Case Studies
They were using a variety of spreadsheets to do things that spreadsheets can only dream about. They had been looking for a complete system to run their business for...
Brittany Ferries wanted to enhance the Departure point, the moment when the passengers arrive at the port and check in. The process was to be the same as an airport check-in...
The shops branches needed to be able to order jewellery items on-line from Watch This Space, to perform normal Point Of Sale routines (ie. a check-out system) and also to...
The NHS wanted to obtain the most accurate income tax quotations and assessments to enable NHS employees to obtain vehicles with known tax implications, so each...
Winters Marine wanted a centralised system that needed to be built from scratch a module at a time, ensuring that training of staff kept pace with implementation of...
Premier tiles needed a bespoke till system, as no off-the-shelf package would match all their needs. A number of other non-standard functions were also needed...
King Harry Ferry required handheld computers, capable of withstanding rugged use outside in all temperatures and weathers, with...
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Saffron Clean and Tidy
Saffron Clean and Tidy is a 5 star, established, local, family run cleaning company successfully providing top end, professional and reliable private cleaning services for office/commercial property and private domestic homes. From humble beginnings their family run local business has grown at a fast pace and they continue to set new standards. Their cleaners are all local people and vetted by themselves.
What were the company trying to do?
They were using a variety of spreadsheets to do things that spreadsheets can only dream about.
What did the company need?
They had been looking for a complete system to run their business for a number of months. No company contacted, which included the likes of Xero or Quick Books, could offer such a rounded package to include both finance, invoicing and flexible worksheets that could easily be adapted to their business. They also wanted to go 'paperless' as much as possible when invoicing clients and sending work schedules to the cleaners by email.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software created a solution which enabled the owners to manage the financial side of the business and create cleaning schedules based on each client's different requirements – such as daily, weekly on any day eg. a Friday, twice weekly for instance on a Monday and a Thursday, fortnightly, monthly and one-offs. Replicating the next week or month was made easy by following the clients' own requirements, and was able to email invoice pdfs to the clients and work schedule pdfs to the cleaners using one of two email accounts.
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries operates one of the most modern fleets on the Channel, with a total of 8 passenger ships. The Pont-Aven is their luxurious £100m flagship ferry setting new standards in passenger ferry travel. They sail from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth direct to Brittany, Normandy and Northern Spain. As well as taking you across the water, they cater for your whole holiday experience on dry land as well.
What were the company trying to do?
They wanted to enhance the Departure point, the moment when the passengers arrive at the port and check in. The process was to be the same as an airport check-in, except that with Brittany Ferries passengers arrive in their cars and drive them onto the ship, whilst other passengers board on foot, and commercial vehicles drive to the commercial vehicle area. The Check-In point was to be a company Check-In Manager who would be anywhere in the port or on the ship, checking in passengers at any location within this area – as opposed to getting them all to queue up at a check-in point.
What did the company need?
The Check-In Manager needed to have a hand-held computer which connected via wi-fi direct to the company's bookings website, to make sure the right passengers boarded the right ship at the right time.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software provided the software link between the handheld computer and the website, ensuring that both the Check-In Manager and the website are kept up to date with the latest check-ins, so that passengers can board with no fuss, and the ships can sail on time.
Jewellery Stop
Jewellery Stop sell handmade jewellery. Drawn from a wide range of natural materials, including resin, shell, wood, silk and freshwater pearls, their jewellery incorporates both traditional and unique handmade techniques in order to create their ranges of stunning jewellery and accessories.
What were the company trying to do?
Their sister company, Watch This Space Ltd, designed the jewellery and imported the items from Asia where they are made. They already had a Forever Software program handling purchase ordering, sales ordering and invoicing to shops and sales agents. They wanted to open a chain of their own shops at a number of towns and cities in the Midlands.
What did the company need?
The shops needed to be able to order jewellery items on-line from Watch This Space, to perform normal Point Of Sale routines (ie. a check-out system) and also to perform the shops' daily sales totalling and cashing-up routine on-line and send the results electronically to the head office each evening after the shops closed for the day. At the head office, the sales results from all the shops would be collated for the head office staff to monitor. The system was also to calculate proposed replacement deliveries for each shop based on what they had sold, and to enable new lines to be sent to the shops as well. By shortly after 6pm every day, the head office staff should know exactly what each shop has sold and how much they would bank the following day.
