Category: news

Contego: What BigChange means to me

BigChange Contego Energy team
Posted on by Martin Port

Michael Taylor – CEO – Contego Environmental Services: What BigChange Means to me

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate BigChange for receiving its Queens Award for Enterprise. It’s a phenomenal achievement and well deserved. BigChange makes a massive contribution to our business.

Contego started life in 2004 as a one-man-band specialising in bird control and has grown to become one of the largest national pest control businesses in the UK. BigChange has ensured our operations could keep up with that level of growth.

We’ve used BigChange for several years now, and it has transformed our business. It gives us complete visibility of our operations and allows us to manage our national workforce centrally from our base in County Durham.

I’ve always been an early adopter of digital technology and explored three or four other options before settling on BigChange. JobWatch pulls everything together. It allows us to run our business processes on a single piece of software.

The beauty of Jobwatch is that it’s customizable. We’ve created a series of dynamic processes to cover every stage of the employee journey, from induction to job worksheets and inspection documents. BigChange provides lots of support when we need it, and ensures the software does what we need it to.

BigChange has also enabled us to offer greater visibility to our customers. Using data from our worksheets, we can automatically make our customers aware of the threats and risks at their different sites.

BigChange is also central to our safety and compliance activities. Each of our people uses BigChange to complete their daily vehicle checks, which alerts our fleet manager to any problems and allows remedial work to be booked immediately.

Our risk assessments and workflows are also available on BigChange, guiding our technicians in the field and helping them complete work safely. We can see when things are done, and we’ve got access to a full audit trail.

I couldn’t recommend BigChange more highly. The technology is excellent and easy-to-use, and it has ensured that we’ve remained in control as our business has grown. It would have been much more challenging to grow at the speed we have been without BigChange.

BigChange honoured with Queen’s Award for Enterprise

BigChange Queen's Award
Posted on by Martin Port

BigChange, the mobile workforce management technology company, is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, one of the highest official honours for companies in the UK.

BigChange was recognised in the 2020 Innovation category for developing JobWatch, a mobile workforce management system that connects back office staff, mobile workers and customers, enabling users to automate manual processes, reduce paper usage and facilitate collaboration on the go.

When it launched in 2013, JobWatch was delivered as a cloud-based service and sold on a per-user basis. This reduced the cost and complexity of introducing the technology and made high-end mobile workforce tools accessible to organisations of all sizes for the first time. It is now used by 45,000 mobile workers and back-office personnel at 1,300 organisations globally.

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise celebrates businesses who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. BigChange, which employs 167 people, will receive its award at a Buckingham Palace reception later this year.

Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange, commented:

“We are delighted to win such a prestigious award. This recognises the efforts of our people who have worked so hard to develop and deliver JobWatch, as well as the customers that inspire and use it everyday to grow and transform their own industries. We have global ambitions for BigChange and this honour will open doors for us around the world.”

BigChange users on the benefits of JobWatch innovation

Daniel Long, Managing Director of Clearabee, commented:

“We’ve worked with BigChange since the early days of Clearabee, and it remains a critical pillar in our technology strategy. BigChange is integrated into all parts of our business and saves us a tremendous amount of time. What we like most about the JobWatch platform is its versatility. BigChange continues to add new features and new functionality. It is continuously innovating and adding to the system.”

Michael Taylor, CEO of Contego Environmental Services, comments:

“Contego started life in 2004 as a one-man-band specialising in bird control and has grown to become one of the largest national pest control businesses in the UK. BigChange has ensured our operations could keep up with that level of growth. We’ve used BigChange for several years now, and it has transformed our business. It gives us complete visibility of our operations and allows us to manage our national workforce centrally from our base in County Durham.”

Clearabee: What BigChange means to me

BigChange Clearabee Daniel Long
Posted on by Martin Port

Daniel Long – MD – Clearabee: What BigChange Means to me

Clearabee is the fastest growing waste management business in Europe and the UK’s largest clearance company. We employ 300 people across the UK and complete between 600 and 1,000 waste clearance jobs a day.

