Kim with some of the Acorn scheduling team |
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About Start Software
Start Software is an award-winning developer and leading publisher of asbestos software, systems for the legal services industry and more.
Want to know more about asbestos software Alpha Tracker? Alpha Tracker is the most used asbestos software in the UK, Australia & New Zealand with more than 60m items of asbestos data stored.
Our legal services software Alpha Legal helps will writers, accountants, solicitors, IFAs and estate agents to communicate securely with clients. Read about developments here on the blog.
Or need help with Alpha Anywhere or Alpha Transform projects or software development? You'll find useful info here.
We're here to help you with Invitations to Tender. APIs, other asbestos software, and more
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- if the other software system is from a company interested in connecting and working with the asbestos software industry (for example, Flow Mobile), then data exchange is normally possible via OpenAsbestos or other methods. However, some other asbestos software companies are not open to work with the rest of the industry (no names required, I'm sure you know who we mean!), so...
- ...if the other system is a closed system, then it is more difficult. An option is to use your potential client's own licence or to negotiate a licence direct with the software supplier.
We took the portrait of Mavis & Ray Nye to the Houses of Parliament to mark the anniversary of her passing. It was a memorable day
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Mavis & Ray were walked through the Palace of Westminster |
Craig reading some very moving words sent in by Ray |
Julia Buckley MP sharing her thoughts about the next steps |
Representatives of the UK asbestos industry and charities |
Mavis & Ray in Westminster Hall |
We had chance to explore the Palace |
Our final photo on the terrace |
Kim has been delivering Alpha Tracker training sessions and clinics this week. Can we help you, too?
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I couldn't find a picture of Kim "in action", so this headshot will have to do! |
- are you still running a separate CRM system (or spreadsheets) alongside Alpha Tracker?
- do you produce your quotations through Alpha Tracker or are you using another system?
- are site staff picking up their jobs from their phone calendars, or are you still emailing rotas?
- do you think you could make your scheduling team more productive through the use of FLS?
- are you using our latest features aimed at making surveyors more productive?
- are your asbestos templates perfect - or are you having to make manual amendments to documents?
- are invoices generated automatically from Alpha Tracker or are you still raising invoices manually in your accounts software?
- are your clients downloading their asbestos reports from your client portal, or are you still emailing PDFs (or printing and posting!).
UK Access User Group relaunch at Oxford University - cracking event!
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Robin at the Access User Group |
Save 10% on your European Asbestos Forum booking in Brussels. We're sponsoring the EAF again this year
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Highlights from last year's EAF conference |
Watch out for our updated "Damage" report with the latest data about asbestos in UK schools |
It's our ISO9001 and ISO27001 recertification week where we focus on Quality and Information Security
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Catherine, Chris and Kieran |
Meet Melika! She is half-way through her work experience with Start Software
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Team Leader Dan helping Melika |
October saw another 1,000+ tickets on the Support Desk
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October 2024 was another 1,000 ticket month - 1,167 to be precise. Zac, Jamie & Lucas were joined by Melika this month, helping customers using our apps to get the most from their software.
6 months of Support Desk performance |
Performance dropped slightly but was still good. 94% of high-priority tickets were answered on time compared to 91% of all tickets.
Time flies! We're celebrating 5 years of being a Living Wage employer
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Find out more at www.livingwage.org.uk |
New feature in the Water Hygiene Client Portal - temperature and flushing records
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Another new Alpha Tracker feature |
Asbestos in UK schools - read about the future impact on lives from the latest JUAC report
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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
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Look out for the new "Support" menu |
Press "Water" to enter water hygiene data |
Big C V2 is taking shape! Watch how Andrew Bedwell's second record-breaking boat build is taking shape
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Andrew is involved in every step of the design and build |
Productive meetings with Alpha Software in Boston
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The Start and Alpha technical teams in discussion |
Our first 1,000 ticket month! New clients bring new questions and queries
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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
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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.
Judge Rinder and Start Software - what's the connection? It's Andrew Bedwell's latest transatlantic record attempt!
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If you're on Facebook, you can follow Andrew here https://www.facebook.com/Allgoodfun or via his Big C page, too: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082612007911
Interested in asbestos sample tracking (or "chain of custody")? Watch the recording of our webinar
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Our latest Alpha Tracker webinar is now available to watch again here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/webinars
Dan & Kim show how to use the asbestos sample tracking feature (barcoded or manual), otherwise known as asbestos sample "chain of custody".
You can watch on our website, or live here on YouTube:
New asbestos consultant live with Alpha Tracker. Welcome PS Asbestos Management!
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Kim training PS Asbestos Management |
Our coracling has officially improved! We're still not great though...
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Remember our (brief!) appearance in the Coracle World Championships 2023? https://blog.start-software.com/2023/09/zac-jack-tom-dan-kim-could-be-world.html. We entered again this year.
Lucas, Kim, Jamie & Dan sporting fine headgear! |
The new team of Captain Lucas, Kim, Jamie and Dan performed better than last year and reached the Quarter Finals. Not at all bad!
The event raises funds for Macmillian Cancer Support so please do donate if you can: https://macmillan-org.enthuse.com/pf/start-software
Bring on 2025!!
Miss our live Release 41 webinar? No problem, watch the recording here
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Jack & Dan presented the Alpha Tracker Release 41 webinar |
FLS and Alpha Tracker working together - what could it mean for your productivity, efficiency and growth?
