Time flies! We're celebrating 5 years of being a Living Wage employer

It's 5 years since Start Software became a Living Wage Employer.  We're as proud of that fact today as we were back in 2019.

Find out more at www.livingwage.org.uk

The real Living Wage is based on the real cost of living and is voluntarily paid by more than 15,000 UK employers.  It's calculated independently each year and these are the latest rates:

If your company hasn't explored the benefits of joining the movement and becoming a Living Wage Employer, we urge you to take a look.  Visit www.livingwage.org.uk for more info.

New feature in the Water Hygiene Client Portal - temperature and flushing records

Your clients can now record temperature and flushing records live in the Alpha Tracker Client Portal for Water Hygiene.

Another new Alpha Tracker feature

There are more Water Hygiene (Legionella) updates on the way - keep an eye on the Alpha Tracker blog for more details.  Or let us know what changes you'd like to see - we love to hear from our wonderful Alpha Tracker family!

Asbestos in UK schools - read about the future impact on lives from the latest JUAC report

The Daily Mail has published a story on the front page about the forthcoming "tsunami of deaths" from asbestos-related disease. 

The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has published a report - "What Is The Real Risk From Asbestos In Schools?" - following an investigation by unions representing heads, teachers and support staff.  The report has concluded that hundreds of thousands of staff, exposed to asbestos in their schools, are predicated to die from mesothelioma.

The Daily Mail front page today

Journalists Steve Boggan and Chris Pollard have continued their previous work at The Times and elsewhere to initiate a new campaign through the Daily Mail.  The aim of the campaign is to strip asbestos from all public buildings - starting with schools and hospitals.

Here at Start Software, we produced our own report in 2023 called "Damage: The Poor Condition of Asbestos in our Schools, Hospitals & Houses" - which used data from more than 3 million asbestos samples from asbestos software Alpha Tracker.  Our report was launched at the Houses of Parliament with asbestos campaigners and Sir Stephen Timms, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.

Read our Damage asbestos report here

We're updating our report in time for the December 2024 European Asbestos Forum in Brussels.  Liz Darlison from Mesothelioma UK will be delivering a presentation about asbestos in UK schools and our updated report will be available for all EAF participants.

Finally, the Daily Mail's campaign is also proposing a national online database of every non-domestic building that contains asbestos - something that we have supported for many years.

Visit OpenAsbestos.org to find out more

Our OpenAsbestos asbestos data sharing protocol was built with this in mind and our long-term support for UKNAR - the UK National Asbestos Register - demonstrates our commitment here at Alpha Tracker. 

New Alpha Tracker Mobile hits the app stores. New "Support" option and "Water" buttons simplified

There's a new version of Alpha Tracker Mobile in the app stores.

The update adds a new "Support" menu (useful if you need to call us for help):

Look out for the new "Support" menu

The other change is that the button previously labelled as "Water OFFLINE" is now just "Water".  This is the button to click if you are working on water jobs on-site.

Press "Water" to enter water hygiene data

If you have any questions, do get in touch with Alpha Tracker Support (https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/support).

Big C V2 is taking shape! Watch how Andrew Bedwell's second record-breaking boat build is taking shape

Adventurer Andrew Bedwell's second attempt at the world record for the shortest boat to cross the Atlantic is taking shape!  

Andrew is calling this "Big C V2" - an all-aluminium re-design of the original Big C boat, learning from the experience Andrew had after his first launch in May 2023.

Andrew is involved in every step of the design and build

It's great to see the Start Software logo on the boat again! We so enjoyed meeting and helping Andrew during attempt #1 (see https://blog.start-software.com/search?q=Big+C), so nothing was going to stop us from being involved this time, too!

Watch videographer Paul Larkin's video here showing the boat build through to the Southampton Boat Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvfCQY-ZBc

Andrew has a crowdfunding campaign running to help fund the new build.  With only 6 months or so until the second attempt in May 2025, Andrew needs all the help he can muster to complete the build and sea trials.  Please do contribute if you can: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bigcatlanticchallenge

Productive meetings with Alpha Software in Boston

We're just back from a productive day with our partners, Alpha Software, in Boston.

