We’re delighted to share that Start Software - Start Technology (Software) Ltd - has once again passed our ISO9001 (Quality Management) and ISO27001 (Information Security) surveillance audit — with flying colours! The audit was managed expertly by Catherine , with valuable support from our ISO consultant Kieran . Our auditor, Chris , carried out the full-day assessment remotely (screenshot proof below!) and confirmed that we continue to meet the high standards expected for both certifications. Robin, looking confused (as usual), Kieran pulling a face, Catherine & Chris At Start Software, our ISO certifications aren’t just certificates on the wall (or our websites, see here and here ) — they’re part of how we run the business every day. Maintaining rigorous quality and information security processes helps us to: continuously improve the software and services we provide to our customers (such as Alpha Tracker ) ensure our systems and data remain safe and sec...
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Welcoming Serenna – our latest work experience student at Start Software!
We’ve really enjoyed having Serenna with us at our Telford office this week!
Serenna is an Open University student studying Software Development, and she joined us for a week of work experience to get a feel for what life is like in a busy software company.
During her time with the Start Software team, Serenna got involved in all sorts of activities — from spending time on our support desk, sitting in on developer meetings, and even speaking directly with clients. She quickly got to grips with how we support our users and keep our systems running smoothly… and she even took a few support calls herself (and did brilliantly!).
Throughout the week, Melika was Serenna’s mentor, helping her settle in and guiding her through the different areas of our work — from coding to customer support.
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| Serenna and Melika, helping a client |
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| Serenna, Melika & Development Team Leader Dan |
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| Serenna and Support Desk lead Zac |
It’s always great to see the next generation of software developers gaining real-world experience, and we hope her time with us has been both useful and inspiring.
Thanks for joining us, Serenna — and best of luck with the rest of your studies!
Welcome TYSR Analysis to the Alpha Tracker family. Another asbestos lab comes on board
🎉We’re delighted to welcome TYSR Analysis Limited as the newest asbestos laboratory to join the Alpha Tracker asbestos family!
The TYSR team are completing their remote Alpha Tracker training today with Kim, learning how to make the most of their new asbestos lab management system — from sample tracking and chain of custody, through to lab reporting, quality control and dashboards.
And of course, no Alpha Tracker training session would be complete without the traditional selfie — here’s Robin’s shot featuring Kim and the TYSR team joining via screenshare!
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| Robin sticking his (big) nose into Kim's training session |
About TYSR Analysis Limited
TYSR Analysis Limited are part of the respected Asbestos Sampling group — known across the UK for helping businesses and property managers bring asbestos sampling and testing in-house.
Their laboratories provide fast, professional asbestos analysis and are focused on accuracy, compliance and turnaround speed — values that perfectly align with the way we designed Alpha Tracker for asbestos labs.
Through their online platform, they supply asbestos testing kits, laboratory services, and training courses, all aimed at improving safety and efficiency in asbestos management.
Alpha Tracker for Asbestos Laboratories
At Alpha Tracker, we’re proud to support many of the UK’s leading asbestos laboratories and environmental consultancies. Our software helps automate every stage of the process — from sample registration and tracking, to UKAS-compliant reporting and client communication.
Key benefits of Alpha Tracker for asbestos labs include:
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Seamless sample tracking from field to lab
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Full chain of custody for compliance and auditing
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Integrated report templates and certificate generation
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Custom dashboards for productivity and turnaround monitoring
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Secure, cloud-based access from any location
You can find out more in these recent posts:
Welcome Aboard, TYSR!
We’re really excited to see how TYSR Analysis Limited will use Alpha Tracker to streamline their asbestos testing workflows and strengthen their quality management.
Welcome aboard, TYSR — and thanks for joining the growing community of labs and consultancies who trust Alpha Tracker as their asbestos lab software of choice. We can’t wait to see what you achieve with it!
Support Desk Performance – September 2025
Our Support Desk had another strong month in September, with excellent results across the board.
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Total tickets solved: 879
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Tickets solved on time: 828 (94.2%)
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High-priority tickets solved on time: 182 (98.4%)
How does this compare?
Looking at the last few months, September continues the upward trend of strong performance. Both standard and high-priority requests were dealt with on time at higher rates than earlier in the summer. In fact, high-priority tickets have now been consistently resolved on time at 97% or better for five months in a row.