We’ve worked with BigChange since the early days of Clearabee, and it remains a critical pillar in our technology strategy. BigChange is integrated into all parts of our business and saves us a tremendous amount of time.

It provided us with a cutting edge in the early days of our business and has grown with us as we expanded.

Today, we run our business now using a combination of BigChange and our bespoke software. We make extensive use of BigChange’s API, and our developers can focus on creating other things to sit on top of the BigChange platform.

BigChange provides a solid foundation for that work. We don’t have to think about things like device management, data contracts, hosting large amounts of sensitive data, or uptime.

What we like most about the JobWatch platform is its versatility. The platform works for small and large companies alike. BigChange continues to add new features and new functionality. It is continuously innovating and adding to the system.

BigChange is a young, dynamic company, and an essential partner for Clearabee. You could say that we’ve grown up together and we are thrilled to see the success it has achieved.

On behalf of everyone here at Clearabee, congratulations to BigChange on winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. You deserve it.

Coronavirus – See how BigChange can help with your response

BigChange stronger together
Posted on by Martin Port

Our BigChange Network can help businesses work together.

In these unprecedented times, here at BigChange we are looking at ways that we can support our customers and ultimately their customers, to ensure that the often critical services our customers provide can continue to be delivered.

To really drive back Covid-19, the national effort, as we’ve heard from government many times recently, will need to be determined, committed and flexible with everyone playing their part – there is no doubt at this difficult time we will be Stronger Together!

Our BigChange Network allows businesses to work together, to share and support the completion of critical works anywhere at any time all seamlessly and visible to those managing it in real time. The options to provide specific Risk Assessments and Job Instructions to remote workers completing the works, supports the safety and welfare of those and there is no need for any physical contact, supporting social distancing, with the end customer as all notifications, alerts, job cards and reports for works completed can be issued electronically.

There is no charge to our customers to use this service.

If you would like to use this service to support your business and simply enable working with others so you can continue to deliver key services, please click here. (Note: You will need to login first).

Please see details of our customers below that are able to still provide critical services.

A Message to BigChange Customers

A message to BigChange customers from Martin Port
Posted on by Martin Port

A Message to BigChange Customers.

Martin Port, Founder and CEO of BigChange:

I wanted to tell you personally, that I’m thinking of you, thinking about the challenges you’re facing at the moment. But what I want you to know, is that BigChange are here for you.

Roadcrew is available 365, we want to spend time supporting you, to help you, and enable you to carry on with your work where possible.

Even though our offices are closed, we are here for you. We have an army of people manning the phones from their bedrooms, from their living rooms, from their home offices. They’re all there for you. And we’re going to make sure that you know that we’re only a call away.

Please keep in touch, anything you need, we are here for you.

Thank you.

Watch the Video:

BigChange Appoints David Todd to Spearhead Social Housing IT Transformation

BigChange appoints David Todd
Posted on by Martin Port

BigChange has appointed social housing expert David Todd to spearhead business expansion within the UK local government and social housing sectors.

Formed in 2013, Leeds-based BigChange now has over 40,000 mobile workers and back-office personnel using its pioneering all-in-one mobile workforce and job management solution which is ideal for housing repair and maintenance service operations.

Todd brings 40 years of public sector IT experience in a role as business adviser and strategist. He spent 16 years as Director of Xmbrace, later part of the Kirona Group, the provider of social housing mobile scheduling solutions acquired by Advanced last year. He is also on the board of Sovereign Property Services and Managing Director of the UK subsidiary of Cloud software specialist Luminis.

Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange commented:

“David has extensive experience in social housing but crucially he brings unrivalled knowledge in IT solutions for managing field services in this sector. That is of course right up our street and the advice and assistance he is providing will be central to our drive into this important sector.”

BigChange already has a strong presence amongst suppliers of maintenance and repair contract services to local authorities and social housing providers. However, with an increasing trend toward direct services, Todd believes the market is ready for the transformational solutions that BigChange offer.

Todd commented:

“Up until now, BigChange has very much been a hidden secret in the social housing sector. However, with an all-in-one cloud system combining CRM, job scheduling, vehicle tracking and a mobile workforce app, it’s a solution that I’m sure will be welcomed by many.”

