 CVD Fire Protection was formed in 2002 to enhance the Scope of Works of CVD Group with a comprehensive range of Passive Fire Protection Services to the Construction and Allied Industries.
From a starting point of a single vehicle and Operative, CVD FP has grown steadily to become one of the major FP Contractors within the Scottish market, operating 20 vehicles, and up to 50 Operatives.
CVDFP initially operated traditional paper-based systems, and Workforce Scheduling was done using a manual whiteboard, both of which, although effective, were time consuming, inflexible, and inefficient.
 Additionally, no effective system existed for accurate Job-Costing or Business Analysis, other than a manual exercise, which was both time-consuming and ineffective.
As CVDFP expanded, it quickly became clear that an improved method of management was required for the Company’s entire Business Workflow.
Following the success of iQ within their sister Company, Clyde Valley Drilling, CVDFP commenced the implementation of iQ in 2007.
The business benefits, cost-savings, and improvements in efficiency were apparent almost immediately, and can be summarised as follows:-
 Whilst the original manual system was initially satisfactory for a very small workforce, as the workforce expanded this became a major logistical task.
Several hours of valuable Contract Manager’s time was spent daily in planning the following day’s work, then communicating this information out to the workforce, which required literally dozens of outbound telephone calls.
Whilst key staff members were engaged in this task, they could not be carrying out more productive work, such as pro-active business development or account management. Additonally, iQ’s ability to interface with CVDFP’s Vehicle Satellite Tracking provider enables a complete live picture of the Fleet and Operative visible from the Head Office.
The implementation of the iQ e-whiteboard therefore delivered the following immediate benefits:-
- Planning time was reduced from hours spent per day to minutes
- Operatives received clear concise instructions by SMS text, eliminating the need for telephone contact
- Return visits to CVD premises were reduced, thereby delivering further cost savings
 iQ enabled a move from a system of manual paper-based job files to an online system, which, being web-based, allowed all correspondence and job-files to be viewed by any staff member with the necessary clearance, from any location.
Contract Managers were thus able to view and update documents whilst out in the field, almost eliminating the need to return to the Office to collect correspondence. This resulted in:-
-
Administration / Filing time and associated costs were radically reduced
-
Correspondence was only printed in hard copy when absolutely necessary
-
Complete Client / Supplier files were visible and accessible to all staff when out of the office
-
General Administration / Purchase Orders / Payment Records were all now contained in one transparent location
-
Streamlining CVDFP’s entire Admin operation, radically improving efficiency, and reducing costs.
 Additionally, the management of all Operatives Skills / Training and Certification were also brought within iQ, which:-
- Eliminated the need for a separate database
- Provided flags for necessary re-training and upgrading of skills
- Retained copies of all Training Certificates and Documentation on one system, which could be quickly and easily sent electronically to a Client or Site if required.
 Prior to implementing iQ, CVDFP managed up to 50 Daily Jobsheets every single working day, which were returned in hard-copy format and required to be processed using the traditional manual methods.
iQ enabled Daily Jobsheets to be returned and reconciled electronically.
- Jobsheets returned daily, enabling any issues to be addressed and resolved immediately, reducing disputes and ultimately improving cashflow
- Jobsheets moved through the admin and pricing process faster, and without the need for hard-copy
- e-copy jobsheets are provided with Client Invoices and Valuations, providing Clients with necessary evidence of works in a clear and effective format
 Prior to iQ, CVDFP’s Plant and Assets were managed using a manual system probably fairly typical of many Contractors of a similar size.
Again, this was satisfactory during CVDFP’s initial trading, however as the the Company grew and acquired a larger Plant Inventory a more efficient and effective system was called for.
iQ has completely revamped CVDFP’s Asset Management and facilitates:-
- Listing of entire inventory
- Accurate and fully up-to-date location record for each and every asset
- Historical record of movement between operatives or site-to-site
 The implementation of iQ has enabled CVD Fire Protection to streamline its entire operation and business workflow.
It now operates with the comfort that all documents and information are held securely and in a logical structure accessible from anywhere.
Caroline Carroll
CVD Fire Protection Ltd
Coddington Crescent
Eurocentral
Motherwell
ML1 4YF
www.cvdfire.co.uk |
