Sussex-based telecommunications and utilities company Infinity Fibre Group used Re-flow’s field management platform to streamline past inefficiencies, improve communication, and grow sustainably
Infinity Fibre Group specialises in fibre network solutions and multi-utility projects that also include power, gas and water-related services.
With humble beginnings as a 4-man outfit, the company has since grown into a quality-centric business focused on providing stellar services with a timely turnaround.
The team’s expertise with many turnkey projects, including fibre jointing, testing, fibre blowing, civil works and surveying, has firmly established their reputation across the entirety of the UK.
Before Re-flow, Infinity Fibre suffered from masses of paperwork
Like many businesses without digital tools, Infinity Fibre was suffering from masses of paperwork.
Critical project data and information was becoming increasingly difficult to track as the business expanded and brought on more clients.
A major area of concern was the lack of real-time updates from field operatives, making it difficult to manage teams and appropriately allocate resources on projects that could be taking place anywhere across the country.
This lack of reactivity and oversight was impacting the team’s ability to collate data and plan ahead in a timely manner, which could begin to affect their long-term growth.
Aiming to iron out these inefficiencies and streamline operations, Infinity Fibre began to trial and test various software packages designed for the corporate space and general construction.
Their team found that these off-the-shelf solutions would prove difficult to integrate with their existing workflows and forms without the flexibility they needed to grow and continue working comfortably.
A key concern was ensuring the adoption process was as seamless as possible. Integrations aside, a successful digital transformation lies with the field operatives’ user experience.
The team needed to be certain that their operatives were equipped with a versatile, user-friendly platform that was supported on a variety of devices and offered an intuitive interface that wouldn’t impede daily work.
Re-flow’s field management tool was the solution
Re-flow is a comprehensive cloud-based platform of tools that consolidates all major operational processes into one piece of intuitive software.
This includes the ability to track all data and information, including jobs, equipment, plant, vehicle and users, without the need for a single sheet of paper.
Rather than individually creating job packs and physically distributing them, creating jobs using the Re-flow dashboard greatly expedites the process. Users can attach key information such as PDFs and documents, including plans and drawings, locations and more.
Once a job is created, the scheduler can be used to create events and assign individual users or groups against them. In addition, any asset registered within Re-flow can be assigned, and common jobs can be set to automatically recur.
Any resources assigned through the dashboard can then be viewed by field operatives through the system’s knowledge base, which is accessible offline and online.
The app also facilitates one of the most crucial elements of field operations – safety and compliance. Digital forms can be assigned from an existing library of over 40 or built from scratch to regulatory standards with Re-flow’s user-friendly form builder.
Once assigned against a job or user, forms are available through the app, enabling users to complete forms and instantly feed back submitted data along with a digital signature, time and location tag.
For added security, forms can request photographic evidencing, which, along with geofencing and time tracking, ensures compliance is being adhered to at all times.
Re-flow’s real-time data is extremely powerful, enabling a host of additional features such as live user tracking and team communication. This enables firms to get an instant, detailed overview of project status, and allows office teams to remain reactive at all times.
For example, should a project experience sudden changes, administrative staff can view the nearest operatives, re-assign them and instantly communicate the change – all through Re-flow.
Infinity Fibre instantly found the tools to streamline many of their past inefficiencies
Using Re-flow’s field management software, site information can now be accessed in real-time, with job progress automatically updated based on form data and the locations of assets and users visible through the dashboard at all times.
Naturally, this has eliminated paper from the business, with all data securely stored in the system’s cloud-based database.
With form-filling times halved and tedious administrative processes automated or made redundant, available time has increased by 50% for all teams across the business.
With an instant stream of information between teams, dashboard users can quickly access any data they need, far more efficiently than before.
The user-friendly layout of the dashboard makes reviewing information, collating data and generating reports quick and easy. On average, this saves administrative teams 1 hour a day on average, enabling them to do more with their time.
Expediting job creation and distribution
Another area where administrative teams and operatives alike have greatly benefited is through job creation and distribution. With the entire process taking place within the app, dashboard users were able to greatly expedite job creation and distribution.
Rather than chasing phone calls, organising office visits and manually collating job packs, users are able to create powerful, informative job packs that are instantly shared to operatives through the app. Additionally, by replacing siloed communication methods with a single, centralised solution, the company has increased their cross-team communication by 60%.
With improved communication and access to accurate, real-time data and reporting, compliance and health and safety management increased by 50%. Through Re-flow’s digital form system, the business was able to expedite and improve safety processes such as RAMS, vehicle safety checks, site audits and more.
In conjunction with the system’s automation, this has also enabled submitted form data to trigger updates in the dashboard, such as tracking defect status on vehicles and equipment.
With all forms tagged with time, date, location and signature, Infinity Fibre’s ability to create robust audit trails was also greatly improved, yielding a 50% increase in auditability.
Having completed their digital transformation, Re-flow has enabled the business to grow more sustainably. From just the simple fact of streamlining day-to-day operations, the system has empowered teams to do more with their time, giving the business the freedom to focus on their growth plans.
Infinity Fibre now joins a community of hundreds nationwide who have successfully digitally transformed their process, mastering HSE, increasing profitability and ensuring sustainable future growth.
To learn more about Re-flow’s award-winning field management software for utilities, visit www.re-flow.co.uk.
