Gold Coast Fire Protection
"We've just been growing, so over the last two years has been the most growth we've had financially in our business, and I will bring that down to Uptick." - Lavinia Horne, Co-Owner
Gold Coast Fire Protection (GCFP) is a fire protection company that was formed in 2008 on the sunny Gold Coast of Australia. Their services range from installation to servicing maintenance of fire equipment, and primarily service Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Northern NSW.
Before implementing an end-to-end workflow solution, the business was working between Excel spreadsheets and paper. The team at GCFP recognised this as a challenge and have even tried a few different asset management software to help their operations become more efficient. However, none of these other platforms managed to get off of the ground for Gold Coast Fire Protection for one reason or another.
The team at GCFP were eventually introduced to Uptick and how it automates the end-to-end workflow for servicing and maintaining fire assets. Upon doing their due diligence, they decided to take the plunge with Uptick - although the team initially signed only to aid in their reporting.
"Here we were thinking we had found a solution just for our reporting and turnaround time, and being a bit more efficient. Little did we know there was so much more, and it's benefitted us in more ways than what we initially presumed it would."
Implementation and onboarding
Onboarding a new software that will be used as the backbone of the business operations is never an easy task and can be quite stressful. Uptick’s onboarding program made sure that any and all old data was imported, which helps with the manual data entry (every little bit helps!).
On top of that, the Uptick team also conducted go-live training sessions with the employees at GCFP to ensure that they’re able to use all the features that the software provides.
"The training made me understand the complexity of how big Uptick was."
Faster and more accurate reporting
Uptick has helped GCFP develop their reporting capabilities as originally intended, allowing for greater transparency between them and their clients. GCFP have also improved the consistency of reports submitted to their clients as the built-in reports are automatically generated which have eliminated human error.
The quality of reports generated out of Uptick has helped to minimise client contact as more accurate information is being provided which has drastically increased, with photographic evidence of defects and remarks.
"Clients are really enjoying the fact that we're actually issuing reports and quotes within a matter of hours, because it's just there for us to access straight away, as soon as that job's performed."
Winning new business
It’s no secret that the fire protection industry is a competitive one, and being able to properly demonstrate a unique selling point over competitors is a great way to win new business.
Gold Coast Fire Protection have taken the thought process a step further - by integrating Uptick into their sales pitch altogether when trying to win new business.
In less than a year since implementation, GCFP signed on 93 new customers, with the polished reports and increased service turnaround times proving to be a key feature, and a selling point, in winning the work over their competitors.
"Uptick has actually been a bit of a sales pitch for us. When we mention how quick Uptick issues reports and provides access to the portal to see everything, [...] they think it's brilliant, which has helped win business."
Business undergoes digital transformation
Uptick has provided the GCFP team with a way to consolidate all their data within the one system and this streamlined nature has helped to increase productivity within the team, decreased admin time, and allowed office staff more time for proactive work rather than reactive.
With access to insights and management reporting, the team are able to track and optimise facets of the business that directly impact their profitability. Seeing what has been quoted and what profits are generated against each task has assisted in evolving improvements to the business.
"We've just been growing, so over the last two years has been the most growth we've had financially in our business, and I will bring that down to Uptick."
As a result of such growth, the GCFP team have hired two new staff and an additional subcontractor this year to ensure they're meeting the work demand. With all the information they need in front of them, jobs are getting completed more effectively and quicker than ever before.
