Boosting workflow

High Performance Doors Solutions is a leading provider of steel and automatic doors designed and manufactured in the UK.

Based in Sittingbourne, Kent and Walsall in the West Midlands, HP Doors products include Martin Roberts steel performance and fast track doorsets and Dor-O-Matic automatic doors and operator systems. Their products are used in many industry sectors including public, commercial, retail, hospitality and transport groups.

The challenge
Like any progressive and expanding business HP Doors encounter a diverse range of challenges which require simple and workable solutions. One example of this is the need for effective communication among their multiple engineers who require their work to be planned in advance to ensure that manufacturing requirements are met. Among the specific issues HP Doors were keen to address were; inaccurate planning of work, issues regarding manufacturing lead times, absence of records regarding the movement and progress of projects and the inconsistency of manual reporting. As a result the decision was taken to look at the available options for a more effective on-line management, workflow system that would provide the features and benefits most appropriate to their needs.

The solution
Whiteboards and spreadsheets had been used previously to track the progress of projects. However, the introduction of the new T Cards Online workflow management system offered HP Doors the potential of a more appropriate system for their needs and multiple users. The system would be all about operations, specifically linking the engineers with the people who plan and organise jobs, whilst the managers can ‘view only’ what’s going on.

Developed and fine-tuned over 4 years and launched in early 2013, the innovative T Cards Online workflow monitoring system replicates the manual card and board T-Card system  used by many of the UK’s leading companies since it was established over 40 years ago.

However, the online system enables users to manage workflow in real time using the drag-and-drop technique, moving job cards around the board to reflect current status. It features password-protected login and enables multiple remote access from anywhere in the world. Communication between the notepad, PC or laptop is encrypted using SSL certification and data is also encrypted and held in a secure private cloud environment behind dedicated firewalls for extra security. All historical data is maintained so that it can be copied and reused at a later date.

A clear benefit of the new T Cards Online system is its simplicity. Once the virtual board has been configured to meet individual requirements new cards are opened from the main menu bar, there is space to add title and sub-title as well as a main body area to input details as required. There is also a facility to link to an external document if required. Since a number of cards will appear on the same chart, they can be colour-coded for easier identification. As work progresses the cards are simply dragged to a new column.

The benefits
HP Doors bought into the new T Cards Online system and it quickly proved to be an effective reporting, work flow management system. Commenting on their experiences in using the system, Adam Spokes, Contracts Manager at HP Doors said, “We have resolved all of the issues which needed to be addressed, the T Cards Online system enables us to run reports showing upcoming projects, the history of existing projects and with instant access”. Adam continued, “We especially appreciate our ability to capture data at an instant and to be able to show customers our programs whilst mobile, out in-the-field, also that multiple people can access the information”. He added, “The staff at T Cards Online are very helpful and deal with any issues very quickly”.

HP Doors experience in using the new online system is another example of T Cards Online expertise in helping organisations, large or small, to explore the benefits of a simple yet highly effective online management tool to streamline and improve management processes and ultimately improve productivity.