Author: Martin Port

Warmaway Deploys BigChange Job Management Software to Fuel Efficiencies

Posted on by Martin Port

Central heating specialist Warmaway is using a job management system from BigChange to achieve efficiencies across its mobile workforce operation.

Integrated with back-office systems, BigChange is improving the productiveness of engineers, with less time spent travelling and filling out paperwork, and increased the turnaround time between completing the work and invoicing the customer via a seamless integration with the company’s accounting software Xero.

Warmaway is also planning to implement an online booking portal powered by BigChange, which will allow customers to request, book and manage appointments at their convenience. The BigChange customer portal also means Warmaway’s customers can track jobs and download job cards and invoices when the work is completed.

“Prior to BigChange, we had a basic CRM system, which literally gave us an address, so we tried to have a bespoke solution built, but this still limited us to desktop use,” commented Adam Redgwick, Sales Director at Warmaway.

“BigChange is different. From vehicle tracking to accessing a boiler’s service history, BigChange is there when and where we need it.

Adam Redgwick, Sales Director, Warmaway

“Using BigChange, we can see exactly where our engineers are, where they are going next and how they are driving,” he continued.

“The engineers know in advance what their day looks like and they know they have the information they need to deal with each and every job. With BigChange, even the back-office staff know they have the tools they need to get the job done from scheduling to keeping the customers informed and managing cash flow.”

Adam Redgwick, Sales Director, Warmaway

Warmaway is a family business with more than 45 years in the plumbing and heating industry. Founder Brian Redgwick installed some of the first domestic central heating systems in the 1970s, and the Yorkshire-based company is now in the capable hands of his son and grandsons. Warmaway provides a range of services, including central gas heating, boiler repairs and electrical work, and has more recently focused on renewable energy systems. Warmaway is Gas Safe, NICEIC approved, and MCS certified.

Used by Warmaway, the BigChange job management system incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy-to-integrate platform. Automated vehicle checks and driver behaviour alerts ensure Warmaway’s fleet of Ford Transit vans is well serviced, maintained and driven, whilst real-time tracking, complete with customisable alerts, provides 24/7 visibility.

Advanced scheduling means Warmaway is achieving more with the same resource, and customisable job sheets and completion reports mean the flow of information between back-office staff and field engineers is more structured with reduced scope for errors. Warmaway engineers can also access, via the BigChange tablets, complete service histories and online manuals, complete with photographs.

The seamless integration of BigChange with the company’s Xero accounting software is fuelling further efficiencies, and business benefits as staff no longer have to ‘double-key’ information, invoices are produced as soon as a job is completed, and management can access up-to-date financial reports.

The coming of the Jewish New Year is a time for reflection

Posted on by Martin Port

The coming of the Jewish New Year is a time for reflection

Sunday marks Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. This is an important time for me, as it’s a time when I pause to think about the year ahead, to consider the year behind me, and – more broadly – to reflect on the challenges and the issues we all face in the world today.

This year, something weighs heavily on my mind. It is a sad truth that antisemitism is a real and present threat to my culture and faith. I have noticed many worrying trends, from the rise of far-right parties in France, Switzerland and Germany to an increase in Holocaust denial.

This is why it was a pleasure and privilege to meet Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), at a recent dinner. Her organisation works tirelessly to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, so that our society never forgets these crimes against humanity.

She explains: “Our organisation was set up in the late eighties, around the time of the War Crimes Bill, which sought to prosecute Nazi war criminals, who were living freely in the UK at that time. These people were guilty of horrendous crimes and the issue was discussed widely by both Parliament and the media. At the same time, many Holocaust survivors started to feel people were interested in their stories – they were previously advised not to talk about their and expected to move on. And some wanted to leave the horrors behind.

“The Trust was set up to support survivors and to help provide resources for those who wanted to learn about the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a defining moment in history and I believe no child should leave school without knowing what happened. The HET honours the memory of those 6million Jews who were murdered, and helps young people to understand where antisemitism can lead.”

The HET takes young people to Holocaust sites to learn about what happened in places like Auschwitz, and creates resources for teachers who want to present a factual account of what happened to people during that time.

In 2022, few Holocaust survivors remain. As we lose first-hand witnesses, it becomes ever more important to preserve their memories. In this age of “fake news” where high-profile politicians publicly deny the Holocaust, we risk the further spread of antisemitism. 

