Commercial cleaning firm comes clean with a new reporting system

A north east-based commercial cleaning organisation has created a new computerised system which will allow its clients real time analysis of their performance.

Paul Edwards, managing director of Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services (ECCS), has developed the system with the assistance of current clients who helped offer suggestions on what variables should be included in new reporting system. The traffic light system allows for early warning signs of potential flashpoints in ECCS service, meaning potential issues are addressed at the outset.

Paul explained: “There is huge difficulty for a client to know whether or not we’ve done a good job. We spend hundreds of thousands of pounds every year checking the quality and consistency of work, training staff and organising cover for absences which the client just doesn’t see.

“We need to show where their money is spent and demonstrate that we work hard to deliver what we say we do and that they are getting the best value for their money. Clients don’t have the time to check every desk or toilet cubicle to ensure they have been cleaned, why should they? They pay us good money to do that for them.

He added: “To compound this, our cleaners work at hours that ensure minimum disruption to staff, so they are often working late at night or early in the morning, when the client is not there.

“Both my clients and I thought there must be clearer, more transparent method of reporting and so we’ve developed this system. I took the step of actually asking my clients on what variables they would like to measure the performance of ECCS and with their input, I’m really confident it will greatly benefit all our customers.

“All the current reports from my Operations Managers come in paper form so this system will do away with the masses of paper we currently use. This means both the clients and the environment benefits, which can’t be a bad thing?”

The system carries a long checklist of items that, once completed, are then automatically forwarded to the client, by e-mail, with green, amber or red coding to show the customer what has been checked on their site and in the case of any rectification needed, when and what is being done and when it was checked again.

Paul continued: “Most cleaning companies have no way of letting their clients know what they’re doing and when things have been done. This will help them in measuring the value they get and provide a record of what was checked and when or when new staff started or re-trained.

“The system can also assist clients in their health and safety or facilities management by providing an electronic ‘paper’ trail. The new system is being trialled now ready for implementation in a couple of weeks and the feedback has already been excellent.”

Paul Edwards has spent a five figure sum in developing the software, buying hardware and developing a new website and server to accommodate the new technology.

Paul established the business in 2003 with his wife, Hazel and now has more than 160 employees servicing more than 150 contracts across the region.

One Day Can Make A Difference

A regional campaign aimed at encouraging more businesses to support enterprise education has smashed its initial targets – benefitting over 1000 additional young people in the North East.

At the beginning of last year, enterprise education charity Young Enterprise North East set a target to sign up one new businessperson every working day throughout its 18-month ‘One Day’ campaign.

The One Day call-to-action campaign, supported by regional development agency One North East, was targeted at business owners and encouraged them to sign a pledge to give up either one day of their time, staff, expertise or profits to help support the region’s future economy and create the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Now, as the campaign ends to make way for a fresh call to action, organisers have announced that the campaign has beaten initial targets by signing up 72 new businesses and recruiting a whopping 180 new volunteers to help deliver enterprise education lessons in classrooms throughout the North East.

Since the campaign inception, almost £2000 in cash donations was made to the charity, through business fundraising events, which will ensure that an extra 1333 young people in the region will benefit from YENE enterprise education programme.

The campaign also encouraged businesses to allow students to undertake work experience placements and job shadowing – since its launch an additional 350 students visited a workplace.

Young Enterprise North East chief executive Catherine Marchant said: “When we first set the initial target to sign up one new business every day throughout the campaign we thought we were being ambitious. The number of businesses and individuals that have given their support and that we have actually beaten this target has staggered me.

“New businesses that have come on board include Royal Mail, the Department for Work and Pensions as well as smaller enterprises such as Aycliffe Fabrications and Carrot Media - all of which have made such a huge difference in the way we can now deliver a more robust, credible inspirational service.

“Our aim was to also keep the flame of enterprise alive in young people and with this wider support from regional business community, I believe we have been able to plant the seed of enterprise in more young people’s minds and have certainly helped to develop more enterprising attitudes and work based skills.

“The fact that the One Day pledges were so flexible and could be implemented into daily business life has been the crux of the success and we have even had businesses implemented YENE activity as part of their CSR plans.”

