Dealey Environmental, a specialist in environmentally friendly pest control, has reduced the resources required to manage its mobile workforce by 50 per cent following the implementation of latest field service management software from BigChange.
Offering the full range of environmental protection services including bird control, fumigation, grounds maintenance and cleaning, Dealey has been pioneering environmentally friendly products and service since its inception in 1954. Using the BigChange platform, Dealey has further improved its green credentials with a significant reduction in paperwork and has boosted its customer experience with automated reporting.
Martin Cobbald, Managing Director of Dealey Environmental commented:
“Before BigChange we were killing trees not just pests! We consumed paper at an unsustainable rate and not only was this bad for the planet it was bad for us and for our clients. We had paper everywhere, except where it was meant to be, and it took a huge amount of my time to schedule jobs, manage the team and liaise with clients.
He continued:
“Around this time, I was introduced to the concept of ‘lean management’ which focusses on continuous improvement and optimising resources, I was also recommended BigChange and realised the fit between our aspirations, the model for a successful business and the BigChange solution, and we haven’t looked back.”
Dealey Environmental, based in Suffolk, offers a wide range of services in the field of pest control and wildlife management. Serving clients in the food manufacturing, bioscience, farming and haulage sectors – in fact any business with pests, Dealey is one of the few companies that will look to address the cause of an issue rather than just the manifestation. Where remedial action is required Dealey uses the best equipment with the latest chemicals and adheres to the most stringent audit standards.
Since implementing the single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Live Tracking, Field Resource Management and Online Portal, from BigChange, Dealey records all customer interactions, automatically schedules routine tasks and captures site visit records, including photographs, for auditing and reporting. HR uses vehicle tracking reports to further reduce paperwork and reduce the monthly payroll resource and the online library has made new recruitment inductions and training more efficient and effective.
Cobbald concluded:
“Since the first meeting BigChange talked our language making an effort to understand our business and our needs. There is always someone available with guidance, insight and patience, and I know that as we continue to grow BigChange will grow with us.”
Pinnacle Group has transformed its customer experience and increased operational efficiency following the implementation of the latest field service management software from BigChange.
Supporting over 300,000 homes, 200 schools and 100 public and private buildings, Pinnacle is one of the UK’s largest facilities management providers. Using BigChange, Pinnacle has achieved a significant improvement in transparency and communication with clients by delivering live operational information and has overcome challenges resulting from the pandemic which saw a reduced workforce facing an increased workload.
Raaj Bharania, Pinnacle Group Business Manager commented:
“Since implementing BigChange we have seen real time savings and productivity gains resulting in better quality of service, reduced resources and costs, and increased client and customer satisfaction. This can be directly translated into contract extensions and new contract awards.”
Pinnacle is a community-facing, people-first business that delivers, manages and maintains communities and places – including multi-tenure housing, schools, open spaces, public and private buildings, retail schemes, distribution centres, manufacturing plants, utilities and broadband networks – as well as a range of complementary employment and wellbeing outcomes. Formed in 1994, Pinnacle operates nationwide with major hubs in London, Chelmsford, Slough, Birmingham, Leeds, Morecambe, Stoke and Carlisle. Pinnacle provides integrated Facilities Management across all sectors and the frontline operation makes around 1,400 call outs per day with an 80/20 split between scheduled and reactive.
Since implementing 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, Pinnacle can record, monitor and control every task in real-time. Details of site inspections and service delivery visits are captured, recorded and reported, complete with before and after photos, using a traffic light system allowing operatives to self-certify works.
Area Manager Marcin Rosiak said:
“By giving clients access to the BigChange platform we have been able to reduce the time spent monitoring and reporting as they can access the information they need when they need it.”
Whilst Business Manager Seundouss Laroussi added:
BigChange has been transformational for us, and our clients, and we cannot imagine our operation without it!”
BigChange has already been deployed on over 90 percent of Pinnacles soft FM contracts where it has been tailored to meet specific KPIs, SLAs and reporting requirements and roll out on the remaining 10 percent is ongoing. Further planned work includes the transition to a completely paperless operation and the use of BigChange to improve workforce engagement and health and safety management.
Trustee Fire and Security has boosted productivity by 25 per cent using the latest field service management software. Since deploying the BigChange job management platform, Trustee has also been able to deliver significant improvements in customer service by providing digital, real-time reporting from service engineers using mobile devices linked to live vehicle tracking.
Trustee is a fire and security specialist first established in 1978 and based in Orpington. The company provides solutions for both domestic and commercial properties with a range of services from fire and intruder alarms to CCTV, access control, automatic gates, fabrication and emergency lighting. Trustee embarked on a major business expansion drive 3 years ago and has since seen year-on-year growth.