“It is frightening to see the rise of Holocaust denial,” says Karen. “The Nazis kept thorough documentation of everything they did during the war, noting down the names, age, height and the towns and villages where victims were from. These meticulous records should make it impossible to deny what happened but maybe they are less tangible than the memories of someone who can describe being there.”

I was lucky to be granted a sneak preview of an upcoming HET project, which has captured interviews with a small number of Holocaust survivors, preserving their recollections for future generations. “We recorded them answering 900 questions using volumetric cameras,” Karen says. “We are creating the technology to allow people to interact with these videos, to stop the spread of misinformation and keep their memory alive.”

Karen and her organisation are doing an amazing job, helping to spread awareness and fight antisemitism. This issue affects all of us, whether we are Jewish or not. Lest we forget.

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

First They Came by Pastor Martin Niemöller

Can your business handle whatever life throws at it?

Posted on by Martin Port

Can your business handle whatever life throws at it?

Be honest. When you hear the phrase “business continuity”, do you zone out? Yes, it’s a dry, well-worn topic, but it’s imperative to business survival. 

Behind the jargon is a very real and vital concept. Business continuity simply means: can your business trade on despite disruption and economic strife? The pandemic was the ultimate test of business continuity but plenty of other, smaller events can also affect the wellbeing of your company.

Over the years, I have created my own business continuity playbook. These are areas to build on and prioritise during the good times to ensure peak performance during challenging situations.

Here are my six secrets of business continuity.

1.)  Empower your team

This can be one of the hardest lessons for any entrepreneur to master. As your business grows, you must empower your team to make decisions on your behalf. The only way this is possible is through a strong and consistent company culture. If you were hit by a bus tomorrow, would everyone in your organisation know how to keep going? Can they anticipate your next move? Start fostering team autonomy now, before you need it.

2.)  Enhance your reporting

Your people can only make the right decisions if they can access the right information. You need to track all the metrics that matter to your business and ensure that your reporting tools are easy to access and understand. BigChange has spent years honing its reporting tools so that the vital information is there at a glance, in real-time.

3.)  Automation

Automated reporting is one thing but it’s important to build automation into every process you can. Find out what wastes the most time for your team – are they fiddling with spreadsheets? Are invoices taking ages? Lengthy paper-based processes can really hamper a business during tough times, sucking up resource and dampening agility. Take back control through smart software. BigChange promises to dramatically increase productivity, letting your people do their jobs instead of getting bogged down with admin.

4.)  Constant communication

Over-communication is infinitely preferable to silence. You need to be speaking to your teams honestly, constructively, and often. A steady flow of communication between teams and across different departments means that problems or blockers are discovered and dealt with more quickly. Make sure you, as a leader, are constantly speaking to people at all levels in your business. Ask them what’s going well, and what’s going not so well. Create opportunities for people in different teams to chat and compare notes. Silos only breed rivalries and inefficiency.

5.)  Get the right partners on board

A business with the right funding and right support will weather any storm. When I chose Great Hill Partners as a key investor in the business, I knew that their involvement would ensure business continuity through financial stability and a unity of purpose and focus. The investment also helped us make a huge investment in people, hiring across all key areas of the business – in our development team alone, we now have 100 people working on our software. In customer success, we have 70 people working tirelessly to drive customer growth and help them get the most out of our technology.

6.)  The right tools

You have the right people, the right partners and communication is consistent and strong – now, all you need to do is to give everyone the tools they need to excel. Usually, this means having the right technologies in place to drive growth and efficiency. At BigChange, we use our own software to manage jobs, partner up with other firms, and help our own mobile workforce to be more efficient, driving less and working more productively. We created our suite of tools to be a one-stop shop for customers, so they don’t have to go out and pay for multiple technologies. 

BigChange delivers business growth for specialist project logistics

Posted on by Martin Port

14th september 2022 – Specialist Project Logistics (spl), a specialist transport and delivery service for high-value items, has achieved a 40 per cent growth in business since implementing the latest job management technology from BigChange.

The cloud-based platform has allowed SPL to transform its paper-based operation with end-to-end digital workflows reducing costs and improving communications. The fully integrated CRM ensures every opportunity is managed to its full potential, helping the business secure more work, whilst automated scheduling improves the efficiency of the mobile workforce by up to 50 per cent.