Why this matters
When you contact our Support Desk, you want issues resolved quickly and reliably. These results show that our team continues to hit that standard – especially when it comes to urgent, business-critical problems.
The bigger picture
Across the last six months, we’ve:
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Solved 4,381 tickets
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Resolved 4,024 on time (that’s over 91%)
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Maintained high-priority on-time performance above 95%
That consistency is something we’re really proud of.
Software update available - faster invoice generation with *custom* invoice templates
Jack's development team has just completed a software update within Alpha Tracker which will benefit asbestos and water consultancy clients using custom invoice templates*.
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| Make your accounts staff smile! Faster invoice generation in Alpha Tracker |
The change made enables invoices to be generated (behind the scenes) using our high-performance Cloud Document Maker service, meaning that invoices can be generated more quickly and more reliably.
If you would like this update, contact Support to discuss how we can patch your system.
* Alpha Tracker clients can pick from a number of built-in invoice templates which are professional and well-designed. In addition, clients can design their own templates to reflect the fonts, colours and logos in use throughout their business. This is another example of Alpha Tracker's flexibility and customisation
Decked Out with celebs at the Southampton Boat Show: Robin visits to see Andrew Bedwell show Big C V2 to the Boat Show visitors
Saturday was a special day down on the south coast – Robin headed to the Southampton Boat Show to catch up with our friend Andrew Bedwell, the man behind the incredible Big C Atlantic Challenge.
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| Andrew Bedwell and the amazing Big C V2 - the shortest boat to cross the Atlantic |
You’ll remember from our earlier posts how Andrew is preparing to take on the Atlantic in Big C – the world’s smallest yacht designed to make the crossing, all in aid of raising funds for Cancer Research. At the show, Andrew was proudly displaying the boat - covered in our Start Software sponsor logo - to tens of thousands of visitors, and it was brilliant to see so many people inspired (and amazed!) by his story. Andrew’s second attempt to cross the Atlantic in Big C is set for May 2026, and momentum is really building.
As if that wasn’t enough excitement, we also rubbed shoulders with a couple of famous faces:
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Captain Jason Chambers – yes, the Captain Jason from Bravo’s Below Deck Down Under. We couldn’t resist grabbing a quick selfie with Jason and Andrew together (see below!).
Robin, Andrew & Capt Jason Nick Ogden, founder of WorldPay, and inventor of e-commerce(!!) - generously gave Robin and Andrew a personal tour of his astonishing high-speed vessel, Thunder Child II. Let’s just say it’s the kind of boat that makes jaws drop and hearts race.
Andrew with Nick in Thunder Child II
All in all, it was a fantastic day – catching up with Andrew, sharing the story of Big C with new audiences, and meeting some unexpected celebrities along the way. The countdown to Andrew’s record-breaking Atlantic crossing continues, and we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.
Pedalling for a purpose – Dan & Robin at Goodwood! The Goodwood 500 was a blast. £1000s raised for MND sufferers in the West Midlands thanks to the Matt Gallagher Foundation
Last weekend, two of our own – Dan and Robin – joined forces with colleagues from our partner company CTT Group to form the Peloton Pioneers at the Goodwood 500 Charity Cycle. The venue: the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit.
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| The CTT Teams in all their tight-shirt glory! |
🚴 Dan’s Big Milestone
Dan completed his very first 100-mile ride – a huge achievement that shows what determination (and a bit of team encouragement) can do.
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| Dan in action on his way to 100 miles in 6 hours |
🚴 Robin’s Metric Century & Photography Duties
Robin rode a “metric 100” (100 km) before swapping pedals for a camera, capturing shots of the team in action – including plenty of evidence of tired legs and determined faces.
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| Robin (unfortunate yellow helmet!), Bob, Sian, Laura, Connor and more of the riders |
Why We Rode
The event raised money for the Matt Gallagher Foundation, set up after Matt’s diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2023. The foundation provides practical help to those affected by MND in the Midlands – from home adaptations to “bucket list” experiences, giving families comfort and memories when they need them most.
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| The incredible, determined, inspirational Matt Gallagher starting the event |
Thank You
A big thank you to everyone who has donated and supported us already – it made a real difference on the day. But we’re not done yet! If you’d like to help, every pound goes directly to the Foundation’s work.
The legs are recovering (slowly), the photos are in, and the fundraising continues. Thanks again for being part of it.