Fireward Fire Suppression Controls Mobile Operations with BigChange Apps

Automatic fire suppression specialist, Fireward Ltd, has rolled out high-tech mobile workforce management software, providing real-time visibility to field operations within the business. The App-based software, JobWatch sees field-based engineers equipped with rugged tablets, replacing all need for physical paperwork, delivering a 5-in-1 business solution incorporating a CRM, job scheduling, tracking, invoicing and management reporting.

Formed in 2009, Fireward is regarded as the UK’s leading specialist in fire suppression systems for mobile and heavy plant machinery and equipment. The Chelmsford-based company installs, maintains and services systems manufactured by Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd, which detects and suppresses fires in a matter of seconds.

Fireward’s certified engineers install, maintain and service fire suppression systems across the UK. Providing a rapid response service, engineers use their tablets, for everything from risk assessment and post-fire reports to job checklists and vehicle inspections.

Edward Barnes, CEO of Fireward comments; “Fire is often overlooked as a cause of disruption and as a serious risk to the business itself. The immediate physical damage is only part of the problem caused by a fire; the costs of operational disruption and reputational damage often far exceed the cost of the original damage. Without adequate protection, it can take just a matter of minutes to bring a company to its knees.”

“We were pleased to discover BigChange at a show back in 2016. We had been through a long and unsuccessful process trying to get three different systems working for our business and all had failed. Due to the ease of set-up, we were able to implement the system ourselves in just two weeks,” says Barnes. “With BigChange we now have a system that supports our business model providing many benefits in terms of efficiency, productivity and customer service”.

Fireward’s fleet of nationwide vehicles is fitted with BigChange trackers, providing the customer service team with full visibility of engineer locations and a record of arrival and departure times from site. The location and condition of plant and other assets are key factors in assessing the risk of fire and the tablets are used to record ‘time and location’ linked photographs. With the ability to capture a customer’s signature ‘on-screen’ via the app, there is immediate proof of every job completed, allowing for a streamlined invoicing process resulting in fewer billing queries.

“BigChange supports our company ethos, which we achieve with a modest team in place. JobWatch has not only allowed us to do five times more services a month but has allowed us to freely expand our business where we are now installing well in excess of 1200 new systems a year,” adds Barnes.

With the Fireward engineers working remotely across the UK, they need to have the ability to effectively manage their stock levels without causing downtime and potential loss of business. With the help of the JobWatch tablet, engineers are now able to track and replenish their van stocks with ease, as well as the ability to record and review all stock movements, parts and equipment used during the process of installation, maintenance and servicing of Fireward’s fire suppression systems.

CONTACTS:

Reader enquiries: email: info@bigchange.com, phone +44 (0)113 457 1000, www.bigchange.com
For further editorial information and advertising please contact:
BigChange PR: Robert Peel, PR@bigchange.com, tel +44 (0)1666 823 306

About BigChange: www.bigchange.com

Launched in 2013 and based in Leeds, UK, BigChange provides a range of mobile workforce management technologies that are trusted by over 35,000 mobile workers and back office personnel at more than 1,000 organisations around the world. BigChange employs 140 people and signed over £16m worth of new contracts in 2018.

BigChange’s pioneering all-in-one mobile workforce and job management solution, JobWatch, provides organisations of any size with a paperless means of planning, managing, scheduling and tracking their mobile workforce operations. Combining CRM, job scheduling, vehicle tracking, a mobile workforce app and an on-demand booking app, the system can manage in-house and sub-contracted operations simultaneously.

BigChange has been recognised with several industry awards. It won the Technology & Innovation prize at The Logistics Awards in 2017 and 2018, was named in the 2018 Deloitte Technology Fast 50, and featured in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 in both 2018 and 2019.