“Prior to BigChange, we were completely paper-based, which meant vital information was not accessible, and the operation was not scalable,” commented Phil Dixon, Commercial Director at Specialist Project Logistics. “My remit was to implement a strategy for growth, and to achieve this, I knew I needed to provide a structure that allowed for the flow of information between the field teams, back office and management.

“BigChange provides this! From initial enquiry through the actual delivery process to invoicing and payment, every piece of information is recorded and centrally stored, meaning it is accessible whenever and wherever it’s needed. In addition, the CRM has transformed our sales process, so we are winning more business; the intelligent scheduling means we can do more work with the same resource, and the real-time tracking and updates mean we can respond to changes as they occur and keep the customer informed.”   

Phil Dixon, Commercial Director, SPL

SPL is based just outside of Doncaster, with easy access to the motorway network allowing them to provide a bespoke delivery service across the mainland UK. Operating a mixed fleet of trucks and vans, SPL specialises in the transport of high-end white goods, ensuring equipment is delivered in situ. Working alongside its sister companies General Catering Services and Jeros UK, for high street names such as J D Wetherspoons, Co-Op and Five Guys, SPL offers a complete solution including warehousing and consolidation, unpacking and positioning, and removal and disposal. 

BigChange job management platform, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy-to-integrate platform, has transformed service delivery for SPL. Using the CRM to log enquiries provides intelligence for the management team for business development and ensures consistency of information once work is won. Drivers armed with tablets have access to delivery details and the flow of real-time information between field and office, including POD, complete with photographs and time/date stamps and continuously updated ETAs ensuring the client is kept informed. 

“BigChange is like one big encyclopaedia for our business,” Dixon continued,

“When the pressure is on, and multiple plates are spinning, BigChange is a steady hand ensuring nothing gets dropped! BigChange is easy to use – even for the least techy person, and the support from the BigChange team is excellent.” 

Phil Nixon, Commercial Director, SPL

King Charles: the new monarch and entrepreneurship

Posted on by Martin Port

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II died, ending an illustrious 70-year reign. The whole nation is now in mourning – as am I. I posted just recently about how I viewed the Queen as an entrepreneurial icon, both because of her support of business owners through the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, and in the way she ran her own estate. Following her death, the British Chamber of Commerce, the business membership organisation of which the Queen was patron, said: “She was a great supporter of business throughout her reign.”

Indeed, when BigChange won a Queen’s Award, it was a game-changer for the company, bringing global recognition and acclaim. I will never forget the impact that award had on the team’s morale, how it delighted our customers, and supported our ambitions to win market share across the world.

King Charles III will now take up the Queen’s mantle. I believe he not only shares his mother’s desire to support the doers and triers of this nation, he has a passion for entrepreneurs that even surpasses hers. I have met him a few times over the years – I’m a board member for the charity Business in the Community, which he created – and I have found him a humble, understated man who prefers to talk up the achievements of others and uses his status and privilege to help those in need. 

His former private secretary Sir Michael Peat once called him the “greatest charitable entrepreneur in the world” because of his ability to identify a need and then set up a charity to meet that need. This may be why our new king is currently the president of 17 charities through The Prince’s Charities, focusing on: the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, young people and education, and international sustainability. The Prince’s Trust alone has helped over one million young people since he founded it in 1976. 

All of these causes are close to my heart and BigChange has supported organisations across most of these core areas in recent years. It is heartening to see our interests so aligned with the King’s, especially with challenging times ahead because of climate change, the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.

The UK may no longer be ruled by its kings and queens but they still have ample opportunity to make a difference, highlight important causes, and direct funding where it best serves the nation. For these reasons, I am heartened by King Charles’ ascension to the throne and I believe all business owners can be confident that he will champion trade and enterprise. I look forward to his coronation early next year. 

King Charles: the new monarch and entrepreneurship

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II died, ending an illustrious 70-year reign. The whole nation is now in mourning – as am I. I posted just recently about how I viewed the Queen as an entrepreneurial icon, both because of her support of business owners through the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, and in the way she ran her own estate. Following her death, the British Chamber of Commerce, the business membership organisation of which the Queen was patron, said: “She was a great supporter of business throughout her reign.”

Indeed, when BigChange won a Queen’s Award, it was a game-changer for the company, bringing global recognition and acclaim. I will never forget the impact that award had on the team’s morale, how it delighted our customers, and supported our ambitions to win market share across the world.

