PCB Technical Solutions (PCB) are part of the SESCOM Group and they specialise in commercial and retail HVAC and Mechanical projects. They are experts in the design, installation and maintenance of Heating, Ventilation Air Conditioning and Mechanical services.
Formed in 2013, they have customers ranging in size but including high street brands and from industries including, retail and commercial through to residential and manufacturing.
They provide close control systems, cold rooms, manufacturing process equipment and ventilation systems. This includes full and bespoke HVAC design through to the service and maintenance of their products 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
PCB engaged with DocTech back in 2018 with the primary purpose of helping them to manage document approvals within their finance processes.
The solution needed to help them improve the processing of project and none project costs as well as encompassing purchase invoices and credits. There was also a requirement for integration with their finance system Sage.
HVAC and mechanical contractors can generate a significant volume of documentation across projects, service work, finance and compliance.
Project managers and engineers may be working across multiple sites, while finance and administration teams need access to the same information back at the office.
A document management system can provide one central place to manage documents such as:
With a cloud document management system, PCB were able to scan and archive 80,000 paper documents into the software that were previously stored in their office. Having these documents stored digitally has freed up space and made information instantly available to authorised users, as well as offering transparency of the whole process.
DocuWare gives HVAC businesses one secure, central system for managing documents and workflows across finance, projects, subcontractors, fleet and HR. From invoices and approvals to project records, compliance certificates and employee documents, information can be stored, found and shared quickly, while automated workflows help reduce manual admin, improve visibility and keep processes moving across the business.
PCB knew they needed to make document-based improvements to their approval processes. The were mainly paper based and having hard copies of important documents made it difficult to obtain approvals.
With HVAC project managers spread across the country, paper processes weren't working for them. The staff involved in document approvals very rarely set foot in the office and so documents needing approval sat on desks waiting to be actioned.
Prior to them using DocuWare, supplier invoices were a particular concern as waiting for approvals meant they could go unpaid for long periods causing issues to supply chains and supplier relationships.
The leadership team felt they needed an online approval system which could offer transparency and that staff could access no matter where they were.
Keep certificates, training records, subcontractor information, insurance documents and other important records securely stored and instantly searchable.
Automated notifications can also help teams identify documents approaching expiry, while digital records make it much easier to provide information when required for an audit.
With many documents requiring legal storage for six years the volume of paper work PCB was amassing also became a problem for the business.
Not only were documents difficult to find, but they were stored in an attic which meant employees had to climb a ladder to find what they were looking for. It wasn't practical and very disruptive to the working day.
HVAC is a heavily regulated industry.
PCB Technical Solutions are audited by BESA who need to check a variety of documents. These audits became problematic due to the sheer volume of paper documents involved.
To improve their processes, PCB opted for the cloud-based DocuWare document management system from DocTech.
Keep approvals moving even when project managers and teams are working across different sites. DocuWare automatically routes documents to the right people, provides clear visibility of outstanding tasks and creates a digital audit trail of every approval.
With access to the system from anywhere with an internet connection, project managers out on site are able to approve documents without having to go into the office or log onto a computer.
Approval stamps can be applied to supplier invoices or any other documents from a mobile device, enabling quicker payments and slicker processes. Coding and cost centres are all part of the process.
It has also been useful for project managers when looking to price the next job. A simple full text search within the digital document pool shows what was previously charged meaning phone calls or emails back and forth to the office are no longer required.
When deciding on a service provider, PCB chose DocTech and their document management software DocuWare, as the solution looked user friendly and the price was good on comparison.
"DocuWare does everything we wanted it to do as well as offering a flexible way of doing it."
The system offers far more than PCB’s initial requirement. For example, all subcontractor information including training forms and certificates are automatically indexed in the system using DocuWare's Intelligent Indexing data capture tool where they are stored by name, date and document type.
DocuWare’s digital document pool enables the remote based project managers to carry out critical searches independently – for example when needing to verify that a sub-contractor is insured for working at height.
In another area of the business, all documentation relating to PCB's fleet of vehicles is stored in DocuWare so they can easily check and receive notifications when any vehicle documentation such as insurance, MOT, drivers' licences or certificates are expiring.
The organisation now also digitally stores all their HR documents and have applied different levels of security so staff are only able to view documents within their set permissions.
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Implemented a digital document pool eradicating wasted time looking through paper files
The ability to quickly and easily search for any document they have stored
Dramatically improved the document approval process
Provided mobile workers access to information when onsite or at home
Improved the audit process as auditors can now check information themselves in DocuWare
Created granular permissions so HR documents are only accessible to authorised users
Removed paper from their office freeing up space
I'd recommend DocTech and DocuWare to anyone still using paper. The benefits out-weigh the cost and we'd never go back. It's been a major benefit to us. We'd need an extra pair of hands if we didn't have it working so well.
info@doctech.co.uk
0161 647 7040
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