Standardisation paves the way for successful growth
In the third in our series on de-risking growth, Paul Ridden discusses how SmartTask’s workforce management system has helped clients to grow their business. Using software to automate business processes for daily operations has enabled them to integrate new companies and diversify their services.
The previous blogs have outlined how achieving successful business growth relies on having good systems and processes in place that can accommodate extra work easily. In practice this can be challenging, and as stated before, many mergers and acquisitions do not succeed.
We have worked with many customers as they have grown their businesses, whether by acquiring other companies, or by expanding the services that they offer to customers. Our workforce management software, coupled with our technology expertise and industry knowledge have helped to provide the tools to automate their business with robust and seamless operations.
Helping to scale up
SmartTask workforce management software is based on industry best practice and has been designed to support companies of all sizes. Utilising the latest proven technologies SmartTask can easily scale up to accommodate as companies grow and take on more staff and customer contracts. Our largest customer has in excess of 15,000 staff. When they acquired two new businesses, (one with 500, one with 800) they were able to integrate all staff into the business within just a few weeks using SmartTask.
Trading with the same branding
Ensuring the continuity of existing business relationships during a transition phase is important for both customers and employees. Using SmartTask workforce management software, newly acquired businesses can continue to trade under their own branding – maximising an existing good reputation or brand.
As an example, City Group Security has seen rapid growth over the last six years through mergers and acquisitions. The flexibility of SmartTask’s software has been a significant factor in managing the business through the complex challenges that such expansion brings. It successfully merged each new business gradually, using SmartTask to maintain separate customer portals and logos, while keeping an overall management view. This helped to manage the change and customer experience seamlessly along the way.
Standard systems provide complete visibility
Once in place, standardised systems can also support processes across emerging business streams. Outsource Support, a leading company in Ireland providing facility and support services to 700+ clients, has been successfully using SmartTask for over ten years.
The company has adapted its systems successfully to manage and provide complete visibility of its different businesses - security services, environmental pest control and cleaning division.
Automating processes has enabled growth
In the same way, SmartTask’s standards-based approach helps to support expanding services smoothly. For Guardsman Group efficiency and visibility is the key to providing good customer service, while running a profitable business. It provides security services in Jamaica and across the Caribbean with 6,000+ guards protecting over 1,600 locations.
Tasked with replacing manual paper-based systems for generating rosters, timesheets, and managing staff hours and payroll, the operations team selected SmartTask’s system to automate the processes as the company grew. It is now used to calculate some 400 million Jamaican dollars of salary each month and it gives better operational insight into services provided.
Expanding services to meet customer demand
As discussed in the previous blog, building on existing services practices can be a good route for growth. Managing expansion into new areas can be made easier and more profitable if trusted systems can be adapted to support any new working process required.
SmartTask customer TMS Protection did just this, already a well established security business, the company launched a cleaning division which has grown rapidly in just a few years. TMS was able to offer a complete package which many customers preferred, dealing with just one supplier. Account managers at TMS use the SmartTask system for both sides of the business, which saves time for staff and provides a single source for any customer information. The management team also use the reporting features which cover the entire business for decision making.
For City Group Security as well, having comprehensive systems in place supported its diversification into cleaning contracts. Using SmartTask it was able to adapt the workforce management processes to manage shifts for cleaning operatives and deliver the same attention to detail to services for which it was already known in the security industry.
UK based, a team on hand
Much of the positive feedback that we receive from clients is not only on the functionality of our solution. We also keep abreast of the evolving industry issues, gathering feedback from users to continue to innovate and develop the software.
This diligence to product development, combined with updates being published every 6-8 weeks, ensures that the software supports your business as it grows. Plus, our UK based support team are on hand to answer your calls and questions.
If you would like to have a chat about how SmartTask can help you grow your business, contact us.