King Charles III will now take up the Queen’s mantle. I believe he not only shares his mother’s desire to support the doers and triers of this nation, he has a passion for entrepreneurs that even surpasses hers. I have met him a few times over the years – I’m a board member for the charity Business in the Community, which he created – and I have found him a humble, understated man who prefers to talk up the achievements of others and uses his status and privilege to help those in need. 

His former private secretary Sir Michael Peat once called him the “greatest charitable entrepreneur in the world” because of his ability to identify a need and then set up a charity to meet that need. This may be why our new king is currently the president of 17 charities through The Prince’s Charities, focusing on: the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, young people and education, and international sustainability. The Prince’s Trust alone has helped over one million young people since he founded it in 1976. 

All of these causes are close to my heart and BigChange has supported organisations across most of these core areas in recent years. It is heartening to see our interests so aligned with the King’s, especially with challenging times ahead because of climate change, the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.

The UK may no longer be ruled by its kings and queens but they still have ample opportunity to make a difference, highlight important causes, and direct funding where it best serves the nation. For these reasons, I am heartened by King Charles’ ascension to the throne and I believe all business owners can be confident that he will champion trade and enterprise. I look forward to his coronation early next year. 

Forth roll-out BigChange job management system

Posted on by Martin Port

31ST AUGUST 2022 – BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERING COMPANY FORTH, HAS IMPLEMENTED BIGCHANGE TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF OVER 10,000 COMBUSTION, AIR CONDITIONING, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ASSETS FOR CUSTOMERS, RANGING FROM THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD TO GLOBAL REAL ESTATE FIRMS.

A complete job management solution, BigChange is improving the efficiency of routine maintenance scheduling, ensuring compliance with strict servicing standards, reducing back-office resources and boosting customer service levels with detailed, customised reporting. Cost control features and automated invoicing are also contributing to FORTH’s rise as one of the fastest-growing building service companies in the UK.

“Prior to BigChange, the work of our engineers and the financial management of jobs was completed using a variety of tools,” commented Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH. “Whilst this was right for us as a much smaller operation, it did not provide the ability to manage specific servicing records, and consequent remedial works, of every asset we look after. It was also inefficient and hampered our ability to deliver specific servicing information to clients.

“Having looked for a solution for approximately two years, BigChange was the only one which combined all of the elements of job management we were looking for, together with strong asset and financial management capabilities.”

Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH

FORTH is a specialist, multi-disciplined mechanical and electrical service provider operating throughout the South of England, London and the Midlands. FORTH has over 60 years of experience designing, installing and maintaining HVAC and electrical plant equipment within the public sector, heritage, commercial and industrial spaces. FORTH is trusted by facilities and estate professionals in organisations such as Salisbury Cathedral, University Hospital Southampton and the Priory Group.

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, has had a big impact for FORTH. Routine tasks have been automated, and the ability to create detailed service standards has enabled FORTH to work directly with clients to create, report on and continuously improve the health of their assets.

The ability to access historical service records whilst on-site ensures continuity of service, and the speed and immediacy of completion reporting are boosting customer service levels and financial control. FORTH is also using BigChange vehicle tracking to monitor and improve driving standards

“BigChange is the solution that will enable us to scale our business to the next level, and we know we have made the best possible choice, both for our current and future requirements,” she concluded.

“The whole team has embraced BigChange, and we have been supported by them at every stage; there is always someone available, and they are always able to help!”

Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH

Plumbing & Gas Solutions gets a grip of costs with BigChange

Posted on by Martin Port

Leeds, 07 September 2022 – Plumbing & Gas Solutions is set to improve their efficiency, saving the company time and money, following the implementation of a BigChange job management system.

By automating workflows and connecting mobile engineers armed with tablets to back-office staff and management, BigChange is improving efficiencies, reducing outgoings and eliminating the potential for errors.

“Using BigChange we are changing our behaviours and therefore our culture,” said Darryl Taylor, the new Operations Director taken on to implement BigChange for Plumbing & Gas Solutions. “Management no longer needs to keep tabs on the workforce, engineers can focus on the job, not the paperwork, and our customers can engage with us when and how they want to. This will allow us to grow the business in a sustainable way to the benefit of our staff, our clients and our community.”

