More asbestos consultancies have joined the Alpha Tracker family. Welcome Nova Group and OLM Environmental

We've had a flurry of asbestos consultancies switching to Alpha Tracker over Christmas.

ChatGPT in action again!

Two recent additions are Nova Group and OLM Environmental.  They both came via recommendations - that's especially pleasing!

Can we help your asbestos consultancy?  Do you want to experience the best support in the business with a team who will always fight your corner?  Get in touch!

Would you like to connect Microsoft Power BI to your Alpha Tracker?

Microsoft Power BI is a popular data analysis tool.  A growing number of Alpha Tracker software users are asking us for help to connect Power BI to their Alpha Tracker database to enable them to analyse data and uncover powerful insights about their asbestos, water hygiene or fire consultancy.

Find out more about Power BI here

Power BI is just one of many integrations available to Alpha Tracker users.  Click https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/integrations to find out more.

New report to support NORAC and FAWG available to all Alpha Tracker Air Module users

In the next update to asbestos software Alpha Tracker, we will be introducing a new standard report: the Four Stage Clearance Failure Report. This new addition is designed to provide Tracker Air users with an insightful and detailed overview of Four Stage Clearance Tests, focusing on failure rates and pinpointing the stages where failures occur. 

We have created the report to help NORAC

The request for the report came from our friends at NORAC (the National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants) and FAWG (the Female Analyst Working Group), to help them in their efforts to review and evaluate data on Clearance tests. Such analysis aims to identify trends in failures and to provide information to help understand issues relating to staff members, contractors, types of enclosure etc.

The report will be available to all clients using the Tracker Air module, so that they can easily extract the data for their own use or to pass on to others, such as NORAC, for further evaluation if they wish.

Interested in Single Sign-On (SSO) for Alpha Tracker? We've published a new guide to help you to understand the options and configure your system

Single Sign-On (SSO) is the magic that lets users seamlessly access trusted software after a single login to their company network. No more juggling passwords or repetitive login prompts—just one secure authentication, and everything else "just works". It’s like having an all-access pass to your company’s tools, saving time and making life easier for everyone.

We've updated Alpha Tracker so that it can be used with SSO, and the technical team have published a new guide to how this works and how to set it up.

The Alpha Tracker/SSO technical guide

Access the SSO guide on the Manuals page on our website, here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/manuals%2Frelease-notes or contact Support if you would like to talk through the options available to you.

Remember Andrew Bedwell and the "Big C"? He is trying again in May 2025 to break an incredible world record

Andrew Bedwell is one of those people you meet only once or twice in a lifetime.  Fearless, determined, funny, humble and downright bonkers.  A couple of years ago, Andrew attempted to break the world record for the shortest boat ever to cross the Atlantic.  Not the shortest crossing, mind you, the shortest boat - a vessel that's only just about 1m in length.  Smaller than a bathtub!

Well, the first attempt didn't go to plan but Andrew is trying again this May and has spent two years designing and building his second boat - Big C V2.  We're sponsoring Andrew again here at Start Software and helping him to raise funds for his boat and for for cancer charities.

The boat is taking shape, as you can see, and Andrew will soon be taking it for sea trials and finalising his equipment.  We'll be publishing regular updates now that he's closing in on the attempt, so watch this space!

PS in case you're wondering, it's likely to take Andrew 90 days and he will be completely unsupported whilst at sea

Robin's interview with Paul King from Flow Mobile Surveying is up on YouTube. Take a look to see how we are joining forces to build the Lab Sample Exchange

If you've got an asbestos lab, watch this YouTube recording of an interview between Flow Mobile's Paul King and our director Robin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4vo4Iv4dfw

Paul King (Flow Mobile Surveying) and Robin Bennett (Alpha Tracker)

The Lab Sample Exchange feature that we have built will be a game-changer for Alpha Tracker labs wanting to work more closely Flow Mobile Surveyors (or Alpha Tracker asbestos surveyors!).

Watch the full video to learn more (especially about grey hairs...!).

Speak to your Alpha Tracker Account Manager to find out more about the Lab Sample Exchange and how it can benefit your asbestos lab and surveying team.

Start Software is having quite an "International" January

An integral part of our commitment to our customers is providing 24/7 support, no matter where in the world they are.

This isn't easy to organise, as you can imagine.  It is slightly easier this January, as we've found ourselves with members of the team based in more countries than ever before.

Call us for support and you could be speaking to us anywhere!

In January 2025, we have staff members working in:

• UK
• Australia
• South Africa
• Indonesia
• Albania
• USA, and
• Japan

Phew!

There's a new Alpha Tracker Mobile in the app stores and another coming along soon

Our latest Alpha Tracker Mobile update has hit the app stores (Google and Apple).

Alpha Tracker Mobile in the Google and Apple app stores

The biggest change will benefit Alpha Tracker water hygiene (Legionella) technicians.  We've improved the logic which powers our data integrity checks, and this should reduce the number of alerts that the technicians see, especially at the start of the day.

A larger update is on its way, featuring a new sync method that makes it faster and easier for site staff to send in their data and photos

Happy New Year! We'll be sharing our 2025 plans soon. What are yours?!

We've wrapped up 2024 and it's been one of our busiest years yet.  Many new clients have switched from competitor software products to become customers of ours, having heard about our ambitions, our technology and our 24x7 personal support.

Another shockingly-bad AI generated image... will they improve in 2025?!

On the Support Desk, we've regularly seen more than 1,000 tickets raised in a month although December was quieter.  During last month, December 2024, we had 715 calls for assistance altogether of which 193 were deemed to be high priority by the caller.  88% of the most important tickets were resolved within two hours.

2025 is going to be really interesting.  We're working hard for some international clients (providing Alpha Software consultancy), we have new versions of all of our products in development (including Alpha Tracker and ecoScribe), and we have opportunities to work in new markets including Norway and elsewhere in Europe. 

Naturally, 2024 has been difficult at times for us, too.  In particular, we tragically lost one of our most inspiring business associates and long-time friend of director Robin, Clive Ponder.  Clive was a supporter, a mentor, a client, a friend.  He'll be sorely missed.

Looking ahead, we are refreshing our UK team and we have been joined by talented contract specialists from Albania and beyond.

We'd like to thank all of our customers for supporting us throughout 2024.  We know we don't always get everything right, but we always put our customers first and you can count on us to go the extra mile to support you and help you grow.  We never forget that our success depends on your success.

Thanks again and here's to a prosperous 2025 for us all.

Robin, Judy, Catherine, Dan, Jack, Jamie, Zac, Adam, Lucas, Melika, Kim, Ferry, Falah, Fatbardh, Jaime, Leanne, Tina, Josh & Russ.

PS Don't forget to share your plans with us! The more we know about your business, the more we can help