More Case Studies

Solarama
Independent Direct Marketing
Amphora Wines
Star Advertising Products
Handles by Design
Bancroft
Fabricsandpapers.com
Global Irrigation Systems
Bill Harkin Associates
The Pack Shot Co
Geoff Gamble Books
Modern Ceilings Southern
Wheeler & Oliver
Thesis Technology
Future IT Services

Previous Case Studies

Solarama

Sarah Orchin opened Solarama in Worthing 2002, and a second unit in Littlehampton in 2004, providing popular tanning, hydrotherapy, massage and beauty services.

Solarama's existing IT systems are used to keep track of customers, memberships and services provided and new General Manager, Tristan Manchee wanted to optimise its utilisation to prepare for future business growth.

A Connecting West Sussex adviser reviewed their current systems and showed how broadband use could enable an internal network to be created. The whole team now can access all systems with proper security from home or any outlet and they can also talk between outlets and from home with no call charges with appropriate security settings. Business has been brisk ever since and, more importantly, much smoother than it was before.

back to the top

Independent Direct Marketing

Being a young and fast-growing supplier of shoes, clothing and accessories for the more mature consumer, PCD makes every effort to maintain high customer service levels, including speed of response to sales calls and order processing and fast delivery to the customer are. To maintain its own standards, PCD staffs its own call centres rather than using external options. But with some orders being placed outside office hours, what can PCD do to continue good service without extending the hours of the call centre and consequently raising overheads?

Remote working links were set up to the homes of key employees, through broadband and a simple computer, allowing each employee to log securely into the office management system, deal with queries and place orders, maintaining the required speed of response.

As well as reducing staffing costs, remote working also opened the door to a new business sector, since other mail orders noticed the standards of warehousing and mail order infrastructure and contracted PCD to hold, pick, pack and deliver stock for them. And this was all achieved using simple broadband connectivity and relatively low cost equipment at either end to maintain security.

back to the top

Amphora Wines
www.amphorawines.co.uk

Operating from a beautiful 170 acre farm on the outskirts of Horsham, Veitch-Moir and its subsidiary business Amphora Wines has taken on Broadband to great advantage.

Veitch Moir is a private limited company which has been owned by the same family for three generations. VM's core business has remained the production, import, distribution and sale of food and drink and delivery of high quality services. The family business was originally farming in Scotland, but whilst the farm in the sloping downs of West Sussex is still actively producing crops, the diversification into Wine Import and Media consultancy have all benefited from the facilities of Broadband.

Dewar DonnithorneTait sat in his office on the minstrels' gallery of a renovated barn and spoke of how essential Broadband had become for the businesses: "It's largely about immediate access - communications, online banking, response to clients, and to ensure that they can find us quickly and easily" said Dewar. "We specialise in Languedoc Roussillon wines and frequently buy the whole year's production from some vineyards.

The new website - www.amphorawines.co.uk can now be updated far more easily and our client traffic has significantly increased, and plans are well in hand to begin online trading by summer 2006. Once the process has been introduced it will save considerable time currently spent on order processing and so reduce lead-times.

It is an important aspect of Customer service though: "We feel it should be as easy as possible for our customers to buy our wines from us!" said Dewar.

They work with a router which enables up to five computers either by Ethernet or by wireless connections, and also a back up system which enables them to automatically store the day's work.

Dewar travels a lot in order to select the wines and as a media consultant, and has a back-up system which , should his laptop be stolen or damaged whilst abroad, he can simply buy another computer, and download all his files and software remotely and get on with business!

Alison, Dewar's wife said that Broadband is extremely helpful for the farm, to keep up to date with Legislation, and news from DEFRA as well as checking on crop prices. She also maximises her use of broadband for VAT., Inland Revenue, and National Insurance purposes and the ever increasing number of forms that may be completed and submitted online.

back to the top

Star Advertising Products

"Broadband has significantly improved the way we communicate with our clients and suppliers" said Richard Lamdin, the Managing Director of Star Advertising Products.

When Richard's great uncle founded R & D Bridges in 1960, it was to provide souvenirs for clients including The Cutty Sark, HMS Victory, St. Paul's Cathedral, Madame Tussauds and the Boys Brigade. Although Star Advertising Products still supply to some of these internationally famous attractions, Richard and his mother Maureen widened the brief of the company when they took over and renamed the company in 1987. Star Advertising Products operate from premises in Selsey in West Sussex, with five employees and yet they have established an international client base for promotional and incentive gifts.

Richard likes to keep the personal touch with clients and so most orders were the result of considerable discussion and design approval. Richard's life was one of lengthy telephone calls and reams of faxes until he switched to Broadband in May of 2005.