Two years ago Trustee realised that their ageing legacy system could not cope with the expanding business. A new system was needed to provide a fully digital solution with high levels of automation, and a platform for future ambitious growth plans.
Nick Toomey, Director, Trustee Fire and Security says:
“We work in an industry bound by a lot of health and safety legislation and is broadly behind the times when it came to digital working; it was still an industry burdened with paperwork we knew that moving to a real-time digital reporting system was the future but finding a suitable system proved difficult. BigChange proved to be by far the best option and offers tremendous potential as the platform to transform this industry.”
BigChange brings together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, and business intelligence into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform. Trustee run a fleet of vehicles servicing clients across the south-east of England, with engineers equipped with rugged tablets for managing their jobs and reporting; the BigChange platform synchronises mobile devices and the central CRM so Trustee has complete visibility of all jobs.
Trustee particularly like the automated scheduling and routing, ensuring the best allocation of resources, optimised and backed with useful management information, such as the calculated cost of each job. Invoicing in BigChange is also much quicker and two-way integration with Xero accounts software means BigChange provides a completely seamless end-to-end business solution.
Toomey comments:
“BigChange has enabled us to eliminate paperwork and completely digitally transform the way we work. That has led to productivity gains across the office and field service operations of around 25 per cent. However, it’s customer service where the greatest benefits are being realised. Customers are very impressed with the provision of instantly updated data from our engineers and automated communications,”
On the fleet side, Trustee’s engineers use their tablets to record their vehicle safety checks and tracking provides useful safe driving performance statistics, as well as keeping customer services informed of the location and progress of all engineers. BigChange software guides engineers with workflows to ensure procedures are followed and all data is complete, ensuring consistency and quality. Future implementation will address the stringent fire and security compliance reporting.
Toomey adds:
“BigChange is a great business tool as we can see everything going on, in real-time and 24/7 from anywhere by just connecting online. That also makes business expansion so easy, it is just the case of adding another user. It’s certainly broken down traditional IT barriers and we’ll be able to expand freely whether it be through organic growth or acquisition”
Dock Solutions, a specialist in the manufacture of dock levellers and loading bay equipment, is set to increase turnover by over 85 per cent since implementing the latest field service management software from BigChange.
Using the complete Job Management Platform, Dock Solutions has transformed its previously paper-based management process reducing costs and increasing efficiency. BigChange has also helped Dock Solutions improve communication between field-based personnel, back-office staff and the end customer, which is helping to minimise downtime and raise customer service levels.
Lee Brownson, General Manager of Dock Solutions commented:
“We initially selected BigChange for its live tracking as the mapping of vehicles and reports were far superior to the solution we were using, however, with training and support from BigChange, we saw the potential of the platform across different aspects of the business and are beginning to use more of its functionality which is realising more benefits.
“Using BigChange we no longer need to produce the weekly paperwork in advance. Not only was this costly and labour intensive it was very rigid and didn’t allow us to react to changing workloads or priorities. BigChange also improves visibility of the field service operation and allows us to communicate more efficiently internally and with customers.
“To summarise I would say that BigChange saves us time and money processing business critical information and makes it easy to access!” he continued. “This has without doubt contributed to an increase in turnover post Covid by over 85 per cent underpinned by a rise in production of nearly 300 per cent.”
Based in Gloucestershire, Dock Solutions was formed in 2004 and has seen continuous growth since its inception. Specialists in loading bay equipment and industrial doors, Dock Solutions manufactures, installs and services loading bay equipment including levellers and lifts, rising arm barriers, dock bumpers and industrial doors for customers such as Bentley Motors, Halfords Group, Marks and Spencer and Pepsico International. Dock Solutions operates across the UK and currently employs around 40 full time staff including welders, electricians, engineers, salespeople and administrators.
Using the single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Live Tracking, Field Resource Management and Online Portal, from BigChange has allowed Dock Solutions to move away from paper-based management with automatic job scheduling and reporting. Dock Solutions is also using BigChange’s CRM functionality to manage its growing customer base and communicate important product and service announcements and hopes to implement additional functionality including financial management such as payments and invoicing.
Lee Brownson concluded:
“As the UK manufacturer of dock levellers and dock shelters, we can offer our customers the right solution and bespoke service for their projects. With the support of BigChange, and their excellent customer service, we have never hit an issue that was not reacted to positively and promptly.”
Industrial doors company Complete Shutter Services has doubled its business and boosted productivity by 20 per cent since implementing field service management software from BigChange. Providing a complete job management platform, BigChange cloud-based office software synchronises with a rugged tablets used by field operatives to provide real-time 24/7 visibility of every job nationwide.
Established 35 years with headquarters and factory in Rotherham and a factory in Harlow, Essex, Complete Shutter Services designs, manufactures, installs and services door systems for clients including BP, Shell, Jewson, Homebase, Marks and Spencer and the Co-Op.
