NWC Group have implemented new systems for scheduling, electronic job sheet and vehicle tracking

TouchStar Technologies have supplied a number of business optimisation solutions to assist Nationwide Window Cleaning in managing over 100 cleaners across the UK. The systems include resource planning, electronic job sheet and vehicle tracking.

Nationwide Window Cleaning (NWC) is the UK's leading independent window cleaning provider. NWC undertake a wide variety of work from single sites to national portfolios and have particular expertise in servicing the needs of financial institutions and high-street retailers. With each site having multiple schedules of work with varying frequencies, NWC needed systems which were reliable, easy to use and provided full data transparency.

NWC supplied their existing work schedule in a spread sheet to the development team, along with a specification for the details they needed to capture on the PDA software. Within two weeks, NWC produced a customised system, with a scheduling facility for managing approximately 10,000 sites across all of their cleaners.

PODStar is a cloud based mobile software solution designed for businesses operating in various logistics, construction and field service sectors. The integrated PDA and web-based back-office solution allow NWC to plan and manage their jobs and resources on a daily basis, with real-time visibility of job progress as their cleaners complete each job using the mobile job completion system.

In parallel, TouchStar Technologies installed a tracking system on to each cleaner's vehicle. Once the high-specification GPS device is installed in the vehicle it processes data from GPS satellites to calculate its position. Its powerful internal processor constantly monitors the status of the vehicle (eg: is the ignition on, is the driver driving aggressively, etc) and attaches this status information to a GPS positional log. The tracker then uses the GPRS data network to transmit these GPS logs to a data collection server at regular intervals. This data is then accessible via a PC or laptop using a secure application.

Thornton Tasker, Managing Director of NWC Group said, "We were amazed at the speed which TouchStar understood our business requirements and converted them into pragmatic solutions. We had tried and failed with a different mobile software system so all of our cleaners already had PDA hardware that was compatible with the PODStar program and they took to the new system with ease."

Thornton continues, "We now have state-of-the-art back office systems that allow our staff in the office to manage both ad-hoc and planned maintenance activities. We have complete transparency of work carried out, jobs still outstanding and the availability and position of cleaning personnel."

"The handheld system for our cleaners is also hugely beneficial as they receive complete job instructions wherever they are, and complete the job sheet recording the details of what was carried out along with photos of completed work, customer name and signature to approve job completion."

"The combination of the two systems has ensured that we are meeting our core business objectives. In particular we are increasing the productivity of cleaning personnel and improving service levels for our valued customer base."