Advantex are a full-service IT solutions provider, delivering turnkey systems that cover everything from cabling infrastructure to servers, PCs, and the surrounding security product stacks.
The business also offers a comprehensive physical security service, including IP CCTV systems and access control such as key card entry. Unlike many providers who outsource parts of their service, Advantex retains all expertise in-house, with directly employed staff handling every aspect of delivery. They have 65 employees, including 35 engineers, 15 vans, and over 60 items of plant.
The nature of Advantex’s work – which spans multiple sectors including advanced cybersecurity, business communication systems, and critical IT infrastructure – means they’ve built up a team of specialists with very different skill sets and equipment needs. As the company grew, scheduling at this scale was becoming increasingly unmanageable.
Initial workflows using Microsoft Dynamics and Outlook hit their limits and couldn’t scale to Advantex’s new requirements. These alternatives lacked flexibility and weren’t user-friendly. Even basic tasks like adding location fields to jobs – for parking, collecting permits, and other processes – became needlessly time-consuming.
Elsewhere, the order to fulfilment process was slow. Checking through POWs, printing, scheduling, and getting documentation back from sites, chasing up missing information and waiting for forms to return to the office, led to frustration.
When Advantex considered other field management options, there were concerns about being able to adapt software to their specific workflow and multiple cybersecurity needs, and as they work with the likes of the MOD, non-compliance risked a decline in accreditation ratings and an inability to tender for future work.
After all, Advantex have achieved:
- ISO:9001/2000
- ISO:9001/2015
- NICEIC Certification
- Cyber Essentials Plus
- NSI Gold quality seal
Motivation to find a better solution
With cybersecurity a core concern, any new field operations software needed to be trustworthy, feature secure sign-ins, and manage customer data in a way that wouldn’t breach any accreditations.
Advantex wanted a scheduler capable of managing their diverse workflow while scaling with the business as it grew. It needed to build on the company’s professionalism and improve multiple logistical processes – particularly the challenge of fragmented documentation. It needed to eliminate the requirement to store and manage paper forms and create a central repository for job-critical information like drawings, scopes of work, and other elements of the company’s knowledge base.
Other desires:
- Achieving real-time visibility on critical tasks like daily vehicle checks, allowing for more robust management.
- Ensuring risk assessments are completed and the company’s documentation is in order.
- Providing instant digital client sign-offs at job completion, eliminating delays from traditional paper-based processes and the wait for documents to return to the office.
- For Advantex to achieve their ISO 27001 ambitions they needed to eliminate the amount of paper the company were using.
Key Benefits
- HSE Compliance
Tasks can now be easily mandated, ensuring HSE processes are completed – guaranteeing that engineers had signed risk assessments and RAMS. Customisable forms allowed Advantex to automate site and office workflows and enabled them to adapt quickly to sickness and reproducing documents for the replacements, so everyone remains safe. - The smart scheduler and visibility of jobs
Previously, varied work with specialist engineers was difficult to plan and keep track of. They chose Re-flow due to the software’s smart scheduler, which enables admin to see engineer availability at a glance and efficiently manage complex workloads via multiple streamlining features. Advantex even customised their scheduler colour coding different tasks to show signoffs, ongoing work, and more.
- Cybersecurity and auditing
Advantex have multiple ISOs and accreditations and needed a data-secure software solution with powerful reporting features. Re-flow gives them the security they need. Secure login and data handling features ensured compliance with strict cybersecurity requirements. Hands-on onboarding and training meant the team could confidently tailor the system to their needs. They can now produce professional, comprehensive company-branded reports in seconds, reports that embody their professionalism.