One North East head of business, enterprise and skills Tim Pain said: “The One Day campaign was an excellent way of showing businesses just how simple and easy it is for them to inspire the entrepreneurs of the future.

“Equally, the young people who have taken part have been able to develop their enterprise skills by meeting real-life entrepreneurs, spending time in a business environment and seeing how ideas grow into a new product or service.”

Now, Young Enterprise North East is planning the next phase of its promotional drive, which will focus on looking beyond the recession and preparing for an upturn. It will seek to gain longer-term and more sustainable commitment from the business and education community. The official launch will be in January.

Anna's mission to bring all her neighbours together

A young entrepreneur knew nothing about her business neighbours and has used that fact to launch a new company.

If we can, you can member Anna Smith, 23, from Middlesbrough, currently works as a client relations manager for a creative and digital agency based at the town’s Riverside Industrial Estate.

She realised that she knew very little about other companies at the estate or how they might work together.

And that was the springboard for the launch of the Industrial Estate Network which aims to bring together businesses based at the Riverside, but with a long-term goal of rolling out the scheme nationwide.

Anna said: “The Riverside is a massive estate with lots of different kinds of businesses but nobody really knows about each other. It’s a shame because we could all be missing out on providing services to other companies on the estate.”

The Industrial Estate Network has already won a great deal of support from organisations including Cleveland Police, Middlesbrough Council, Love Middlesbrough, PD Ports and AV Dawson who have all recognised the benefits.

Anna’s plans include an official launch of the network, and is also offering businesses on the estate the chance to join for free for a trial period.

“Being part of an organisation like this is about forming a new community and network.
“A lot of people recognise this which is why I’m getting such a positive response.”

To find out more, visit the website at http://www.riversideparkmiddlesbrough.co.uk/

Click here to read Anna's story: http://www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk/Entrepreneurs/AnnaSmith

Ten Alps Vision Launches

Ten Alps announce today the launch of a new powerful force in marketing and digital communications. Ten Alps MTD, the established, successful ‘Top 10’ Scottish communications agency based in Edinburgh merges with the award winning, Newcastle based visual digital communications company, Twenty First Century Media.

This significantly enlarged operation will be called Ten Alps Vision.

Ten Alps Vision will provide an integrated approach to marketing and digital communications with leading skills in the following areas:

Advertising, Design, Direct Marketing, Corporate Video, Strategic Planning, Online Video and Viral, Digital and Web TV.

Our combined client experience will be far reaching in terms of market sectors and geographies. We will be servicing over 100 clients and work for a number of market leading organisations including

Adam & Company, Ahlstrom, Arla, Carronvale Homes, East Ayrshire Council, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Fused, FPP, Forestry Commission, Nike, One North East, Glasgow Metropolitan College, Golden Charter Funeral Plans, Johnson Matthey, Business Link, Lego, Mamas & Papas, Multiplex, NHS, Nestle, Northern Film & Media, P&G, Prince’s Trust, Sage, Reid Kerr College, Scottish Public Pensions Agency, Scottish Qualifications Authority, Semichem, Thomas Mitchell Homes, Tommee Tippee.

The new business is headed by Vince Meiklejohn with a management team of Vic Covey, If we can, you can member Sam Morton and Nick Imrie. Ten Alps Vision will have offices in Edinburgh, Newcastle Manchester and London and will join the other recently created business clusters within the Ten Alps Communications Division.

Vince Meiklejohn commented

“Ten Alps Vision is an exciting new business which combines the creative flair of a leading marketing services business with the delivery skills of a dynamic digital and video production company.

"The new combined offer is exactly right for the market with communication campaigns increasingly multi platform. Ten Alps Vision brings together exactly the right skills and talent to deliver for our clients across the full range of media.”

Sam Morton said

“This is a really exciting time for communications. It’s an ever changing market place we’re finding more and more of our clients require a greater range of services from online marketing to a full Web TV offering.

"This merger gives us the opportunity to offer those extra services whilst continuing to grow in all of the areas in which we’ve traditionally been successful. Becoming Ten Alps Vision is the next natural step for us and it’s one that will open all kinds of new and exciting doors.”