The UK technical team from Start Software travelled to the USA to meet the Alpha Software developers.  The main topic was the roadmap for Alpha Anywhere and Alpha TransForm, two of the most important platforms used by the Start team, and critical for our Alpha Tracker, ecoScribe and Alpha Legal platforms.

The Start and Alpha technical teams in discussion

It was great to catch up in person with our key software partners (Start Software is the UK professional partner for Alpha Software), renewing business and personal relationships.

Our first 1,000 ticket month! New clients bring new questions and queries

September 2024 saw 1,085 tickets logged by our Support Desk.  That's the most tickets ever, and reflects the number of lovely new clients who have joined us over the summer.

Despite the high number, the Support Desk team still managed to resolve 90% of all tickets within the target timeframe.  95% of High Priority issues were resolved within 2 hours, quite an achievement.

Zac, Jamie and Lucas receiving their vouchers from Jack

The core of the Support Desk team are Zac, Jamie & Lucas.  Here they are being presented with £100 Amazon Gift Cards to thank them for their hard work.

Alpha Tracker/FLS partnership officially launched

If you use LinkedIn, you'll have seen the announcement launching the partnership between Alpha Tracker and FLS: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fls-fast-lean-smart_asbestos-legionella-fieldservice-activity-7242492709238710273-dqEN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Our partnership will bring huge opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity for our biggest asbestos and water hygiene consultancies.  The FLS approach to optimising staff schedules has to be seen to be believed! It's truly exceptional, and the integration we have now enables the power of FLS to be delivered alongside the operating efficiency of Alpha Tracker.

You can read the FLS announcement here: https://fastleansmart.com/en/blog/fls-fast-lean-smart-partners-with-alpha-tracker/

Get in touch to learn more - we'll be glad to explain how our new integration works.

Note to editors:

Alpha Tracker® is a comprehensive, cloud-based software solution specifically designed to meet the needs of environmental consultancies worldwide, particularly those dealing with asbestos, water hygiene, and fire risk assessments. Trusted by hundreds of consultancies globally, Alpha Tracker offers a versatile and scalable platform that enhances operational efficiency and streamlines project management from start to finish.

One of the key strengths of Alpha Tracker is its ability to integrate seamlessly with various tools and platforms, providing users with a flexible and customisable experience. The software easily connects with popular calendars like Microsoft and Google, ensuring that scheduling and project management are synchronised across your organisation. Now that the power of FLS is available to Alpha Tracker consultancies, huge productivity increases can be made without extra manual scheduling effort.

The platform is designed with adaptability in mind, offering features that can be tailored to suit the unique requirements of each consultancy. For example, Alpha Tracker enables mobile data capture through both Android and Apple devices, allowing field teams to collect and upload data in real-time, directly from the site. This capability not only improves data accuracy but also accelerates the reporting process, enabling faster turnaround times for clients.

Furthermore, Alpha Tracker's open and adaptable nature means that it can easily grow and evolve alongside your business. Whether you are a small consultancy or a large enterprise, the software can be configured to match your specific workflows and operational needs. The system’s automation features, such as automated reporting and invoicing, further enhance efficiency, allowing your team to focus on delivering high-quality service to your clients.

In addition to its powerful features, Alpha Tracker is backed by a dedicated 24x7 support team that understands the challenges faced by environmental consultancies. This ensures that users receive the assistance they need to maximise the benefits of the software, making it an invaluable tool for consultancies looking to optimise their operations and expand their services.

In summary, Alpha Tracker is a robust, flexible, and highly integrated software solution that empowers environmental consultancies to manage their projects more effectively. With its global user base and proven track record, Alpha Tracker is the ideal choice for businesses seeking to enhance their operational efficiency, improve client satisfaction, and drive growth.