The exponential growth of a Hertfordshire-based heating, plumbing and electrical business has been driven by field service management software from BigChange.
By equipping engineers with mobile devices, connected in real-time to a centralised job management system, SC Duncan Heating Plumbing and Electrical has fuelled efficiency gains and boosted customer service levels. This has resulted in an 8-fold increase in its workforce and has allowed the company to expand its operation to service domestic customers and extend into renovation and general building services. As a result, SC Duncan has quickly established itself as one of Hertfordshire’s premier private residential property services businesses.
“I have a background working in large service companies, using a number of bespoke and off-the-shelf systems – good and bad! To underpin our expansion, it was clear we needed an all-encompassing piece of software that could assist with every aspect of the customer journey,” commented James Tranham, Managing Director of SC Duncan. “So, the first thing I did was to engage with job management software providers and seek recommendations from other users. I knew I needed a solution that put the customer at the heart of every aspect of the system, yet also had the regulatory and compliance aspect rigidly embedded in all its workflows.
“I am thankful to say I picked BigChange, which has been fantastic from the outset. BigChange has everything we need – a complete solution for the customer journey from booking and confirming appointments right through to invoicing. The reporting is also excellent, but the overall winning aspect is its simplicity.”
James Tranham, Managing Director, SC Duncan
SC Duncan was originally founded by Samuel Campbell Duncan in Stevenage in 1973. With increasing demand from private customers, James Tranham joined Samuel’s grandson John to form SC Duncan Heating Plumbing and Electrical and more recently SC Duncan Construction. SC Duncan implemented the BigChange job management platform, 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 business transition.
“We pride ourselves on delivering a traditional local service underpinned by cutting edge modern delivery and BigChange is at the heart of this,” Tranham concluded. “As we continue to increase the of range services we provide and the geographic area we cover we know that BigChange will be with us at every step.”
Morgans Plumbing and Heating has grown its business by more than 600 percent since implementing BigChange field service management software. Using BigChange, Morgans has achieved the highest levels of automation with the platform underpinning every aspect of the business including workforce management, customer communications, reporting and invoicing.
BigChange has also removed the need for home-based engineers to visit head office on a regular basis with digital job sheets, automated scheduling and up-to-the-minute stock control, saving Morgans both man-hours and mileage.
“Right from the outset I knew the only way to grow the business sustainably was with automation, and BigChange ticked that box and more,” commented Steven Morgan, Director of Morgans Plumbing and Heating.
“Before BigChange we were little more than a one-man band, with paper worksheets and no control of workflows, stock or costs. We now cover mid and north Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire and have plans to expand further up the west coast to Scottish borders and further down into south Wales and the Cotswolds. This ambitious expansion simply wouldn’t be possible without BigChange.”
Morgans is a Gas Safe and OFTEC registered, and Worcester Bosch accredited, family-run business, which installs, services and repairs all oil, gas and LPG appliances. Based in Welshpool, Morgans specialises in boilers – gas oil and LPG, can provide expert advice for oil tank, planning, installing and maintaining, and are on hand 24/7 for all emergency plumbing requirements.
Morgans selected BigChange after an exhaustive market review of available solutions during which different packages were benchmarked against an extensive wish list of requirements. Having been using the 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, for some time, Morgans is under no illusion as to the important role the platform has had in the business’ geographical expansion and positive customer feedback evidenced with consistent 5-star reviews.
“BigChange has been a critical part of our success so far,” continued Morgan.
“It saves us time and money every single day allowing us to focus on what we do best – which is being available to deliver the highest service possible, in the shortest amount of time and with the tools and stock we need to do the job.”
Whole house energy efficiency company Union Technical, has achieved international accreditation and compliance with the latest government standards using field service management software from BigChange.
The retrofit contractor, which works with energy companies, housing associations and local authorities across the UK, recently achieved ISO accreditations for its working practices. Using the BigChange complete Job Management Platform, Union Technical is also one of the first to adapt and comply with the new Industry Standards PAS 2035.
Suzanne Coyle, Director of Glasgow-based Union Technical commented:
“BigChange has been part of our journey for many years and has helped us transition from start-up to nationwide service provider with a team of over 100. In the last 18 months the impact BigChange has had on our business has been exceptional.
