Tentacle’s team spent six months analysing the client’s business model, day-to-day operations and then designing and developing a bespoke database system that would tick all the points on the client’s wishlist and more.
Tentacle’s approach was divided into two parts:
Analysis
During the first month, Sadia led the Tentacle’s analytical team to learn how the old access system worked, how all the various job roles in Fastfixx operated day to day, what “wishlist” improvements Fastfixx wanted in the system. Identifying all the possible potential security risks in the current system was an integral part of the analysis.
Design and Development
Once the team had completed the analysis, designers and developers devised a functional spec to solve the issues and bring Fast Fixx into the modern technological era. In the next couple of months, Tentacle Solutions completely revamped a vast and complicated mess into a sleek, cloud-based web SQL system. The new SQL cloud-based system provided all the functionality of the old one - including Sage invoicing, except now it worked. Our developers went an extra mile and provided an HTML5 mobile system for their engineers that made it easier to collect their day sheets on their mobiles. It allows for flexibility to quickly and smoothly transition into working from home for the engineers.
To put the end product in real-life context: Fast Fixx’s office staff have a fast and efficient admin system capable of working anywhere in the world and on any device. The daily engineers’ movements, part requests, and reports can be tracked
The engineers’ workflow has been drastically optimized - they open their apps in the morning to get their job assignments along with a map detailing the best route to each job. When engineers detect they need a part for a job, the system will instantly alert the parts team in the office:
1. Then send an order to the supplier
2. When the order is delivered, the engineers are then tasked in their daily jobs to visit the parts department and pick it up
3. They will then be scheduled to visit the location and continue with that job
To the joy of Fast Fixx’s management and accountants, the new system easily integrates with their Sage accounting system and also some larger clients (e.g. Glasgow City Council) web portals for invoicing.