling system.
Paul commented:
“BigChange has already provided Metroline with significant improvements in productivity and customer service and during the Coronavirus crisis it has allowed us to continue to operate seamlessly with no impact of our ability to deliver our services. On lockdown, everyone could work from home we were able to shut down the office and be up and running at home within one hour.”
With BigChange also we can change the way we operate we are looking at ways to stock up vehicles to use the stock facility on JobWatch.
Metroline installation and maintenance engineers receive jobs on their mobiles with the JobWatch app replacing all paperwork with electronic data entry for everything from job sheets, to vehicle checks and risk assessments. Linked to job sheets are photographs captured on site showing completed installations and repairs with control panels to provide evidence of ‘all working in order’.
Paul continued:
“The BigChange No Touch Signature Capture App has been especially useful allowing us to gain job sign-off without directly interacting with the customer. With hotels and schools closed our usual contacts are simply not at work with the No Touch feature supported by photos showing work completed we can easily get jobs signed off.”
Metroline has seen some immediate benefits in efficiency through improved scheduling and tracking allowing the optimisation of resources through pinpointing of the nearest available engineer and improved route planning to reduce unnecessary mileage.
The cloud-based and mobile system provides real time synchronisation between office and tanker operators using a 5 in 1 mobile app. Providing a complete end to end business system replacing all paperwork, Eurotech has seen a £1million increase in business since going live with BigChange last summer.
Established in 1991, Eurotech is one of the UK’s largest independent waste management companies providing national liquid waste tankering and drainage services.
Nick Banks, Operations Director at Eurotech Environmental commented:
“We had been looking for a suitable system for years but we couldn’t find one that could meet our needs. When BigChange came to demonstrate their system our jaws literally dropped to the ground; it was exactly what we were looking for”.
BigChange implementation of the JobWatch system began early 2019 and was fully implemented in 6 months. Eurotech employed the BigChange Professional Services team to create a completely automated system that mimicked everything that was being done manually before.
Banks continued:
“This was really important. We had honed our system over many years but it was still very much paper based and the business had grown to the point that we knew we needed to automate. However, we didn’t want to change anything and BigChange offered a truly flexible solution that has been successfully adapted for our needs”.
Central to Eurotech’s needs was a combined Job Sheet and Waste Transfer Notice with a job grouping capability for managing routes with tankers doing multiple jobs before disposal at a waste transfer station. This was one of a series of industry-leading developments pioneered by Eurotech and the result is a completely automated end-to-end system.
Banks commented:
“Optimisation of routes alone has saved almost 10 per cent on fuel and wage costs and our drivers no longer need to come to the office to collect their jobs. We are also much more reactive to emergency jobs as we know where everyone is and what they are doing – it’s fantastic to have this visibility”.
Tanker operators receive jobs and routes on tablets that they use for everything from vehicle and site safety checks, to job cards and accompanying compliance documentation. Coupled with vehicle tracking, the office has full visibility of all operations, nationwide, 24/7. Customers receive ETA notifications and on job completion they receive job tickets complete with photographs to prove ‘job done’. Waste transfer stations meanwhile receive automated emails of a tankers ETA with digital Waste Transfer Notices.
Banks noted:
“BigChange has completely transformed the way we work. Through improved efficiency and productivity we have seen a £1million boost to our business and are on track to double the size of our fleet. And customers are so impressed that I know we are winning more business thanks to the enhanced service we can now offer”.
“With Coronavirus lockdown, we’d have really struggled to deliver our services without BigChange. We can turn up at a home or a factory to empty a septic tank or collect waste, complete the job and then send the customer an immediate email with supporting photographs; we don’t need to interact at all and the customer probably didn’t even know we been onsite.”
He concluded:
“Since BigChange is cloud based and easily accessible anywhere, anytime, we can expand more easily nationwide as we don’t actually need an office – just somewhere to park our tankers”.
The Essex-based company provides essential property maintenance services such as emergency drainage and plumbing repairs for sectors that include social housing, hospitals and care homes.
Established in 2011 CCR has achieved preferred supplier status amongst key blue-chip property and facilities management companies and is also an approved contractor to local authorities, housing associations and health authorities. Specialising in drainage network repairs and cleaning, CCR operate a fleet of specialist vehicles and plant on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
CCR has equipped its mobile workforce with rugged tablets running JobWatch, the 5 in 1 mobile app from BigChange. The app synchronises in real time CCR’s office system that is normally accessed at the CCR head office in Basildon, Essex. The BigChange back office software which includes CRM, job scheduling and invoicing is cloud based which means that virtually the entire business is currently being run with staff and management working from home.
Reiss Monksfield, Director, CCR Property Services comments:
“Well before the Coronavirus crisis we had realised the potential of BigChange for flexible home working,”
“After our vitally-important accounts person finished maternity leave and wanted to spend more time at home we were able to accommodate flexible-hour, part-time home working. With the all the required software and data accessible online the accounting work has continued pretty much seamlessly with one less person in the office,”
“Now with the threat from COVID-19 we have sent virtually all the office staff home and it really is business as usual. Those living in the properties we service are often vulnerable so our emergency services are essential and with BigChange we can all be in control and run services remotely. I’ve no idea how we would have managed without a single cloud and mobile solution; BigChange really is paying dividends in this crisis,”
CCR was an early adopter of BigChange having realised that a single system that could perform both office and field service functions seamlessly was the way forward. The company had previously tried to deploy other systems but they failed to provide the scope, flexibility and modern technology considered to be crucial for supporting future business competitiveness and growth.
BigChange first went live in Spring 2018 and provide an all-in-one solution having replaced a number of different systems. As well as the tablets used by operatives, the fleet is fitted with BigChange trackers providing a real time view of the operation, allowing CCR to respond as efficiently and quickly as possible to call outs around the clock.
Monksfield continued:
“In just two years we’ve almost doubled our turnover and BigChange has allowed us to grow without increasing our administrative resources. In fact we have even more time now; no more scanning of paper reports, no more calling operatives to see where they are and no more sifting through piles of paperwork. We are working so much more efficiently and the business has been streamlined,”
Monksfield added:
“We particularly like the way the system is designed. It’s generic but easy to customise. However, the biggest thing about BigChange is what you get for the money. The benefits far outweigh the cost; it is great value and with their RoadCrew support team you also get brilliant 24/7support,”
In providing round the clock service, companies like CCR would traditionally sign up the services of a 24 hours call centre to manage out of hours calls. By deploying BigChange this need was negated as CCR could simply direct calls to their team of out of hours call handlers. This not only saves cost and complication but by cutting out a link in the chain it also enables a quicker response.
Monksfield explained:
“The system is also very good for customer service and clients can be kept informed of where we are and they can get job updates in two to three minutes. We are more efficient and more productive so as a company we can also provide better value which customers like”.
Cyclehoop, the innovator of secure on-street cycle parking solutions, has introduced the latest mobile technology as part of a cloud-based mobile resources management system from BigChange.