BigChange Equips RFM Facilities Maintenance Teams with Mobile Tech

News BigChange Equips RFM Facilities Maintenance Teams with Mobile Tech

RFM Group, the property maintenance company, is rolling out a high tech mobile workforce management system. Supplied by BigChange, the cloud-based system provides a complete business solution incorporating back office management software that synchronises in real time with rugged tablets used by RFM’s mobile workforce. BigChange provides is a single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Mobile App Tracking and a Customer Portal.

RFM are property experts that consult, build, manage and maintain all types of property and the company has built a reputation as a pioneer in the use of technology. The switch to BigChange has been timed to support ambitious expansion plans for the business. RFM had grown out of a serverbased system and needed to overhaul their IT; over 12 months the company reviewed 15 different systems.

“In the end only one met our needs and that was from BigChange,” says Mark Flanagan, Client Services Director, RFM Group. “We realised we could replace 4 separate systems with 1 completely integrated solution that was also very affordable. We were very impressed with how easily it could be customised and therefore meet our needs across the company now and in the future.”

“BigChange gives us an IT solution that is completely scalable and it will make it relatively easy to bring new acquisitions onboard. Adoption is very straightforward as anyone will be able to go online and access the system instantly anytime from anywhere - plus it is very easy to use,” Flanagan adds.

Initial implementation of the system is within social housing where RFM are the appointed maintenance contractor for Housing Associations Railway Housing and Habinteg Housing. BigChange provides an all in one system incorporating CRM, job booking and scheduling, mobile working and financial control and with planned integration with Sage, the company will have a single system replacing 4 disconnected systems.

RFM’s mobile operatives, who provide a full range of services from plumbing to electrical and other trades, have been equipped with rugged tablet devices. These devices run the JobWatch app to replace all paperwork in the field with electronic job sheets, health and safety workflows, certifications, inspection reports, backed with job-linked photographs from site. BigChange vehicle tackers meanwhile give RFM a real time view of worker movements and tracking logs support job records.

“Previously we had little insight into ongoing work and records were limited and not very accessible,” Flanagan comments. “With BigChange that’s all changed and the system is already having a big impact and we now have levels of management control, whether our own maintenance teams or those of our contractors.”

Another key benefit for RFM was the way JobWatch mobile app can be used by contractors allowing third party operatives to simply access the app on their smartphones. It means contractor work is seamlessly integrated into RFM operations, reporting on jobs in the same way as their own operatives.

Flanagan also sees BigChange providing a platform for expansion into new sectors. “With greatly improved and electronic reporting we can meet the stringent demands of the biggest operators in areas such as facilities management and insurance. It means we can expand to new areas and with such a powerful cloud and mobile working solution, there are no longer barriers to expanding nationally.” www.bigchange.com

News WPS install ticketless parking in Woking Borough Council

WPS, one of the UK’s leading parking equipment providers, is helping Woking Borough Council to provide a seamless visitor and resident experience with a series of ticketless car park upgrades as a part of Woking town centre’s regeneration.

Central to each installation is the use of WPS’s leadingedge Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based parking technology, which reads a driver’s number plate on entry to a car park and calculates the parking fee based on their length of stay.

Before leaving, users have multiple payments options, including cash, chip & pin and contactless (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) at WPS’ ParkAdvance™ pay stations or via the WPS-integrated JustPark App. The customer keys in their car registration number at the pay station or enters a car park code in the app – once paid, exit barriers automatically open. The overall solution includes a web portal for managing season ticket / permit holders using the car parks. The WPS system also links real-time to the JustPark app to provide an ‘AutoPay’ parking experience, where regular users can exit and pay automatically for their parking by preregistering their licence plate and payment details.

New digital “VMS” signage

will be installed both on approaching roads and in the new car parks, to help visitors efficiently find available spaces.

The IP-based architecture of the ParkAdvance™ system enables the straight-forward integration of multiple technologies providing total flexibility in system design, as well as a convenient, singular management and reporting platform. The system is also future-proofed, as it can be readily expanded with further features, for example to include retailer and leisure validation and loyalty schemes.