She continued:
“BigChange helped us respond to the challenges of COVID and the impact this had on day-to-day working practices, using BigChange, our field-based teams were able to conduct initial home visits, site surveys and installations, capturing photographs and non-contact signatures without risk to themselves or the homeowners.
“BigChange was also an integral part of our ISO success and has been fundamental in our ability to adapt to and comply with the new standards for retrofit projects, which came into effect this summer and are designed to protect the customer as our industry scales-up to deliver services to around 27 million homes over the next thirty years.”
Using the single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Vehicle Tracking, Mobile Workforce App and Online Portal, Union Technical manages every customer interaction. From identification of households that could benefit from energy efficiency measures through first point of contact to installation, every communication is recorded, and all data logged, in real-time, to the central BigChange system. Field staff, armed with tablets, follow prescribed workflows to assess a property’s suitability for improvement considering potential risk factors and individual circumstances.
Using BigChange, customer service advisors review captured information and make an initial assessment before booking a full, whole-house survey. Data captured at this stage is then reviewed by the Retrofit Co-ordinator and used to assist in creating a design specific to that property detailing the improvement requirements and options. BigChange is also helping Union Technical evaluate and monitor works and create custom reports for both internal management and stakeholder engagement.
Coyle concluded:
“We continue to take a whole-of-house, whole-of-lifetime approach to our services and BigChange does it exactly the same, from start to finish, for every job at every house, BigChange helps us capture the right information, at the right time and makes it easy to access and easy to report on.”
Celsius Plumbing and Heating has built a reputation as one of Edinburgh’s leading service companies having identified an opportunity amongst homeowners for the type of professional plumbing and heating service normally reserved for demanding ‘big contract’ commercial clients.
Formed back in 2007 Celsius emerged out of the financial crisis as one of a new breed of small businesses in an industry previously dominated by large companies. The challenge for Celsius was working out how to achieve the desired levels of service as a relatively small and new player in the market.
The solution was to adapt new cloud and mobile technology to bring, for the first time, large company service levels to the domestic market. Celsius realised technology could provide a level playing field for smaller businesses wanting to grow. The first task was to move away from the cumbersome paperwork that burdened businesses like Celsius and the company made an initial switch to digital working with a system that was later replaced.
Michael Cairns, Director of Celsius Plumbing and Heating said:
“Over time we began to realise our first software supplier was not meeting our expectations and support was frustratingly slow, by chance we came across a completely new system that looked fantastic. Although the product was still evolving, the company behind it clearly had the vision and ambition to build something that would be clearly streets ahead of the competition. So, in a leap of faith, we signed up. That was back in 2016 and the company behind the development was BigChange.”
Celsius was one of the first adopters of BigChange and the company has played a key part in developing the system for the heating and plumbing industry. The company has since transformed its business with the 5-in-1 field service management software system; a cloud-platform for CRM, job scheduling, mobile working, vehicle tracking and management reporting. BigChange also integrates with Xero account software giving Celsius completely seamless digital solution from job booking to completion, eliminating paperwork at all stages.
Engineers are equipped with rugged Samsung tablets running the BigChange mobile app. This provides useful workflows to take engineers step by step through the correct procedures onsite. Digital job cards and inspection sheets are enhanced with photographs and GPS location data for proof of service and compliance. Celsius also use the BigChange ‘No Touch’ app allowing customers to remotely sign off work from their own smartphone.
Cairns says:
“The BigChange mobile app really is a ground-breaking innovation for service companies like us, it is so easy to use and customise that it can be used for absolutely every task, completely eliminating paper and ensuring consistent reporting from everyone. And it’s synchronised in real time with our central BigChange management system so we have complete visibility of everything going on, 24/7”.
Celsius believe the greatest business benefits come from automation of tasks that previously took a huge amount of time.
“BigChange now automates a raft of key processes to significantly improve our business performance, boosting our productivity, customer service and sales. We’ve also set up over 100 alerts allowing us to keep our fingers on the pulse 24/7,”
says Cairns.