How did Forever Software help?
We provided exactly what they required, and were able to suggest enhancements to the original specification at no extra cost. As well as normal check-out activities, the shops system handles gift vouchers, credit notes, offers, and discount types. Stock-taking and individual stock checking are also catered for. The system uses bar codes throughout the whole system, and produces new labels for the new items on sale.
NHS Shared Services
NHS Shared Business Services provides a wide range of comprehensive, innovative and reliable services, delivering value to the NHS by:
- sharing best practice
- improving financial control
- maximising purchasing power
- providing service excellence
- leading-edge technology
With over 100 clients and state-of-the-art centres of excellence, NHS SBS today is the preferred choice for NHS Trusts seeking to modernise their back office processes.
What were the company trying to do?
They wanted to obtain the most accurate income tax quotations and assessments to enable NHS employees to obtain vehicles with known tax implications, so each buyer could make a choice based on the best information.
What did the company need?
They needed a complex income tax calculator.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software provided them with a tax calculator with changeable annual input criteria and a very specific set of responses. These would be printed out and sent to the employee so a decision could be made on the intended purchase.
Winters Marine
Winters Marine Ltd is a prestigious boatyard situated in the beautiful Salcombe Harbour in the picturesque South Hams, Devon.
What were the company trying to do?
They had a boat sales and service operation, selling new and used boats of all types and sizes. They wanted a simple and straightforward invoicing program which would store details of customers and their boats, and also raise invoices for work done – maintenance, laying up for the winter – and to facilitate the ordering of spare parts from the relevant manufacturers.
What did the company need?
They wanted a centralised software system which allowed the various parts of the business to function cohesively.
How did Forever Software help?
Forever Software built the system from scratch, a module at a time, ensuring that training of staff kept pace with implementation of new processes. This project started life as a 'DOS' (ie. pre-Windows) program on a computer equipped with just two 5.25 inch floppy disk drives and no hard disk, and went through several permutations via the first Windows operating system (Windows 3.1) to end up as a program using the latest Windows version on the latest PC.
Premier Tiles
'Premier tiles at premier prices.' They sell tiles and associated building equipment, and provide advice and carry out installations, for trade and retail.
What were the company trying to do?
This recent start-up wanted to manage retail cash customers and trade account customers, where the trade customers get a delivery note for each purchase they make which goes towards their monthly invoices and where cash customers pay at the time of purchase. A number of other non-standard functions were needed, not available on off-the-shelf till system packages.
What did the company need?
They needed a bespoke till system, as no off-the-shelf package would match all their needs. They wanted to use two types of invoice as well as quotations and other documents involved with sales of building materials and installation directly into customers' homes.
How did Forever Software help?
We gave them a till system with attitude – and some handy extras like a calculator for finding out how many wall or floor tiles would be needed for any given area. As their company grew we grew the software as well, scaling it up to a bigger and more powerful database engine. We have regularly upgraded their program with the new functions they want, as and when they require.
King Harry Ferry
The King Harry Ferry is an iconic part of Cornwall's history. Established in 1888, it connects St Mawes and the Roseland Peninsula with Feock, Truro and Falmouth by avoiding the alternative 27 mile route through Truro & Tresillian.
What were the company trying to do?
To make collecting the passenger tolls easier and more accountable.
What did the company need?
Handheld computers, capable of withstanding rugged use outside in all temperatures and weathers, with the ability to produce tickets printed with the correct tariff and service from special printers worn by the ticket collecters and controlled from the handheld computer by wireless communication. At the end of the day, the handhelds would be docked in their cradles for recharging and upload of the day's sales. The head office would receive this information, downloaded overnight ready for the head office staff to look at in the morning. New prices, new tariff structures and new ferry services would be introduced or shelved (depending on the time of year).
How did Forever Software help?
We provided the software for the handheld terminals, the printers, the uploads and downloads and the full range of data handling in the head office.
