ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘job-watch’ CATEGORY

Sherwoods, the FM building services company, has deployed a 5 in 1 mobile management system from BigChange.  Sherwoods’ field service engineers are equipped with the latest ruggedised tablets running a paper-free system.  The mobiles are live connected to the cloud hosting a complete management solution from BigChange that covers everything from CRM to routing, purchasing, job scheduling, certification and invoicing.

 

Founded in 1970, Sherwoods provides a true one-stop-shop range of services and has a 35-strong team of mobile field engineers providing comprehensive coverage across South West UK.  Providing planned & reactive maintenance 24-7 365 days a year, Sherwoods’ multi-skilled team take care of roofing, electrical, plumbing, drainage, gas, oil, LPG, HVAC as well as exterior and interior building fabric.

 

Sherwoods’ mobile field engineers use the BigChange JobWatch mobile apps for everything from timesheets, job sheets, signature capture and certification - with photographs. JobWatch is used 100 percent of the time to provide an evidential record of all works, with GDPR compliant, real-time data, always available online.

 

“When we saw BigChange for the first time we realised that the JobWatch apps could really help us make a positive difference, and assist our mission to become the FM Building services partner and employer of choice across the UK Southwest region,” says Kevin Sherwood, Managing Director of Sherwoods.  “BigChange understood why real-time, open, accessible, transparent and visible information is vital to us continuously improving communication, managing compliance and risk, and delivering the best service for everyone involved throughout the life of a job.”

 

“We really like the fact that with JobWatch we write our own workflows and customise it for everything we do. It is a flexible system and being a cloud service, it allows us to grow in line with our sustainability agenda without being burdened by IT capability or capacity” says Sherwood.

 

“The apps and tracking are only one part of what BigChange provides; it is a complete end-to-end solution. BigChange like to call it a 5 in 1 system but it is actually a lot more than that.  For us it provides a seamless solution between our office, field, client and suppliers, that is used all the way from initial customer enquiry through all communication to resource management, procurement, service delivery, KPI reporting and invoicing,” Sherwood adds.

 

With conservative plans to double the business turnover by 2022, Sherwoods work with private and public organisations, with a diversity of clients and sectors that include local, regional, national and international brands.

 

“Our company values are to be adaptable, fun, honest and committed; we live and breathe these values.  Those are values we see in BigChange as well, and it makes for a good partnership,” states Sherwood.

GAP Hire Solutions has equipped 400 of its drivers with tablets as the first part of the rollout of a 5-in-1 management solution from BigChange.

Called JobWatch, the cloud-based system incorporates a range of mobile apps with live tracking and job scheduling. It also links in real time to GAP’s back office systems, such as their central hire desk, CRM and financial system.

 

“The BigChange solution is transforming the way we work by eliminating lots of cumbersome paper forms.  The live data feeds to our central systems will result in significant benefits to the business by providing complete management visibility of our operations across the entire depot network,” said Mark Emery, GAP’s Systems Development Manager.

 

This visibility means that for the first time we will be able to manage the entire business nationally, allowing, for example, the sharing of plant and equipment between depots. We foresee JobWatch providing significant improvements in utilisation, efficiency and customer service.” 

 

The mobile apps include electronic signature capture with proof of delivery (POD) and proof of collection (POC) records automatically uploaded onto GAP’s Smart Office system. This eliminates calls to depots as all information will be available for everyone immediately online. Ultimately GAP’s customers will have the ability to access records of their hires themselves.

 

The first phase of implementation sees 400 delivery drivers equipped with Samsung tablets and later GAP will extend the system to 200 customer service fitters. Delivery and collection jobs are sent directly to tablets that sit in dashboard cradles and can be quickly detached for signature capture, taking photographs and even completing vehicle checks.

 

“This new technology is going to make life a lot easier for staff and customers alike” commented Emery. “It will provide immediate and clear evidence detailing when our drivers turn up on site.  An electronic signature will provide proof that equipment was delivered or collected – when and where.”

 

The devices have in-built data messaging and satellite navigation that automatically routes vehicles to their destination. GAP’s customer services will be able to see the exact location of every vehicle in real time to keep customers informed of ETAs and work with the driver to ensure the correct drop-off location.

 

The devices can be used to take time stamped and georeferenced photographs. This photo capture is also useful to provide evidence of arrival onsite and to record damage to plant. “In addition to the environmental benefits of reducing paper with JobWatch, we will be able to bill hires more quickly and with less invoice queries. If a charge is questioned we’ll be able to answer the question immediately as the data will be online,” Emery added.

 

“We are delighted to be working with GAP and looking forward to help them drive BigChange,” said

Martin Port, CEO, BigChange.