In this case study, we look at how Rugged Data worked with one fire safety business to create a custom data-gathering and reporting app for their kitchen ductwork cleaning service, that brought significant benefits in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction.
The background
Based in Runcorn, Cheshire, Abbey Fire (UK) Ltd provides kitchen ductwork cleaning to well-known brands such as Pets at Home, Welcome Break, Asda, Pizza Hut, McDonald Hotels and Farmfoods. The business offers many fire-related services and has traded for over 100 years. It has 45 employees. Since 2002, customer satisfaction has been its highest business priority. Reporting efficiently and professionally on its ductwork cleaning work is crucial for ensuring this satisfaction
The challenge
Abbey Fire had already moved away from paper-based to app-based reporting. Unfortunately, the existing app wasn’t fit for purpose because:
Forms were inflexible. Forms could not be changed to reflect new requirements around ductwork cleaning. This meant that sometimes the right information wasn’t being captured. Also, functionality was poor. For instance, if a job was cancelled, a technician would need to input the next job’s data into the cancelled job’s form. Hours would be wasted back at the office transcribing data.
Mistakes were common. Some report details had to be hand-written into app fields, and illegible notes resulted in mistakes in reporting and invoicing.
Reports were presented poorly. Presentation was substandard and difficult to interpret.
The solution
Rugged Data’s head of delivery, Helen Craig, worked closely with Abbey Fire’s business development manager, Ron Santos, to create a custom app that exactly matched Abbey Fire’s working processes. Throughout, she referred to the relevant ductwork cleaning certificate to ensure the app included all the data-gathering and reporting functionality required. Among many useful features, the finished app included the following:
- The ability to easily toggle between jobs
- The flexibility to make changes to reporting fields
- An option to include high-quality photos in reports
- Fully branded, intuitive and professional-looking reports
- Offline working mode, so engineers with no service could continue reporting when cleaning ducts
Prior to putting the app live, Rugged Data undertook training with two of Abbey Fire’s reporting teams. All team members were immediately able to use this intuitive, user-friendly ductwork cleaning app.
The results
Benefits came in the following areas:
- Quicker, more accurate data gathering. Forms could be added and changed quickly, for optimal data gathering. Many small efficiencies – such as the ability to automatically insert photos into reports – ensured the whole process was efficient, saving time.
- Minimal or no training required. Engineers found the app self-explanatory.
- Customer satisfaction. Customers stated that reports were clear and professional.
- Sales-generating tool. Abbey Fire now uses the well-presented reports in demos to customers, to illustrate what they can expect.
- Business-wide efficiencies. Abbey Fire has rolled out the Rugged Data app for many of its other services and over 30 engineers now use it. Previously, fire extinguisher certificates were generated on paper; they are now stored electronically and can be accessed instantly, anywhere. Lost and delayed paperwork is a thing of the past.
- Environmental benefits. Over 15,000 certificates have been created using the app, saving tens of thousands of sheets of paper.
What our client says
Says Ron Santos, business development manager at Abbey Fires,
‘The relationship with Rugged Data’s head of delivery, Helen, has been key. From the start, she fully got to know what we needed for our ductwork cleaning certificates. Later on, if we needed to adapt our processes, it was unbelievable how quickly she could turn around changes to generate new certificates.’
Rugged Data can create a custom data gathering and reporting app for your ductwork cleaning business. Find out more about the benefits of our ductwork cleaning apps here. Or contact us now to discover how we can help bring efficiencies to your processes and increase satisfaction among your customers.