He continued:

“In particular BigChange offers a completely paperless way of working with total 24/7 visibility of all mobile repair and maintenance work and that will completely revolutionise social housing services”.

The BigChange mobile app, called JobWatch, has the added benefit that it can be used for in-house and sub-contracted operations simultaneously. It also offers a booking app so housing officers and residents can request and book services from the convenience on their mobile phones.

Airbnb landlords face legislative nightmare

bigChange Airbnb employee
Posted on by Martin Port

The popularity of short-term letting sites such as Airbnb has led to an explosion in new landlords, renting out their homes to generate a bit of extra income.

Yet these amateur landlords often do not comply with the rules and regulations that govern the wider lettings market.

This may all be about to change. In a landmark move, the Scottish government recently announced that local councils will have the power to enforce a licensing scheme governing short-term lets from 2021. Many of the rules have been in place since the Civic Government (Scotland) Act was published in 1982 but they have never been enforced previously.

Scotland may be the first country to take a firm stance on short-term lets but it’s likely that the rest of the UK will soon follow.

The issue is particularly pressing in cities such as Edinburgh, home to the Edinburgh Fringe festival, which seen 4.5m tourists flock to the city last year; 9 times the city’s population. In Edinburgh alone, there are 12,000 Airbnb listings, which equates to one listing for every 42 residents in the city. This number has doubled over the past three years.

One outcome of this new legislation is that Airbnb hosts, among others, will be forced to comply with safety standards in order to operate. The aim is to protect guests, ensure that properties are fit for purpose, and to professionalise this burgeoning industry.

However, this presents an administrative nightmare for many hosts. In order to keep letting rooms or properties, they must now ensure their gas and heating is maintained, checked and serviced regularly to be legally compliant.

To reduce the burden, landlords can now use the BigChange platform to connect with experienced tradespeople, such as Registered Gas Safe engineers to service their boiler. All work will be logged on the system, providing a transparent “paper trail” to prove the landlord is fully compliant.

Michael Cairns, BigChange customer and company director at celsiusplumbers.com and founder of safehostbnb.co.uk, believes this could be a great time-saver for hosts.

He comments:

“The software will automatically book in an appointment and follow-up appointments, which takes the pressure off the landlord/hosts so they can focus on other tasks.”

Michael continued:

“They can do this safe in the knowledge they are legally complying with new licensing laws, which will demand that all certification safety checks are up to date and above board.”

It takes a lot of time to manage an Airbnb property or other short-term let and many businesses have been created to help ease the administrative burden. From property maintenance to restocking to cleaning to dealing with booking queries and responses to visitor questions, outsourcing agencies have helped lighten the load.

Michael added:

“BigChange’s platform is another helping hand for these hosts.”

He continued:

“Given the number of short-term lets in the South of England, it is likely the licensing scheme will be rolled out in the UK in the not-so-distant future,”

Michael concluded:

“This creates a big opportunity for businesses to jump on board and make life easier for landlords/hosts to be safety compliant.”

BigChange named among UK’s fastest growing technology businesses

BigChange Martin Port
Posted on by Martin Port

BigChange, the mobile workforce technology company, has been included in the Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s private technology, media and telecoms (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales, for the second year in succession.

The Leeds-based company, which entered the league table for the first time in 2018, was named in the Sunday Times as the third fastest growing private technology company in Yorkshire and 59th in the UK overall, with annual sales growth of 77 percent over the last three years.

Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange, comments:

“BigChange has a great growth story and we are delighted to be named as one of the fastest growing UK technology businesses for the second year running.”

“Fundamentally, our success comes down to helping customers become greener, more efficient and deliver even better levels of service. We’ve created 120 high value jobs here in Leeds, we’ve recruited a great team and we are continuing to grow quickly through new product innovation, geographical expansion and strategic acquisitions.”

BigChange provides a pioneering mobile workforce management system called JobWatch that is used by over 1,000 organisations globally. JobWatch combines CRM, smart job scheduling, vehicle tracking and a series of mobile applications to eliminate paper record keeping, automate manual processes and facilitate collaboration on the go between companies. BigChange works primarily with organisations in the construction, facilities management, field service, transport, logistics and waste management industries.

