Andrew & Poppy drop in to discuss app ideas for Big C V2

Adventurer Andrew Bedwell and his daughter Poppy dropped into our e-Innovation Centre office today full of ideas for the new Big C V2 app.  The app will be used by Andrew whilst on his 3-month-long transatlantic record-breaking attempt to cross the Atlantic unaided in the shortest boat ever.

Team leader Dan, Andrew & Poppy

 Andrew is fundraising for a charity close to our heart here at Start Software, Cancer Research UK.

Robin, Melika, Dan, Poppy & Andrew

We tested out a new drone while Andrew was here and learned about his plans to take a DJI Mini 4 with him to film Big C V2 during the crossing.  We also discussed the difficulty of landing a drone at sea... and how many plasters he should take if he has to grab it while the propellors are still turning!

Pizza always brings the team together

The whole Start Software development team will be working on the app, aiming to launch it by the end of December.  The app will be for Andrew while he aboard his 1m (yes, 1 meter or 3 feet!) long boat, and also for the public (adults and children) to track his progress and send messages of support.

Poppy enjoying the pepperoni pizza!

Poppy had brought lots of ideas with her from her schoolfriends, following Andrew's talks at school assembly to explain how the challenge will work and why he is inspired to do it.

Feeling inspired?

You can make a donation to support Andrew and Cancer Research UK here: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/big-c-atlantic-challenge

Need an app building?

Get in touch! We'd love to hear from you.

Look for out more Big C news on Andrew's Facebook page and here on our blog.

Support Desk performance for the last six months (June - November 2025)

Our Support Desk has had another busy period and the team continues to work hard to keep responses quick and solutions on track. Here is the latest six month snapshot of how we have been doing.

We track two key measures:

• tickets solved within our target time (the yellow line)
• high priority tickets solved within target (the blue line)

Support Desk - June to November 2025

Here are the headline figures:

November 2025

• 91.97% of tickets solved in time
• 99.37% of high priority tickets solved in time - this might be a record!
• 809 tickets solved in total

October 2025

• 92.40% in time
• 97.16% of high priority in time
• 947 tickets solved

September 2025

• 94.20% in time
• 98.38% of high priority in time
• 879 tickets solved

August 2025

• 90.97% in time
• 97.08% of high priority in time
• 831 tickets solved

July 2025

• 91.40% in time
• 97.88% of high priority in time
• 977 tickets solved

June 2025

• 90.45% in time
• 97.40% of high priority in time
• 838 tickets solved

Overall, performance has stayed consistently strong, especially for high priority issues where the team is regularly clearing more than 97 percent within the SLA window.

Thank you to every client who has contacted the helpdesk this year.  If you ever need support with Alpha Tracker or any of our other systems, you can reach the team through the Support Portal or by emailing us at any time.

Jack's first visit to work with Judy at our Adelaide Australian HQ

Our Alpha Tracker supremo (and CTO) Jack is in Adelaide this week, his first visit to spend time with Judy and her team at our Australian HQ.

Judy finding something hilarious; Jack not so much!

Robin was there, too, and there were plenty of discussions about the next features we need to build out for the asbestos consultancies using Alpha Tracker in Australia & New Zealand.  Top of the list were the addition of more occupational hygiene services for the software - something we'll progress as quickly as we can.

 

PS Robin nearly bought tickets for Day 3 of the Perth Ashes Test... that was a close call!  Watching England's total humiliation on the TV was bad enough...

Robin is considering applying for Australian Citizenship!

Alpha Tracker partner FLS - FAST LEAN SMART is rebranding as Solvares Field Service

Our amazing scheduling partner FLS has told us that they are rebranding as Solvares Field Service.

The Solvares website

Nothing is changing other than the brand name - our integration will still be able to optimise diaries within Alpha Tracker to reduce driving time, increase site time, and improve the lives of field staff.

Get in touch for more information or to book a demo.  Why not watch our integration webinar, too!

Jack & Dan present at the Alpha Anywhere Dev Day 2025 - "Start - using AI"

Start Software's senior Alpha Anywhere developers Jack & Dan presented a 45-minute session at Alpha Software's annual Dev Day titled "Start - using AI" (see what we did there!).  The session introduced the new AI features in Alpha Anywhere, how to get started, and what we (at Start) use the features for.

