SGP Property

SGP Get the (Text) Message Across

The Customer

SGP Property & Facilities Management is a leading provider of a wide range of outsourced property and facilities management services to clients throughout the UK and Ireland.

With expertise in the retail, corporate & public sectors, bespoke, leading edge IT systems are a key component of the support services delivered and the vital link between SGP, clients and contractors.

The Challenge

Operating a 24/7/365 helpdesk covering circa 50000 client properties within the UK, keeping their clients up to date with potential issues is paramount.

Up until now, if a specific store wasn’t trading, or someone just wanted to know when a piece of work had been completed, the only viable means of communication has been the telephone. Taking calls throughout the night when clients are sleeping, coupled with the fact that their clients work lives are ever more demanding, meant gettingcalls through to them on time was becoming more and more of a challenge.

The Solution

As mobile phones are now common place within business, the obvious way to get an important message through to clients, without waking them or interrupting their meetings, was via text messaging.

“As Avanquest’s Text Message Server has various methods of integration, coupled with the fact that we already use their Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition software and have received impressive support, it was the obvious option. The installation and then integration into our Helpdesk software was extremely simple. Within hours we had a test version running successfully which easily enabled us to amend our code to provide the required updates on logged work requests for our clients.”
Lee Pantling, IT Director, SGP Property and Facilities Management.

The possibilities are endless

“Having experienced how simple the integration with our systems is, we are now designing a full rules-based notification system which will enable us to inform clients by SMS, fax or email if certain criteria are met when creating or amending a work request” said Lee.“For example, clients can choose to only receive updates when a store isn’t trading or where a property has asbestos present. The system will be completely bespoke to meet each client’s requirements.”

SGP are also working on a trial for handling incoming SMS updates, so that contractors will be able to send a text message from a site, telling them a work request has been completed – providing even quicker, more accurate statistics for their clients.

“The feedback we are getting from our clients, following implementation of this service, has been excellent. So many systems these days are over complicated to install, administer and to integrate into, but this one was a breeze. As text messaging is now widely recognised as a valid business tool, I foresee many instances where we can improve the service to our customers by integration of this software into other client facing applications.”

Lee Pantling, IT Director, SGP Property and Facilities Management.

More information

For information on any of our solutions or products, please call us on 0800 988 5543 or email sales@processflows.co.uk.