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FLS working together with Alpha Tracker |
- Fully cost-optimised appointment scheduling
- Actual time of day route planning
- Real-time re-optimisation to reflect in-shift changes
No summer holiday for the Support Desk! 908 tickets solved in August 2024
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No summer break for our Support Team |
Free 20-minute webinar - Wednesday 28 August 12 noon - Alpha Tracker Release 41
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Join Dan, Kim & Jack on Wednesday 28 August 2024 at noon for our free 20-minute webinar to introduce the new features in Alpha Tracker Release 41.
Join us on Wednesday |
It's as easy as clicking this link! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88632075774
Do you want to see changes in our Air Monitoring module? We want your feedback
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Check out the Release Notes for Alpha Tracker Release 41
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Kim has finished the Release Notes - all 32 pages! - and these are now available for Alpha Tracker Release 41.
Click here to read them: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/latest-release
Click to see our Release Notes |
Here are the other ways you can explore the 500+ updates in this release:
• Watch the highlights video: https://youtu.be/ksfoPfQzdEg
• Read the blog: https://blog.start-software.com/2024/08/alpha-tracker-release-41-is-now.html
• Join the webinar on Wednesday 28th August at noon: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88632075774.
The Alpha Tracker Mobile update will be hitting the app stores next week and will automatically update the devices used by your site staff.
Contact support (support@start-software.com) if you would like the update applied to your system and they will agree on a mutually convenient time.
Alpha Tracker Release 41 is now publicly available
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Welcome to Release 41 of Alpha Tracker with 500+ new features, performance improvements and bug fixes for our wonderful family of asbestos, water hygiene and fire risk users.
Here's a YouTube video to introduce the top 10 features:
In summary, here are the most important changes you'll notice:
- Refreshed design
Cleaner, fresher, easier to use - Our platform has been re-engineered for better performance
Our biggest technical change yet, developed with our US software partners - Improvements to Single Sign-On (SSO)
More control and more flexibility if you use a Microsoft network at work - Auto-emailing for asbestos reports
A new feature that we have all been waiting for! - Auto-chasing quotations
This will save your salespeople a great deal of time and effort - Counts on Jotter and Forms
You'll know before you click whether there is anything to read/complete - Asbestos Appointments screen
The asbestos version of our Water Appointments screen - very useful! - Exports with files
Easier ways to export data alongside photos, reports, plans - Wallboard improvements
Functional and cosmetic improvements - Lab Sample Exchange
Watch out for more announcements including one or two surprises...
plus there is a new Alpha Tracker Mobile hitting the app stores next week.
You can read and download the Release Notes on our website and please do join our upcoming webinar on Wednesday 28 August at noon!
Here's the webinar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88632075774
Join our webinar to learn more |
Nearly 900 tickets raised by our Support Desk in July 2024
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We offer 24x7 personal support to our clients |
Month |
In
time (%) |
In
time (H) (%) |
In
time (total) |
In
time (H) (total) |
Total
solved |
2024-07 |
91.52 |
95.93 |
799 |
212 |
873 |
2024-06 |
89.62 |
95.42 |
656 |
229 |
732 |
2024-05 |
90.43 |
94.54 |
633 |
173 |
700 |
2024-04 |
92.17 |
96.35 |
765 |
185 |
830 |
2024-03 |
89.72 |
93.14 |
672 |
190 |
749 |
2024-02 |
91.87 |
95.38 |
655 |
165 |
713 |
|
|
|
4180 |
1154 |
4597 |
Webinar recording published! Watch and see how to extract, export and create your own data reports from Alpha Tracker
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Click to watch the webinar |
During the webinar, Robin, Zac & Dan show to:
- Run pre-built reports
- Extract and export data to Excel
- Create new data analysis reports, extracts and exports using the Alpha Query Writer.
Blog Archive
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- Focused training workshop delivered
- We're here to help you with Invitations to Tender....
- We took the portrait of Mavis & Ray Nye to the Hou...
- Kim has been delivering Alpha Tracker training ses...
- UK Access User Group relaunch at Oxford University...
- Save 10% on your European Asbestos Forum booking i...
- It's our ISO9001 and ISO27001 recertification week...
- Meet Melika! She is half-way through her work exp...
- October saw another 1,000+ tickets on the Support ...
-
- Time flies! We're celebrating 5 years of being a ...
- New feature in the Water Hygiene Client Portal - t...
- Asbestos in UK schools - read about the future imp...
- New Alpha Tracker Mobile hits the app stores. New...
- Big C V2 is taking shape! Watch how Andrew Bedwell...
- Productive meetings with Alpha Software in Boston
- Our first 1,000 ticket month! New clients bring ne...
- Alpha Tracker/FLS partnership officially launched
-
- Judge Rinder and Start Software - what's the conne...
- Interested in asbestos sample tracking (or "chain ...
- New asbestos consultant live with Alpha Tracker. ...
- Our coracling has officially improved! We're still...
- Miss our live Release 41 webinar? No problem, wat...
- FLS and Alpha Tracker working together - what coul...
- No summer holiday for the Support Desk! 908 ticket...
-
- Free 20-minute webinar - Wednesday 28 August 12 no...
- Do you want to see changes in our Air Monitoring m...
- Check out the Release Notes for Alpha Tracker Rele...
- Alpha Tracker Release 41 is now publicly available
- Nearly 900 tickets raised by our Support Desk in J...
- Webinar recording published! Watch and see how to ...
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