The coincidence of examining expensive telephone bills and hearing of the Connecting West Sussex Grants and advisory programme determined Richard to switch over to Broadband. "It was so helpful, to have a knowledgeable but independent Broadband Business Advisor visit us. He discussed ways in which Broadband could be used and the decision was made.

The connection process was comparatively simple, and very soon it became apparent that the company had a far more effective way of communicating. Using E-mail and attaching large design documents and jpegs significantly speeded up the cycle of order enquiry, design, approval and production, whilst retaining the personal touch.

"Everybody has e-mail now, and I have no concerns about the size of attachments," says Richard. "I have a client in the Falkland Islands who often requests unusual items. I can now contact the manufacturers in China to instantly obtain images of the product; we can then super-impose a design on it, and send it to the Falklands. We generally gain their approval and an order in a few hours (considering the varied time zones) whereas it could have taken weeks in the recent past".

Richard also spoke gladly of other time saving benefits: "A little while ago a client asked me to obtain a rather unusual pen, but only had a reference number - no maker or description! By searching through internet based data sites of our professional bodies, I managed to identify the item, the manufacturer and the product specification very quickly. My client was delighted and gave me the order immediately".

"We encourage all our clients to pay us online, and we make every supplier payment we can using online banking. The transactions are effected more quickly, and the bank costs are minimised. We often have redundant stock, and so we can now sell them off quickly and cheaply on e-bay thus reducing our inventory costs. I have also recently bought business equipment through E-bay"

"When a client asks us for a garment embroidery design, we can create the design, set up the machine and run off a sewn proof. We can then photograph it, send it as a jpeg, gain approval and go into immediate production without resetting the machinery. Broadband has helped us to reduce our lead-times significantly and that has helped to increase our turnover".

Handles By Design

Handles by Design, a Worthing based architectural ironmongery company went on to broadband to expand its marketing capability as well as improve productivity and efficiency. It sells door handles, both ‘off the shelf’ and custom designed.

As Managing Director, Barry Cassidy, says: “There’s a growing demand and interest for specialised door furniture. By creating a broadband driven website, we’ll be able to tap into this demand by putting our catalogue online, helping people find customised design solutions and making it easy for them to place orders.”

Bancroft

Engineering company Bancroft, supplies component systems to high-tech manufacturing companies worldwide. The company needed to frequently exchange large technical data files with both its customers and suppliers, for which a dial-up connection was no longer competitive.

As Managing Director, Chris Hinchey, says: "Since we’ve installed broadband, our whole communication process has been transformed. The provision of the Grant was the trigger that made it all happen and we now have better growth opportunities than we’ve ever had!"

Fabricsandpapers.com

Online home decorating store fabricsandpapers.com has been given a big boost by going broadband. Fabricsandpapers takes designer home decorating to new heights. Choosing interior design schemes, whether it’s for a one bedroom flat or a country mansion, is a challenge for anyone and it’s a dilemma the website is solving.

Sample schemes, an advice service and developing ideas from designs in home fashion magazines are just some of the services available online as well as direct supply of thousands of wallpapers and fabrics from top name manufacturers. Emma Vans Agnew, Managing Director, says: “Going on to broadband is really driving our site forward. We have some fantastic ideas to develop fabricandpapers.com and this gives us the opportunity to do so.”

Global Irrigation Systems

Global Irrigation Systems specialises in the design and supply of domestic, commercial landscape, agricultural and horticultural irrigation.

With a market spread across sixty countries and six continents, the company needs to keep in touch with customers and agents worldwide. As soon as broadband became accessible to them, they signed up. Says ISC’s Sue Usher: “Broadband is enabling us to upgrade our website, and has already speeded up communication with clients, especially in sending and receiving large CAD drawings; what once took half-an-hour now only takes a few minutes. We’re now looking at the many other opportunities which broadband will bring.”

Bill Harkin Associates

Bill Harkin Associates, who create lightweight architecture for exhibitions and conferences, say broadband connection made all the difference to their winning and completing a major assignment for the Eden Project in Cornwall.

They had a timetable of just eight weeks to complete a new structure to house an ice rink in winter, an enclosed auditorium for spring and a stage with a 42m wide proscenium for the summer concert season. Broadband meant they could, at last, send entire 3D CAD files to the client and the team engineers and contractors at different locations, enabling the development to be completed on schedule.

“I can truthfully say, this project would never have been completed on time and on budget without Broadband,” says Bill Harkin. “It really has transformed the way we do business and willl give us an edge in competing in our extensive North American and Middle East markets.”

The PACK Shot Co

Broadband has completely changed the way he works, supplying images and artwork to clients. Just about every job is proofed and delivered on-line and images are delivered to a clients' desk as on-screen contact sheets or web and press-ready files, while artwork and picture files can be delivered globally without delay or expense to clients. Cost savings are immense - less film and processing, reduced postal and courier costs, reduced car usage and environmental impact and it's and improved service for clients. In addition, training, personal development and research are all now carried out on-line.

