The Solution
Evolve began using eTech’s SMART EPC, SMART Floor Plans & SMART Work Manager
as their unique requirements meant this was the only integrated solution available
to fulfil their needs. Each component is available at the touch of a button on
the handheld device, enabling Evolve to offer multiple services on one site visit.
Everything is done on the handheld device, on site, including completing the EPC,
floor plan, property description and photographs, which are then uploaded to Evolve’s
system for quality checking before being released to the client’s website. The main
advantage of being able to record everything electronically at source is that it
requires minimal, if any, extra work when the assessor returns to the office.
Evolve currently has around 130 domestic energy assessors (DEAs) and can offer EPCs,
floor plans and property descriptions nationwide, though they’re aiming to increase
to around 250 DEAs. To manage the workload for this many assessors, SMART Work Manager
has been invaluable; every DEA has a number of postcodes they can work within and the
system automatically allocates jobs to those assessors when they’re put into the
system by Evolve’s clients, all of whom have a web login to the system. Clients
can enter the job’s address and instructions and this is then sent via Smart Work
Manager to the DEAs handheld device for them to accept or decline the job.
Strict targets set by the client mean that assessors have to accept or decline the job
within 2hrs, and Evolve are able to see when/whether the job has been accepted using
SMART Work Manager. They can also see if the appointment has been made, which needs
to have been made within 24hrs and attended within three days to meet the client’s targets.
According to David Brierley at Evolve, “turnaround times are the Holy Grail of this business,
as until we complete our bit the client can’t market the property. SMART Work Manager enables
us to speed up the whole process and meet our client’s targets, as well as organising everything,
keeping all the information recorded in one place.”
Evolve’s use of SMART EPC has meant that their assessors are able to carry out an
extra one or two EPCs a day, making an extra five or so a week and twenty plus a
month; this increased efficiency means that they can earn more money, as can their
DEAs. It’s a volume business but the beauty of the SMART system is the ability to
offer more services to their clients from one on-site visit; as their DEAs are on
site already doing the EPC it adds value for the client to be able to get other
services from the visit such as the floor plans and property particulars. It is
also less of an inconvenience to the property owner, having to arrange to be at
the house for just one visit rather than having to make themselves available for
another person to come and produce the floor plan, and to take photographs, and
produce the particulars, potentially looking at up to three or four visits before
the property can even be marketed. According to David Brierley, “using eTech’s
system has given us the ability to offer floor plans and particulars, which we
couldn’t have done manually – it has enabled us to offer services we couldn’t
have offered before.”
Benefits
Evolve finds the biggest benefits of using SMART EPC, Work Manager and Floor
Plans are its’ cost-effectiveness, functionality and 24hr availability. The
fact that it’s a web-based system means no storage charges or hidden maintenance
costs, and it’s automatically updated whenever new releases are available. The
other thing they particularly like is the ability to keep track of their assessors,
especially from a health & safety perspective in regard to lone working. Assessors
can record when they arrive at a property and when they leave and whether they’re
en-route to another property which is all logged on the system, and means that Evolve
can see if anyone has been at a property too long, which is a big bonus from a safety
perspective as they can try to contact them to check if everything is okay, as well as
see where they are in relation to their next appointment if they’re late for reasons
beyond their control, such as traffic problems or inclement weather.
Says David, “the biggest benefit is that using eTech’s systems we are able to offer
services we couldn’t have offered before, but the automation of the whole process using
SMART Work Manager means that we’re able to spend more time actually doing the work and
much, much less time on administration back at the office. The process is smooth &
streamlined, it’s quick and failsafe to use and it enables us to meet our client’s
targets.”