Visitors to the car parks will soon have the option to pay with their theatre or cinema ticket and retailers will be able to discount parking for customers who spend in their outlets. The ticketless system is a greener option, eliminating the requirement for paper tickets and completely removing issues that arise from faulty or lost tickets.

Cllr Ayesha Azad, Leader of Woking Borough Council, praised the excellent working relationship between Woking Borough Council and WPS, which allowed an exacting brief to be developed. He said:

“Our brief was for a seamless customer experience and an advanced system that matched the forward-thinking nature of the town’s regeneration, and this is exactly what we got. “We are very excited about the enhanced, greener, parking experience that we will now be able to offer visitors to the town centre and can’t wait to welcome shoppers to their new, improved car parks.”

Simon Jarvis, Managing Director of WPS in the UK, says parking is a vital touch point in a visitor’s town centre experience:

“The Council had a well thought out brief that allowed us to work in partnership with them, JustPark and other providers to fully-utilise the best systems and services available. We’ve been able to bring together an integrated suite of leading technologies to create a solution that delivers the utmost in flexibility, efficiency and convenience for Woking residents, commuters and visitors, as well as the Council.”

Hannah Fuller, Head of Partnerships for JustPark, says: “Putting together this brilliant solution is a testament to the collaborative abilities of WPS, JustPark and Woking Borough Council. We’ve worked very hard to create a seamless payment solution, that includes our new AutoPay feature, allowing customers to set up their account to debit automatically when they drive in and out without having to think about it. It’s great to see all this coming to fruition for the benefit of the residents and visitors of Woking.”

The first car park to go live is Victoria Way, a multi-story car park open 24/7 that provides 932 spaces. It will be followed in early 2021 by Shoppers Yellow, Shoppers Blue, Brewery Road and Heathside Crescent. The newly-built Shoppers Red car park will also be launched with the new system.

The installation follows WPS and JustPark’s 2020 British Parking Awards win in the ‘Parking Technology’ category for a solution that combines the benefits of WPS’ ParkAdvance™ pay-on-foot parking system with JustPark’s payment app technology, designed to enhance the customer experience at multiple car parks operated by Cornwall Council.

News Kern responds to UK demand for smart lockers through exclusive distribution deal with Meridian Digital Solutions

Covid-19 accelerates need for wider e-commerce delivery options at offices and domestic properties

Kern, the mailing and packaging equipment company, today announced an exclusive sales and distribution deal, allowing Meridian Digital Solutions to sell Kern’s range of Smart Terminal automated lockers in the UK.

Part of Kern’s growth plans to meet increasing demand for contactless and out-of-home deliveries, the move will see self-service experts Meridian offer Kern’s lockers to the property, retail, logistics, transport and government sectors.

Already used by the likes of Shell, Allianz, Carrefour, City of Hamburg and Decathlon elsewhere in Europe, Kern’s

smart terminal range includes city, home, refrigerated, freezer and laundry lockers, installed at offices, shopping centres, universities and railway stations, to name a few. Meridian Digital Solutions, experts in self-service digital solutions including kiosks, digital signage and logistics, was looking to expand its automated locker offering in the UK market.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating the demand for a wider choice of contactless, out-of-home deliveries, in addition to the existing drive for e-commerce delivery logistics to become more efficient by using smart lockers,” explained David Cox, Head of UK Sales at Kern. “Our partnership with Meridian Digital Solutions will help meet this demand and increase sales

in a range of markets, while we also continue to sell direct. Experts in their field, Meridian bring great depth of experience to the relationship and we look forward to collaborating on exciting projects in the future.”

“Kern has one of the widest ranges of smart lockers in Europe, coupled with its impressive track record in logistics and automation so the company is a perfect fit for us,” commented Andy Viner, Managing Director at Meridian Digital Solutions. “We see huge potential for Kern’s Smart Terminal range as organisations expand their reach to give consumers more options in how, and when, they pick-up or drop-off items. Kern’s locker management software meets the needs of most pick-up, drop-off (PUDO) and buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS) projects off-the-shelf, which leads to rapid roll-outs. The options to integrate with customers’ other systems, such as e-commerce, CRM or point of sale is impressive too. This powerful combination delivers great flexibility for client projects.” www.kern.co.uk

News Fusion21 Announces £1.1billion Workplace & Facilities Framework

Procurement organisation and social enterprise Fusion21 has announced the launch of its national Workplace & Facilities Framework – worth up to £1.1 billion over a fouryear period and is now inviting bids from interested suppliers.

