A South Cambridgeshire-based company who supply, repair, lease and hire industrial cleaning machines has been able to save hours of manual processing time by going paper-free thanks to a Digital Technology Grant for Business.
CSA Cleaning Equipment & Supplies have been providing high-quality, professional (and domestic) cleaning equipment, advice, training and supplies since 1977. But as recently as 2015 the business still used a typewriter.
Acknowledging the need to move on from typed or handwritten job cards – that would then need to be re-written into an accounting ledger and noted on a whiteboard to show live job progress – CSA Cleaning jumped at the chance to make all its systems non-paper by applying for a digital technology grant.
Michael Russell, Owner of CSA Cleaning Equipment & Supplies, said: “Our objective was to make all our systems paperless. We knew going digital would save us hours of manual processing and hoped it would make us much more efficient, and it did!
“We updated laptops and bought extra monitors so colleagues could use dual screens. We also purchased a 60” TV and large tablets for the engineers to use while out and about. Now the engineers can log and update the jobs they’re working on out in the field and the information links back to the big screen in the office – so we can see live jobs moving and see what’s complete – all in real time with no time-consuming admin involved.
“This has saved us hours. Time that can now be used for client development and marketing.”
The team now works in a much more efficient manner and clients can access their job status with ease. The business has been able to improve their service package offering using the time saved to develop their client base and market for more.
Michael went on to say “These sorts of grants are fantastic as they facilitate growth and new employment opportunities for someone local to join the team. We would have grown eventually, but the grant money enabled us to do this quicker and faster. It meant we were able to release cash to use for digital technology advances and hire an additional team member.”
CSA Cleaning Equipment & Supplies have now also purchased a management software system and are currently applying for another grant through CPCA Growth Works, to invest in robotic machines which in turn will lead to needing an extra vehicle and employing someone new.