Paul Quealey, MD, Complete Shutter Services commented:
“We’re in an increasingly competitive market and it is crucial to keep ahead”.
“Our clients are also now much more demanding when it comes to reporting on jobs – they expect accurate and real-time reports. BigChange allows us to do just that and the platform is so easily adaptable that we know we’ll be able to meet any client need.”
According to Quealey, the biggest impact of BigChange has been in improving the quality of its services. The software guides field operatives through procedures on site ensuring everything is done correctly with consistent and complete reporting every time; backed up with time recorded before and after photographs.
Quealey explained:
“We’ve possibly increased the quality of our services by 70 per cent with BigChange. That’s key to retaining and growing our business and the way we have deployed BigChange gives us a key competitive advantage.”
Complete Shutter Services was one of the first adopters of BigChange and played a central role in developing the platform for use in the industrial doors industry. BigChange is a complete job management platform bringing together customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, financial management, and online portal into one simple to use and easy to integrate platform. Jobs are automatically allocated based on real-time engineer availability, skills, live location and parts stock. This is significantly increasing productivity; minimising customer wait time and driving first time fix at competitive cost for clients.
Quealey continued:
“BigChange has delivered huge cost savings and we’ve increased productivity in the office by at least 20 per cent and we’ve made similar gains in terms of the number of jobs completed daily”.
“It’s also made business expansion very easy. New engineers can literally be up and running in minutes using the very easy mobile app. And when we opened a new office in Harlow, we just connected online to access the cloud-based software giving all the IT we needed, instantly.”
Complete’s field engineers use the platform to complete their timesheets and vehicle checks, before instantly accessing job information. Linked to vehicle trackers, the software provides navigation with live traffic to ensure the best route is taken and customers receive ETA updates by text and email. On arrival, engineers can create instant estimates and the app guides them step by step through health & safety and job-specific workflows including photo capture. On completion, the system generates job-cards that are automatically shared via a customer’s booking portal or via email.
Quealey concluded:
“Invoices can be raised immediately on job completion and since the system allows us to provide such good proof-of-service, disputes are very much a thing of the past. For management, BigChange really does bring peace of mind. We’ve got access through a BigChange management smartphone app that gives us complete round-the clock visibility of everything going on. It means we are always in control and able to provide the high levels of service whatever the operational challenges.”
National Maintenance, the Nottingham-based national facilities management company, has successfully rolled out a new field service management system from BigChange. With BigChange software, field operatives using rugged tablets are connected in real time to the office as part of a complete job management platform.
National Maintenance provides repair, refurbishment and maintenance services for the private and public sector. Clients include Barratt Homes, St Andrews Healthcare, nursery group Busy Bees, and Nottingham City Council. The company, which has seen a 40 per cent year on year growth since formation in 2009, implemented BigChange early in 2021 to provide a platform for further expansion nationally.
National Maintenance embraced technology right from the start with paperless working in the office. However, with ambitious plans to expand and a need to meet more stringent reporting requirement of clients operating nationally, the company needed to overhaul its systems.
“We looked at a number of systems, shortlisting two. We initially made the wrong decision and after 6 months of frustration we realised it was a mistake and we switched to BigChange,” says Jon Johnson, MD, National Maintenance Ltd. “That has proved to be the right decision; BigChange has proven to be much easier to use and implement and crucially, support has been exceptional.”
“We’ve only really just become aware of the power of BigChange; it really is an all-in-one business solution. It provides a seamless flow of real-time information from initial job booking, to field operations, to finance and management and onto our customers. It’s already reduced office and accounts administration by 50 per cent.”
National Maintenance undertakes scheduled and reactive work with field operatives receiving and managing jobs on their tablets. The job management software automates every conceivable task in the field, replacing paperwork with real-time electronic reporting synchronised with the central BigChange platform. Uses includes daily van checks, risk assessments, job sheets supported with time and location tracking logs and before and after photographs.
Johnson comments:
“The industry has become a lot more demanding and providing real-time, evidence-supported, digital reports is becoming the norm. The platform does literally everything and creating job sheets for different tasks has been really easy; it gives us a true future-proof solution to meet any client need and freely expand the business”
National Maintenance particularly like the way BigChange boosts the quality and consistency of reporting through the use of workflows. It guides the operator step-by-step and disallows anything to be skipped; something that’s also very useful for training new recruits.
Johnson adds:
“From a business perspective BigChange is a game-changer. Being cloud-based and mobile we’ve been able to set up a new office literally in a day and get new field operatives up and running in a few hours. I can also use the management app on my phone to keep a watch on everything going on, 24/7 from anywhere.”
