Thomas Butler

Aaron Access needed a system that could grow with them and help keep things running smoothly as they scaled.

They’re a multi-skilled access control company based in Stockport, delivering automatic gates, turnstiles, barriers, CCTV, and controlled access solutions across the UK. With clients like Network Rail and Mitie, they’re building a strong reputation as the go-to team for automated entry and perimeter protection.

After using Uptick for five months, the results speak for themselves:

• Billable hours are up 20% per engineer, per day.
• Turnaround time for quotes has dropped from seven days to under two.
• Defect quoting revenue is up by 20%.
• First-time fix rate is now being tracked and improved.
• Teams now have full visibility across scheduling, quoting, and invoicing.

Building on a scalable foundation

“We’re on a strong growth trajectory,” said Thomas.

“And we didn’t want to scale in a way that added more overhead in the office. We wanted a scalable operating model — Uptick is helping us build that.”

The team uses Uptick across the entire job lifecycle. From quotes and scheduling to defect management and invoicing, everything happens in one place.

Uptick’s reporting has also changed the way they operate. Thomas added: “When I joined the business, we had over 135 open enquiries that hadn’t been quoted yet. Now we’re down to around 20. Turnaround time has dropped from over seven days to less than two. That shift has been massive.”

Smarter, more efficient workflows

Before using Uptick, Aaron Access had two separate full-time roles: one estimator and one small works manager.

Now, Estimating and Small Works Project Manager Phil Graves is doing both.

“With Uptick, I can now do both roles in a week,” he says.

Estimating jobs, ordering plans, sending off RAMS, writing daily reports, keeping track of progress. It used to be scattered across tools and time-consuming to stay on top of.

Uptick has brought it all into one place. The process is faster, clearer, and more efficient.

“The system just makes it simple. I’m far more productive in a day than I was before.”

With smarter workflows, the team can do more without needing to hire more people. That’s been key to scaling sustainably.

Adaptable to access control

While Uptick is purpose-built for fire and security, the Aaron Access team quickly saw the potential to adapt it to access control too. That flexibility was part of the reason they made the switch.

“We went with Uptick because it’s designed for fire and security,” said Jane Hooley. “And that’s where we want to grow. We were working towards gaining industry accreditations, and we needed a system that could support that side of the business as it develops.”

At the same time, the platform suits their current needs.

“Our old system wasn’t really built for what we do,” said Jane. “We needed something that could help us meet industry requirements and win new work. Uptick’s structure made sense for us — a job’s still a callout, a repair, or a maintenance visit. All that changes is the asset. It fits how we work.”

The team also highlighted how flexible the platform is. “As long as you input the right info, you’ll get the right output,” said Jane. “It works for any kind of service business.”

Set up to grow

Aaron Access is scaling fast. With about 50 staff and big contracts coming in, they’re focused on improving processes and staying ahead.

“We’re doing bigger jobs, more projects,” said Thomas. “And using the full Uptick ecosystem is helping us stay on top of it all. From quotes to invoicing, the team has everything they need to move quickly.”

And they’re not stopping here. Jane’s team is already trialling new features like auto-scheduling to help manage engineers even more efficiently.

Thanks again to Thomas, Jane, Phil, and the full Aaron Access team for showing us around and sharing their story.

‍