Broadband has impacted in other areas of the business, says Ian Pack: "I now bank on-line, reducing bank charges. Clients are encouraged to pay by BACS and, where possible, suppliers are paid on-line. I'm currently working on a website where smaller business & personal clients can login and pay by credit and debit cards, in much the same way as on-line shopping."

Geoff Gamble Books

Bruce Smetham who runs train and model retailer Geoff Gamble Books says of his switch to broadband: "The benefit was almost instant."

Previously most orders were taken at specialist shows, with the remaining 10% coming from telephone, post and email enquiries. Bruce is also commissioned to find rare editions for clients.

Dial-up was expensive and so he restricted his use of the internet but with the help of a CWS adviser and a grant, he switched. With the grant reducing the cost impact, Bruce found his business transformed. He is able to update his website more efficiently, trade on e-bay adding to his sales and his search and find service is now almost instant.

Modern Ceilings Southern

Ian Ferrey runs Modern Ceilings Southern from his home in Worthing, supplying and installating lightweight-based stretched vinyl ceiling. Until recently, however, Mr Ferrey did not have an internet connection, let alone broadband, and had to rely on friends and business associates. He was also dependent on a 5-year-old Fujitsu Siemens laptop with an old operating system. He felt limited by this and applied to Connecting West Sussex for help.

They advised him to buy a new computer for the business, organise a broadband package, make it secure, update his software and regularly back up his data. Following this advice, Mr Ferrey signed up to a broadband account in August last year and is delighted with the service. He can communicate swiftly and directly with business associates and receive the detailed technical drawings needed for his work. He no longer has the feeling of 'being left behind' and his work effort has improved with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Overall the transition from telephone only communications to a 2Mb broadband connection has totally changed the way in which Mr Ferrey works.

back to the top

Wheeler & Oliver

Wheeler and Oliver has produced hand-made luxury leather goods since 1811, supplying London's top department stores, as well as Hatton Garden. Catherine and John Elliott bought the company in 1994 and moved it to Ford, West Sussex, where it is trading successfully but facing increasingly tough competition from abroad.

Would broadband be an option for running the business? Catherine was unsure of the issues when considering this, needing to know the benefits and potential pitfalls without sales pressure. A discussion with a Connecting West Sussex adviser unveiled all she wanted to know about website design, marketing, promotion, and security issues.

One prime objective was creating the best Wheeler and Oliver website presence, but not at some of the prices she was being quoted by specialist designers. Her adviser explained how this could be achieved by creating her own, using the services of her internet) service providers.

Thesis Technology

www.limboproducts.co.uk

If you've ever broken an arm or a leg, you'll know how hard it is to wash. Which is why Thesis Technology invented special waterproof garments that protect plaster casts and wound dressings on arms or legs during bathing. But they needed a way to get their products to clients urgently. Broadband enabled them to develop the solution.

Trevor Nightingale, the Financial Director, said: “It was essential for us to have broadband in order to run an online trading website and to be able to react to online orders quickly and efficiently. ” So Thesis took advantage of a Connecting West Sussex grant to create an online ordering system that went live on the 29th of November 2005. Now, thanks to the enterprise of this small West Sussex business - and of course a custom-designed online ordering methodology - clients can order their cast protectors online overnight, since the system allows clients to order the item they need. All orders received by 4.30pm are dispatched the same day, and a comforting acknowledgement is sent to them online within a few hours.

The company now employs 23 people and, with broadband, all five administrators and managers can be online at once, which has become a necessity as the requests for their products are now coming from Germany, Belgium, France, Portugal, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and Iran. They're now even incorporating a remote working facility to enable clients to speak to a sales person 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

back to the top

Future IT Services

When Lee Pearman moved from London to West Sussex to start his own web design business, broadband wasn't available. Being a web professional he was fully aware of its advantages, but had to make do with what he could get.

It was no surprise, then, that when a Connecting West Sussex grant became available, he made full use of it and, as he says, hasn't looked back since. His communications and design work could be sent and received so much faster asnd more easily and his ability to service the demand for local business has increased significantly.

Lee is dedicated to continuous learning and has set up an arrangement so he can download his tutorials using MP3 technology - he can even incorporate this technology on his clients' sites if they want. A local riding school recently asked him to add the MP3 facility to their site so that lessons could be downloaded - after all, it is rather difficult to take notes on horseback. Later, at home, the pupils can download the lessons to their i-pods and go over what they learned. Lee is now widening his net, looking for clients across the country, but still dedicated to raising their profiles in their own local areas