Previously Celsius would call around customers when their boilers were due for their annual service. It took a huge amount of time and numerous attempts to get hold of people and secure a booking, especially when dealing with tenants. The whole process has now been automated with the software generating appointment offers.
“Running a service list was a frustrating and slow process until we automated the communications using BigChange. The system now automatically generates scheduled appointment offers making it very easy for the customer to just say ‘yes’. As a result there has been a huge improvement, with our service booking success rate increasing from 20 per cent to 90 percent,”
“BigChange has improved job allocation, scheduling and provided a much slicker paperless reporting process. We used to average 6 jobs a day but now we are doing 7 or 8 meaning that our engineers are often 30 percent more productive.”
“In the office the productivity gains are even greater. With a single, paperless system, BigChange has not just cut administrative work but, through automation, we have significantly reduced the customer calls we make. Saving all that wasted time – we are certainly 40 per cent more efficient – it has in effect freed up two members of staff to focus on important things like customer service.”
BigChange vehicle tracking provides a live view of whereabouts of all engineers and customers receive ETA messages auto-generated by the system.
“Customers love the system, It’s really easy to book a date and time online and with ETA notifications on the day they know when an engineer will arrive; they don’t need to waste time hanging around wondering when someone will turn up.”
Celsius has also used BigChange to improve and automate quoting which has significantly improved both the speed and level of quote acceptance and through instant access to product information and pricing, upselling is now much easier.
“The BigChange Road Crew support is excellent. We were increasingly frustrated with our previous software supplier taking ages to return calls; now we can call anytime and someone picks up straight away. Everyone is very professional and helpful.”
Heatforce, the Cardiff-based national heating company, has used the latest mobile technology to boost its independent customer service rating by 25 percent in just 6 months.
Gas, heating and boiler engineering company Moorhouse Heating Limited (MHL) has transformed from a regional to national business following the introduction of a new mobile workforce management technology from Leeds-based BigChange.
Gas Smart Heating has rolled out a high tech mobile workforce system as part of a paperless management system. A specialist in domestic heating and plumbing, Gas Smart Heating Ltd has equipped its field engineers with tablets running jobWatch, a 5 in 1 app supplied by BigChange.
With a team of highly trained engineers and headquarters based in Brighton, Gas Smart Heating provides reactive gas and plumbing maintenance including boiler and appliance installation. Formed just 5 years ago the company wanted to introduce the latest technology to underpin further expansion. The BigChange system has replaced existing software and paper-based systems, eliminating paperwork throughout the business.
Steven Cahalane, Director, Gas Smart Heating says:
“At the start we were only partly automated and crucial details on customers and appointments were simply scribbled on pieces of paper and calendars. As we began to grow and recruit more engineers, we realised we needed a much more professional system. We wanted to be able to match larger service providers such as British Gas and that’s when we started looking for a new system,”
Previously Gas Smart Heating had a system that provided digital job sheets but according to Cahalane it was very much a packaged solution with fixed job worksheets designed for a sole trader.
“Our old system was fine at the start but as we began to recruit more engineers it was clearly not up to the job. What we really wanted was a single system that would do everything. It was clear from the outset that BigChange offered something that fitted the bill exactly.”
In the office, Gas Smart Heating use JobWatch to log incoming calls, schedule work with jobs sent electronically to the assigned engineers’ tablet. With real-time data from the job, the office is always kept in the picture and can quickly resolve any issues – with invoices generally raised on the day of job completion
Cahalane says:
“The thing about BigChange is that it can match the functionality of systems costing hundreds of thousands of pounds used by national utility firms. This allows new independent players like Gas Smart Heating to enter the market and match the levels of service provided by the traditional suppliers,”
Gas Smart Heating Ltd realised that in order to compete effectively with the large national suppliers and to set them apart from their local competitors, customer service was going to be key. JobWatch is being used to provide the best customer interaction possible including immediate email booking confirmations including name and photograph of the assigned engineer.
Operationally, JobWatch has been implemented to provide information on appliances and job history information so engineers have visibility of previous faults and work done. The system also manages stocks and parts purchasing so engineers no longer face delays on jobs waiting on parts. With real time communication with the office, any additional work needed on site can also be quoted and agreed for completion while still onsite.
