There’s something very fitting about starting the year on a bright, icy January morning. The light is new, the path ahead is clear, and while the ground may be slippery, progress comes from knowing where you’re going and taking each step with confidence. This photo of Catherine walking into the office captures that feeling perfectly as we step into 2026 at Start Software. Here we go again! Welcome 2026 So, with frozen car parks behind us and a full year ahead, here’s what we’re excited about. Continuing to invest in Alpha Tracker Alpha Tracker remains at the heart of what we do, and 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for new releases. Alpha Tracker Release 42 and Release 43 are on the roadmap, bringing a steady stream of practical improvements driven directly by customer feedback. As ever, the focus is on reliability, usability and features that genuinely make day-to-day work easier. We are rolling out a significant upgrade to Cloud Document Maker , delivering faster and mo...
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Support Desk performance report – December 2025
As the year drew to a close, our Support Desk stayed reassuringly steady. December is traditionally a month of distractions, deadlines and diaries full of festive commitments, so maintaining strong response times is always a good test of both systems and people. We are pleased to say the results held up very well.
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| Adam helping a caller on the Christmas Support Desk |
December at a glance
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91.1% of all tickets were resolved within SLA
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99.3% of high-priority tickets were resolved within SLA
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685 tickets solved in total
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142 of those were high-priority issues
High-priority performance in particular remains excellent, with virtually every urgent issue handled on time despite reduced availability around the Christmas period.
How December compares
Looking back over the last six months, performance has been consistently strong:
| Month | In time (%) | In time (H) (%) | Tickets solved |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | 91.40% | 97.88% | 977 |
| August 2025 | 90.97% | 97.08% | 831 |
| September 2025 | 94.20% | 98.38% | 879 |
| October 2025 | 92.40% | 97.16% | 947 |
| November 2025 | 92.08% | 99.37% | 808 |
| December 2025 | 91.09% | 99.30% | 685 |
While overall ticket volume dipped in December, which is typical for the time of year, SLA performance stayed firmly in line with previous months. The slight variation in overall percentage is largely explained by reduced staffing over the holidays combined with a smaller pool of tickets, where a handful of slower resolutions have a bigger impact on the headline figure.
End-of-year summary
To close out the year, it is worth stepping back and looking at the broader picture. Across the six-month period shown above, the Support Desk handled:
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5,127 tickets in total
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1,003 high-priority tickets
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With consistently high SLA compliance for urgent issues every month
Maintaining over 97% on-time performance for high-priority tickets across such a sustained period is a strong result, particularly given the mix of routine queries, complex issues and time-critical incidents that come through the desk.
Just as importantly, ticket volumes have remained high throughout the year without any significant drop in service quality. That combination of throughput and reliability reflects the experience of the team, clear escalation processes, and a continued focus on resolving issues efficiently rather than simply closing tickets quickly.
Looking ahead
January usually brings a return to higher volumes, along with new projects and system changes. Our priorities going into the new year remain unchanged:
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Keep high-priority responses fast and dependable
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Maintain clear, timely communication
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Use support trends to identify and reduce recurring issues
Thank you to everyone involved for another solid year of support delivery. Keeping things running smoothly, even during the busiest and quietest months alike, is no small achievement.
Congratulations Dan! Distinction achieved in your Team Leader qualification
Telford-based Dan has been working hard over the last 18 months to become a qualified Team Leader. He had has results last week from the final assessment and found he had achieved a Distinction - the best result possible.
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| Dan with a bottle from Start Software to celebrate |
It's no surprise to us at all - Dan leads the development team with aplomb - but it's always great to get formal recognition from an independent examiner. We can't wait to see what Dan sets himself as his next goal.
Big C V2 - Andrew Q&A - Live on YouTube
Adventurer Andrew Bedwell has posted a Q&A on YouTube to help us all understand more about his incredible World Record attempt. We're Andrew's main sponsors - what great product placement in the video, thank you Andrew!
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| Thanks for the plug, Andrew, much appreciated!! |
Watch Andrew's video by clicking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPCYHfptHOA or watching below. Our new app for Andrew gets a mention here: https://youtu.be/GPCYHfptHOA?si=Tn6ei_MsYtQO69_g&t=461
Andrew is fundraising for Cancer Research UK. We have staff here at Start Software dealing with cancer diagnoses right now - so please do sponsor Andrew and help this fabulous charity. Thank you!
All I Want for Christmas Is a Podium... Kim & Melika win the Christmas bragging rights
Kim & Melika won the Christmas 2025 bragging rights at our UK Christmas Party. We held it at F1 Arcade in Birmingham and had a great night. Highly recommended!
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| Kim & Melika - worthy winners (though does "Rookie Mode" count?!) |
Bug found in "building based" Alpha Tracker QR Codes. Please contact Support if you use this type of QR code
One of our Australian clients has spotted a bug in "building based" QR codes within Alpha Tracker. A big thank you to them - one of our "Bug Finder" t-shirts will be on its way!
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| If you use "building" QR codes (not site, sample, or room), get in touch |
The bug relates to the feature whereby the QR codes can be secured requiring a login to view.
Would you like to use your asbestos surveying industry knowledge to make a difference to Mesothelioma UK?
Our Alpha Tracker director Robin is also an ambassador for asbestos cancer charity Mesothelioma UK.
Robin and his colleagues at Mesothelioma UK are looking for someone from the asbestos surveying industry to help with a new corporate fundraising drive. Might you be that person? Have you years of experience in asbestos surveying consultancies and an address book (or LinkedIn contact list!) full of asbestos consultancy leading lights and head-honchos??
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| Can you join Robin in helping Mesothelioma UK? |
Robin and his colleagues at Mesothelioma UK are looking for someone from the asbestos surveying industry to help with a new corporate fundraising drive. Might you be that person? Have you years of experience in asbestos surveying consultancies and an address book (or LinkedIn contact list!) full of asbestos consultancy leading lights and head-honchos??
Get in touch with Robin if you have a couple of hours each month and the desire to make a difference!