Dan, their presentation, and Jack - ready to go

Jack introduced some of the different AI providers and models that are available and why we (generally) use OpenAI and ChatGPT.

We do like to advertise what we do! We are Alpha Software Specialists

Dan then covered off the basics of setting up a connection to a model in Alpha Anywhere and how to use some of the new XBasic functions in a couple of real-world examples.  

First, he showed how a complex prompt (itself written by AI) can be used to analyse images of properties - in our case, to judge whether asbestos may be present inside.  Second, he showed that AI can read PDFs and extract key data - even if the structure of the PDF isn't known in advance.

Jack finished up with a discussion about Ollama and why it is useful, and why you need to think about security and performance when working with AI.

If we can help you with AI or any of the Alpha Software products - Alpha Anywhere, Alpha Cloud and Alpha TransForm - get in touch!

Alpha Tracker's Kim, Catherine & Robin at the Global Asbestos Forum in Bergen. Early start, excellent presentations!

We’re back from a brilliant few days in Bergen for the Global Asbestos Forum 2025.

Robin, Forum President Yvonne, Kim & Catherine

Alpha Tracker specialists Kim, Catherine and Robin attended the full programme at the iconic Grieghallen – and Robin also delivered a dedicated AI session showcasing the growing list of innovations arriving in asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

The inspirational Mesothelioma survivor and advocate Heather von St James

This year’s theme - “Asbestos: collaboration is key” - felt especially relevant, with international delegates sharing ideas, research and real-world practice. We were proud to be part of the conversation and to fly the flag for Alpha Tracker users in the UK, Australia and beyond.

An early start in beautiful Bergen

Our day began with a crisp walk from the hotel to the venue. Bergen looked spectacular under the early-morning lights, with the city centre already buzzing as delegates made their way to sessions.

Kim & Catherine - loaded up with luggage!

What a venue!

Settling in for a packed programme

Once inside, we joined fellow delegates to hear updates on asbestos policy, science and global initiatives.

As a conference sponsor, we had good coverage in the programme with FLS

Networking breaks were busy too – it was great to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones.

Kim in full flow

Showcasing Alpha Tracker at the GAF

Our stand was busy throughout the conference, with lots of interest in the latest product developments and, in particular, the Alpha Tracker/FLS VISITOUR scheduling integration.

Not many pens left...

Collaboration is key - this is one or our core Alpha Tracker values

Visitors to the stand were interested in AI and our FLS integration where we demonstrated how seamless route optimisation and workload balancing can transform a consultancy’s day-to-day operations – particularly when dealing with large survey teams or tightly-timed reinspection schedules.

In fact, the FLS/Alpha Tracker integration even made it into the programme:

FLS & Alpha Tracker - in print

Robin’s AI session: innovation with ethics, security and transparency (plus agentic AI)

Robin delivered a dedicated session exploring how AI is already improving efficiency, quality and consistency across the asbestos industry. The workshop highlighted both the opportunities and the responsibilities that come with adopting AI within safety-critical workflows.

Robin pointing at Alan Turing (one of his heroes)

The professional photographer struggled to find Robin's "best side"(!)

Robin sharing the FLS news

Robin also showcased a wide range of new and upcoming AI features within Alpha Tracker, including:

• FLS VISITOUR scheduling integration - see https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/fls-in-alpha-tracker

• “Ask Alfie” support assistant

• Screen summaries for quick understanding

• Photo Analyst – identifying materials and issues instantly

• Building Analyst – automated building-level insights

• Report Chatbot for rapid content clarification

• Summary Videos automatically produced from project data

• Tracker Email Agent – triaging and taking actions in Alpha Tracker from inboxes

• Report QC – Launch edition, our newest quality-checking tool.

All were received with enthusiasm, with plenty of questions about practical roll-out and real-world benefits.

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A fantastic conference – and a fantastic host city

Bergen once again proved to be the perfect host: friendly, atmospheric and full of energy. A huge thank you to Yvonne and the organisers of the Global Asbestos Forum for another superb event.

We’re already looking forward to next year.

If you’d like to learn more about any of the AI tools we demonstrated, or the Alpha Tracker + FLS integration, please get in touch – we’d love to show you more.