“Occasionally, paperwork that had not been correctly filled in or submitted was resulting in the odd job not being invoiced,” commented Carl Yeomanson, Managing Director of Plumbing & Gas Solutions. “This was not just costing us in terms of lost billing, parts would have been purchased to do the job, engineers were still being paid and we were using fuel and other consumables, to do the work. Due to the size of the projects we work on we know that in the first week of using BigChange we saved many hours of time scheduling jobs and had a more streamlined approach to our billing system!

“But the savings don’t stop there,” he continued. “There were other avoidable charges, such as lapsed vehicle leases, and we were not using our engineers to their maximum capacity.”

Plumbing & Gas Solutions was established in 2010 and was initially focused on domestic services; the company fitted the first bathroom for Homebase which was recently sold for close to £100 million. Having consistently grown, year on year, Plumbing & Gas now specialises in commercial and industrial reactive maintenance and retrofit projects, working for brands such as Centre Parcs, Stadium MK, Cranfield University and Bletchley Park. Plumbing & Gas operates a mixed fleet of vans and trucks and has the largest team of commercial gas engineers in the region

Using the BigChange job management system, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, job finance and business intelligence, in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, Plumbing & Gas now work smarter rather than harder.

Intelligent scheduling ensures the most appropriate resource is allocated to each task and ad-hoc requests can be accommodated, whilst engineers no longer have to physically check in at the office as there is a real-time flow of information between office and field, with job cards, completion reports and photographs available 24/7. Equipment specific service histories, certificates and maintenance records can be accessed, in just a couple of clicks, and the invoicing and payroll are automated based on vehicle tracking and digital reporting.

The BigChange customer portal allows Plumbing & Gas’ clients to self-serve with access to certificates, completed work reports and invoices and they can even book their own appointments based on continuously updated engineer availability. Plumbing & Gas is also utilising the features of the BigChange CRM to boost customer service by reviewing dormant clients and identifying additional opportunities with existing relationships.

Plumbing & Gas’ engineers are also embracing BigChange with guided vehicle checks, advanced routing and even driver alerts for speeding and idling, which is creating healthy competition, further reducing costs and minimising environmental impact.

The Recognition keeps on coming for BigChange

Posted on by Martin Port

High-profile awards panels across the UK continue to praise the benefits of BigChange.

One of the most prestigious awards programmes in the country – The Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards – has shortlisted BigChange for its Business Enabler of the Year category.

This award recognises how BigChange is driving digital transformation at over 1,900 businesses, improving their operations and helping them to win more work.

Last month, we covered the accolades BigChange received from several industry bodies after placing on the shortlists of the British Security Industry Association, Construction News and Heating Installer Awards.

Further recognition from Lloyds shines a spotlight on BigChange’s vital work, helping trade businesses grow stronger and serve their customers better.

Our nomination spoke to the strength of BigChange’s software, the resilience of the BigChange network and how brilliant businesses are using our platform to do more with their existing resources. The judges heard from Suzanna Coyle at Union Technical, who said, “BigChange has helped us transition from start-up to a nationwide service provider with a team of over 100.”

But success isn’t only coming from BigChange’s role as a business enabler. The UK Business Tech Awards lauded the technology that underpins our platform.

Our inclusion in the SaaS Company of the Year category highlights the value of using cloud-based technology to put high-end job management software within reach of all organisations.

To level up the UK, we must deliver digital transformation in a simple, scalable and affordable way for all businesses. BigChange is proud to be recognised as one of the firms leading the charge and levelling the playing field for SME trade businesses.

Finally [for now!], BigChange was also shortlisted in the Best SaaS Product for Small Business / SMEs category at the 2022 SaaS Awards.

This is a global award celebrating the best SaaS businesses worldwide. Our entry showcased how the software is helping trade businesses to operate more efficiently and sustainably and how we enable them to scale.

The judges read how the BigChange platform helped several of our customers:

  • Lift supply company Gartec grew turnover by £1M without needing to increase overheads by hiring additional office support staff.
  • Trustee Fire and Security used BigChange to eliminate paper processes, improving operational productivity by around 25%.
  • Celsius, the Edinburgh-based plumbing and heating firm, used a bespoke, automated customer booking portal to improve booking success rate from 20% to 90%.

We couldn’t be happier that awards programmes worldwide recognise the success we’re bringing to businesses every day through our technology, support and services.

To find out more about how BigChange can help your business, book a free consultation today.