Case Study | Sovereign Network Group

By introducing the Contractor Portal, SNG wanted to achieve the following objectives:

● Enhance visibility of repairs by third parties across the whole job lifecycle, from customer outreach to completion
● Demonstrate compliance more easily
● Improve their data quality with better information
● Reduce email and phone traffic through the business
● Increase change to improve the customer experience

Due to the complexities and scale of SNG’s portfolio, implementing the portal did come with some challenges. This included the volume of training and support required to assist internal and external users.

However, despite these challenges, the implementation of the portal enabled SNG to refine its processes, improve the visibility of jobs and increase the productivity of contractor management.

The portal has produced enhanced visibility of contractor repairs, which allows the business to demonstrate its compliance across its property portfolio. This information allows for better decision-making and more accurate information, which enables the business to provide a better service to its customers.

The first wave of the Contractor Portal was delivered successfully with the support of ROCC, which created a great foundation for the subsequent four waves being onboarded to the portal. Some of the support ROCC offered included:

● Calls to monitor progress and align project plans
● In-person support on the day of “Go Live”, enabling real-time fixes and advice
throughout
● Any support SNG needed post going live through ad hoc requests and enhancements

Configuration and implementation

Once the team were comfortable with how the system worked, the initial configuration and setup of the portal were straightforward. This is because it was aligned with an existing product the business used. The Workflow Setup Team said that the only issue came with the changing scope pushed by SNG, which required additional configuration and changes to the process to implement.

For any gaps in knowledge, ROCC were always quick to step in and support, ensuring the team received all the background information they needed.

Support and advice

The team was provided with support in the form of regular communication and in-person days, which allowed the portal implementation to run on time and with smooth delivery.

Impact on workflow

Since the introduction of the contractor portal, the Operations Team has been able to improve their service to customers within the localities. This is through having a better understanding of repairs completed by contractors, better contractor management, quicker access to information and reduced volumes of emails and phone calls, freeing up their time to focus on their people.

They have also been able to meet audit actions through better note-taking and visibility surrounding repairs and compliance.

Commenting on how the Contractor Portal affected overall workflow and productivity at SNG, they said: “Since the ‘Go Live’ date, we have been able to reap all the benefits the portal brings and understand its potential for future enhancements.

“We are still learning and navigating the system but it’s continuing to enhance the service we provide, which has proved a massive benefit to us as an operational team.”

Daily benefits and efficiency

Having received anecdotal feedback from a variety of teams, considerable benefits are being seen in terms of contractor management, customer experience and compliance. From this feedback, the Operations Team has had full visibility of how well received the portal has been at all levels of the organisation.

The main day-to-day benefits users experience with the portal include:

● Enhanced visibility of contractor repairs
● Quicker, more accurate information
● Improved customer experience
● Reduced communication traffic through email and phone lines
● Better contractor and customer communication and information about repairs

The portal has been fundamental to improving SNG’s customer service and satisfaction around repairs. It has enabled SNG to have better communication with customers and contractors, sharing more information than was once possible.

In addition to this, they have reduced call times and internal phone transfers between teams, giving customers all the information they need at the first point of call.

The Contractor Portal has also provided its supplier relationship managers with the tools they need to manage contractor performance effectively. This is new to SNG and has given them the opportunity to challenge job costs and ensure value for money, all whilst preventing additional hidden costs.

This not only improves the experience for SNG but also allows their customers to benefit from the money spent with contractors. This rewards them with more time and money to be used effectively to better their experience with SNG.

Changes and benefits

Since the portal has been implemented, the team responsible for managing contractors has received feedback that contractors are noticing how much quicker they’re receiving orders. They have also been informed that communication and updates are simpler, removing some of the need for email and telephone conversations.

Contractor needs and impact

The Contractor Portal has been addressing contractors’ needs by offering all essential job information in one place. For example, the pest control contractors have stated that they like the fact they can follow the appointments in real-time and find it very useful that additional visits are visible for each job.

Other reported benefits have included being able to add documents, notes and photos to repairs.

One specific piece of contractor feedback has stated: “It has made collaborating with SNG much smoother since moving onto the portal. We have been able to track and share updates much more easily, which has saved us time in terms of reduced phone calls and emails between SNG and ourselves.”

The user adoption process was managed by providing training to internal and external users of the portal and was tailored based on the level of usage each user would be required to have.

From a systems point of view, support was provided by the project team to support all users throughout the project. This allowed those who had been onboarded earlier to continue receiving one-to-one support where required. This function has since been handed over to the business to continue that support for contractors.

On how the Contractor Portal aligns with SNG’s core values and long-term business goals, SNG said: “It (the ROCC Contractor Portal) helps enhance the customer experience through increased visibility of repairs, better governance of repairs, swifter communication and better note taking.”