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Increasing efficiency with two new apps

We’re reaping the benefits of rolling out two new bespoke mobile applications, designed and developed to deliver an even more efficient service for our clients.
We developed the two innovative, user-friendly apps, ‘Approbo’ and ‘CapturePoint’ in-house in order to streamline the process of dealing with snags on project completion and pre-work site surveying.
Both apps have now been rolled out to half of our 30 UK offices following a national training roadshow undertaken this summer. As a result, staff who regularly use both apps have noticed a reduction of paperwork duplication as well as increased client satisfaction scores.
Lee Hollins, our systems manager said: “There were existing applications available which met some of our requirements, but these lacked the exact functionality needed to integrate fully into the business. The apps have been deliberately designed to be user-friendly as we were mindful we didn’t want to add to the workload of our staff but make things easier and more efficient for them.
“We’re really pleased with the number of staff who have wholly embraced both apps and how much of a difference they are already making to day-to-day business operations. We’re now getting staff approaching us with ideas for new apps for other areas of the business as a result.”
Tablet-based site defects management application Approbo, enables contract managers to log snags quickly and easily, with the option to take and annotate photos for clarity. It also features a back office portal, allowing managers to monitor a project more closely. If there is an urgent issue the system will automatically notify project managers to ensure an immediate response is guaranteed.
As well as aiding the current snag process and making it more streamlined, we plans to use data captured by Approbo to develop our service for clients in the futre. Data provided would allow us to identify issues or snags which occur frequently, in order to deliver targeted training for site operatives and ultimately reduce the number of snags.
Our CapturePoint app, which also benefits from both a back office and tablet interface, has been developed to speed up the site surveying aspect of any large planned refurbishment project. Surveyors can automatically enter details of all works to be carried out on each area of a building and attribute costs using a preloaded schedule of rates. There’s also the option to take and attach photos.
Having developed both apps in-house means we have the flexibility to adapt and update them to meet new requirements as needed. Since Approbo was initially launched, we’ve created an add-on specifically for Fire Prevention works. This is designed to ensure all works completed, materials used and other contractors involved are recorded, providing clients with complete accountability and traceability.
Following the successful implementation of both apps, we’re now examining other areas of the business which could benefit from adopting a bespoke online or mobile app based system.