Designed to meet the facilities management needs of a wide range of public sector organisations in the housing, blue light, central government, education, health and local authority sectors, the framework is closely aligned with market requirements.

As Fusion21’s first ever £1billion plus framework, opportunities are available for both large organisations and SME’s. Lots 1 and 2 are multisourcing options that allow the appointment of a service provider to deliver multiple services (bundled or TFM) incorporating elements of physical asset management, service management and process management. Lots 3 to 6 offer individual services and will allow interested suppliers to bid for lots specific to their capability. The full lot structure includes:

Lot 1 – FM Principal Contractor

Lot 2 – FM Managing Agent

Lot 3 – Cleaning & Washroom Services

Lot 4 – Security Services

Lot 5 – Waste Management

Lot 6 – Building Engineering Services (M&E)

Providing geographical coverage across the UK, suppliers can bid for the lots suited to their delivery models and areas of technical expertise. The framework includes flexible call-off processes with options for both Direct Awards and Further Competitions.

Peter Francis, Director of Operations at Fusion21 said: “Set for launch in February 2021, this framework has been developed in response to market demand – reflecting feedback provided from both

our members and the supply chain. It marks the next stage in developing Fusion21’s FM offer which has grown from strength to strength over recent years.

Fusion21 is an established framework provider that is well respected throughout the public sector. Our procurement teams are experienced technical experts in their fields that understand the needs of suppliers when tendering and a contributor to our success is how we work for the mutual benefit of our suppliers and members.

We welcome applications from interested organisations that meet the criteria set out in the tender documentation now available on the Delta e-Sourcing Portal via the following link - https:// fusion21.delta-esourcing.com/ respond/9J944F9RB3”.

The submission deadline is Wednesday 9th December 2020 at 12 noon.

Fusion21 specialises in providing compliant procurement solutions for the built environment to the public sector and is committed to making a difference in communities across the UK. To date the organisation has saved its members more than £225 million through the procurement process, created 6,500 jobs and generated more than £80 million of social impact.

News Public sector decarbonisation: Swift action needed to check grant eligibility before deadline

More haste is needed if the public sector is to meet the tight deadline for applications to the Government’s £1 billion fund for decarbonisation, says leading energy efficiency business Energys Group.

The company, which has helped deliver the roll-out of many of the UK Government’s largest energy reduction retrofit projects over the last 15 years, says public sector energy professionals need to act quickly to start the process and should not be unduly concerned by the workload associated with an application.

The Decarbonisation Scheme’s funds are being allocated against very tight timescales – both for the grant application itself and for project delivery. Priority will be given to projects with an early implementation date.

Industry-wide push

“As this a grant and not a loan, there is simply no time to waste,” says Kevin Cox, Managing Director at Energys Group. “This is a major opportunity on the path to realising the UK’s 2050 Net Zero emissions targets. We’re well aware that the deadlines are tight - and we anticipate significant ‘excess demand’ for this money so time is of the essence.

“The low carbon sector must do all it can to work swiftly to support those who may be eligible; the first stage is to simply establish whether they are able to take advantage of the fund.”

Energys Group, like many other responsible carbonconscious service businesses, is working hard to organise its business to support public sector energy managers - and those responsible for energy bills - to meet the deadlines on time.

“There is a considerable amount of pre-application work that needs to be undertaken by an energy professional before an application can be made. However, this can be undertaken by us; plus we can offer full support with the completion of the grant application paperwork and provide guidance on procurement through a compliant framework,” concludes Kevin Cox.

For those wishing to use the fund to upgrade their LED lighting Produce, Energys Group is reminding them that a Heat Decarbonisation plan will be needed as part of the application. For those working with Energys Group, the cost of undertaking this can be included in the grant – or can be included as an element of heating decarbonisation in your project. www.energysgroup.com