Powered access company Quick Reach has reduced its environmental impact, improved operational efficiency and has achieved a significant growth in income using the latest field service management software from BigChange.
Since implementing the complete Job Management Platform, Quick Reach has transitioned to become virtually paperless, contributing to a reduction in the hire company’s carbon footprint and supporting its green aspirations. BigChange has also powered improvements in efficiency resulting in an increase in the number of deliveries, collections and repairs completed each day and has realised a 200 per cent increase in damage charges.
Jim Dorricott, Operations Director at Quick Reach commented:
“As we have grown, from a single site operation to a strategic UK wide network of depots, we have had to change the way we manage the field operation. Prior to BigChange everything was paper based, and each depot managed themselves. When we launched a central hire desk and a dedicated technical support centre, paper was no longer an option as it was just too labour intensive and environmentally damaging.
He continued:
“Using BigChange has certainly been a big change. All information is now held centrally and can be accessed whenever it is needed, by whoever needs it. This has resulted in significant improvements in operational efficiencies evidenced by an increase in the jobs completed each day. We also have automated alerts and notifications allowing us to react and respond to any issues as they occur and the ability to capture and record information, including photographs, at every stage which has resulted in the tripling of our damage charges.”
Formed in 2014 by brothers John and David Barton, Quick Reach has grown and is now widely recognised as one of the top powered access companies in the UK. With a wealth of experience in the plant industry, Quick Reach offers contract hire and sale of a complete range of powered access equipment including the latest hybrid platforms. Quick Reach supports customers with a comprehensive training programme ensuring compliance with the latest Working at Height Legislation and unique service and maintenance packages including statutory equipment inspections.
Using the single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Live Tracking, Field Resource Management and Online Portal, from BigChange has transformed the management of Quick Reach’s delivery and service operation with drivers and engineers armed with mobile devices. Job sheets and schedules are automatically allocated and shared and proof of delivery and customer sign-offs are digitally captured and centrally stored. Quick Reach also relies on BigChange to manage aspects of its workforce health and safety monitoring with daily vehicle and driver and checks.
Dorricott concluded:
“BigChange has completely changed the way we operate – for the better! It’s easy to use, reliable, can be configured to just the way you need it. The support is first class and as we continue to grow so will our use of BigChange.”
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.”
Using the latest mobile workforce management technology, sewerage solution specialist Jet Aire Services has eliminated virtually all paper from the management of its full-turnkey drainage service.
Using the 5-in-1 cloud-based BigChange system, Jet Aire – which operates from a headquarters in Leeds with an additional base in Middlesbrough – now has complete, real-time visibility of its mobile workforce and has improved efficiency across the entire service operation. Responding to around 30,000 planned and reactive callouts each year, Jet Aire is also using BigChange to improve workforce health and safety and boost customer service.
Jet Aire Chairman Charlie Kirk commented:
“BigChange is part of our continuous evolution as a pioneer in drainage solutions. As we evolve so does BigChange, and, with support at every level from the highest management who have a ‘roll up the sleeves and make it happen’ attitude right through to the Roadcrew team for whom no question is too small, we know that BigChange will be with us at every step of our journey.”
He added:
“Using BigChange we have automated around 99 percent of our workflows. This not only reduces paper and the environmental impact of our working practices it also improves visibility, accuracy and currency of information, as data is recorded as it happens, reducing the potential for errors, and is available 24/7 from any internet connected device. This proved especially useful during COVID restrictions when a lot of the workforce was working remotely.”
Jet Aire Services has been devising drainage systems and solving drainage problems for over thirty years. Working with water companies, housing developers, high street names as well as public sector organisations and individual householders, Jet Aire provides a full range of services from drain cleaning and coating to prevent issues, emergency call outs to unblock drains through to fault diagnose and repairs with CCTV surveys, sonar tracing and no-dig remediation.
Jet Aire operates a fleet of around 50 vehicles from its two sites and has invested significant resources, including more than £1m during the pandemic, ensuring they are fully equipped. Units include CCTV equipped Van Pack Units and all-terrain vehicles, Jet-Vac units ranging from 18T to 32T and the only JHL Flexline 414 Recycler Unit in the North of England.
Prior to the implementation of BigChange, Jet Aire relied heavily on paper schedules, job sheets and reports with only limited automation of workflows in the back-office operation. Providing a single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Vehicle Tracking and Mobile Workforce App, BigChange has transformed this with routine work automatically scheduled potentially months in advance, emergency callouts allocated by equipment availability and location, and job sheets sent directly to a worker’s mobile device.
Field staff equipped with BigChange tablets can also access site information and previous callout histories, and record detailed job completion reports, including photographs, in real time. This is not only improving efficiency across the operation, but is also boosting customer service with faster query resolution and improved data sharing.
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.”