Cahalane explains:
“The job history and stock management applications with JobWatch have made a big difference. It means first time job completion rates are much better. In turn our engineers are happier as there are fewer frustrating delays waiting for parts and customers are happier as the work gets done first time without the need to arrange another visit,”
Health and safety is a big issue in the service industry and Gas Smart Heating are finding that JobWatch is helping with safety and compliance. Engineers can immediately record any safety issues onsite with supporting time and location stamped photographs. The system also provides onsite risk assessment workflows and electronic certificates.
As part of JobWatch vans are fitted with satellite tracking. Previously engineers were being called to check on their whereabouts but the system has eliminated that by providing email or text ETA alerts to keep the customer informed on the day. Customers are also able to track engineers progress via a link they receive by Gas Smart heating, allowing them to get on with their day without fear of missing the engineer.
Cahalane explains:
“With BigChange we are simply a lot more organised.”
“With satellite tracking data we can ensure engineers are paid accurately for their working day and overtime. Customer service has really benefitted as well – proof of service is very important especially when dealing with the high expectations of consumers. The tracking and live reporting also helps eliminate and resolve disputes, with quick and accurate invoicing that ensures we get paid quickly.”
Cahalane adds:
“In implementing the BigChange system we wanted to get in early with the latest technology and as state-of-the-art professional software it gives us a crucial competitive edge in the market. With JobWatch we are probably 25 percent more efficient; without it we need more office staff and I would be overwhelmed with administration tasks and paperwork. In fact, we simply wouldn’t be able to compete,”
“However, we see the biggest benefits being realised in the future. Because of the flexibility of the system we can configure it to take on contract work that we could not really do before such as insurance-related work. In addition we can expand freely and the system is easily expandable, accessible and relatively affordable.”
GasTech, the nationwide supplier of heating and cooling systems and services has deployed the latest mobile technology as part of a new cloud-based management system.
GasTech engineers have been equipped with rugged tablets that are connected in the real time to central management systems; part of a 5 in 1 solution from BigChange.
GasTech supply, install and service heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for commercial and industrial premises across the UK. Operating 24 hours, 7 days a week services, the BigChange technology has revolutionised GasTech’s business by eliminating paperwork and providing live operational information for improved control, productivity and service.
With headquarters near Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, GasTech was first established in 2005. Prior to implementing BigChange, GasTech used a PDF-based system for completing engineer reports and forms but it did not provide data or any tracking and gathering reports was proving time-consuming and inefficient.
Craig Firth, Director at GasTech says:
“With our growing workload we knew we needed to completely change the way we managed our service operations and in particular we needed to reduce the time engineers spent filling out forms,”
Craig continued:
“We undertook extensive research into the available systems on the market and it was clear that BigChange was very easy to use and would take away the administrative headaches from engineers so they could be more productive.”
JobWatch is used by engineers for everything from risk assessments to method statements, procedures, boiler and appliance manuals, job cards, quotations. It allows engineers to manage their work themselves knowing that the central office system will always be fully synchronised, whether night or day.
The GasTech fleet is equipped with BigChange vehicle tracking which provides useful real-time data for customer services and historic records for management analysis and proof of service. GasTech engineers also have immediate access to useful data such as the customer history with records of previous work on site and they can also see what parts are available throughout the company, including stock held on other vans.
Craig added:
“With BigChange we have a real-time paperless solution and there are significant benefits especially in the reduction of administrative work. We no longer have to chase engineers for their reports, everything is immediately available,”
“For customer service, the system is very helpful. It allows us to provide a smooth, seamless service and little features like automated text messages telling customers that an engineer is about to arrive are really great.”
GasTech also appreciates the benefits of fast and accurate invoicing, reducing disputes and the ability to raise quotations in an instant is proving really useful. This allows the company to get quick agreement for any additional remedial work while the engineer is already on site.
Final thoughts:
“With BigChange we are simply more efficient and professional. Jobs can be scheduled off a phone or tablet in an instant and when extra work is needed on site it used to take up to a week to get together a quote for additional work. By then the engineer may have been long gone. Now we can get a quote issued the same day,”