BigChange signs Kevin Keegan OBE to coach its new club for entrepreneurs

BigChange Kevin Keegan and Martin Port
Posted on by Martin Port

BigChange, the mobile workforce technology company, today announced that it has signed former England football captain and manager Kevin Keegan OBE as an ambassador and the first coach of its new club for entrepreneurs.

Keegan, who won 63 international caps for England and captained his country on 31 occasions before moving into football management, will play an active role in the BigChange Entrepreneurs’ Club, a new initiative from the company to help company owners develop their leadership skills and improve business performance.

Launched today, the Club provides a forum for the owners of organisations that work with BigChange to meet and discuss ideas with like-minded entrepreneurs once a quarter. Keegan will support BigChange’s efforts by providing leadership coaching and mentoring to members.

Keegan believes that his experience in top-flight football will inspire a premier level of performance among the Club’s members and help them achieve more business goals.

Kevin Keegan comments:

“Management in football is similar to business. You’ve got to get the best out of your people and you’ve got to keep delivering year after year. The companies that are successful are those where leaders are passionate about making progress, they want to see how far they can take their ideas and they inspire that passion and commitment among their people too. I see that passion at BigChange and I’m excited about working with the team and its customers. There’s a great buzz at BigChange, there’s a nice mix of youth and experience, and not only can I give something to help take the company forward, I can learn things here too.”

Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange, comments:

“Kevin Keegan is one of the most iconic world footballers of his generation and an inspiration to me. He has achieved a huge amount both on and off the field and we are delighted to have signed him to BigChange. There is an enormous amount that businesses can learn from his focus, passion and leadership experience. The entrepreneurs and business leaders we work with are progressive and ambitious, and I am looking forward to working with Kevin to help inspire them to reach an even greater level of performance.”

BigChange provides a pioneering mobile workforce management system used by over 1,000 organisations globally that combines CRM, smart job scheduling, vehicle tracking and a series of mobile applications to eliminate paper record keeping and automate many of the manual processes undertaken by mobile workers. Easy to use and install, BigChange provides a unique system and has disrupted a market that was dominated previously by enterprise players who sold almost exclusively to large corporates that could afford complex, lengthy and expensive implementations.

BigChange Drives Local Government Transformation with the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE)

BigChange APSE
Posted on by Martin Port

BigChange, Leeds-based mobile workforce technology company, has become an Approved Partner of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE).

APSE is a network of local government representatives formed to promote excellence in the delivery of frontline services to local communities around the UK; a key area for BigChange.

The BigChange 5 in 1 system combines CRM, Job Scheduling, a Mobile App, Vehicle Tracking, and an On-Demand Booking App. that eliminates 100 per cent of the paper to automate all of the manual processes undertaken by back office and mobile workers. JobWatch can be used to simultaneously manage both in-house and sub contracted operations through their brand new BigChange Network Platform; a single system that provides full management and financial reporting enabling digital transformation.

Martin Port, CEO of BigChange, comments:

“As local authorities strive to improve efficiency and accountability, there is a growing need to eliminate cumbersome paperwork by introducing digital working. It’s especially important for council services involving staff who are out and about all day doing essential community work or providing transport services,”

JobWatch is already in wide use to manage services such as Special Education Needs, Waste, Passenger Transport, Property Servicing and Repairs, Social Housing, Highway Maintenance and Pest Control. The system is easy to configure for any service and includes a new booking app allowing local residents and businesses to book services from their smartphones.

Port says:

“We see membership of APSE as the ideal platform to engage with local government and especially those people who are forward-thinkers looking to improve public services through the use of the latest technology,”

Port adds:

“With JobWatch we have developed a platform that is already being used to completely transform council services. It replaces a number standalone legacy systems with a much more useful and affordable 5 in 1 solution utilising the latest cloud and mobile technology.”

By utilising the cloud and mobile apps, BigChange offers a highly flexible and simple to use solution and requires no special IT equipment or support – everything is available 24/7 though a secure web connection from any web-connected device.