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Author: Steve Riley Date: 13 Jul 2009 Steven Norris unveils latest Progressive success storyFormer government minister Steven Norris was guest of honour as leading information technology specialist Progressive Solutions bucked the economic trend by officially opening its new UK headquarters at The Heath Business and Technical Park in Runcorn. The ceremony, attended by leading business and civic figures, marked the unveiling of Progressive House, a state-of-the-art, two-storey office block that has become the base for 30 of the company’s staff. The stunning new building, which offers 7,500 square feet of floor space, has enabled Progressive Solutions to relocate after it outgrew its existing premises. It also marks the first phase of a multi-million pound expansion scheme at The Heath being carried out by owner and operator SOG Ltd. The award-winning business and science park is looking to add 180,000 square feet of new accommodation – potentially increasing the total workforce on site from 2,000 to more than 3,000 within five years. Progressive Solutions’ President and CEO, Len Williams, who performed the opening ceremony in partnership with Steven Norris, said: “The unveiling of Progressive House marks a proud day for the company, reflecting our commitment to making further investment and to developing our market-leading position.” “With an ever-expanding, highly skilled team and superb relationships with our customers we’re extremely confident of further growth in the future. At a time when the economy at large has been struggling, Progressive Solutions has been going from strength to strength thanks to a combination of great products and excellent customer service.” The opening of Progressive House also reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to the development of bisTrack, its range of business software products that manage sales, control stock, simplify purchasing and gather intelligence. Arthur Duffy, Progressive Solutions’ Managing Director in the UK, said: “The phenomenal growth of bisTrack means Progressive Solutions was simply growing too big for its existing premises. The products are quickly establishing themselves as the leaders in the marketplace – and we needed to expand in order to continue to develop the support and services we provide to our customer base.” He added: “Our software helps customers retain their competitive advantage and keep a tight control on their business. In the current economic climate it’s essential we maintain our support at the highest possible level.” Design and build management of Progressive House has been handled by Liverpool-based RJ Lewis Projects, an expert on large-scale construction and refurbishment schemes. Director Simon Lewis said: “We’re delighted to have provided Progressive Solutions with a fully flexible office space but also to have created the first stage in an exciting expansion at The Heath.” His thoughts were echoed by Dr Peter Cook, Managing Director of SOG Ltd. He said: “Today marks a fantastic achievement for everyone involved in the creation of Progressive House. At a time when every news story seems to be talking about the devastating effects of recession, both Progressive Solutions and The Heath have shown that it’s possible to buck the trend by being innovative, by listening to customers’ requirements and by working in partnership with them.” |
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Testimonials
"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."
David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons"Our real differential is not in software features, it's in our relationships with customers. How we work with them and how we can make an effective difference. You need the staff and the expertise to be able to do that."
Arthur Duffy, managing director, Progressive Solutions"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."
Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."
David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."
Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."
Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products"Once we started building up information we could trust, we started seeing real benefits. If stock accuracy was the main benefit, then quality of management information was next."
Peter Kerr, FD, Palmer Timber"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."
David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons"bisTrack is an excellent piece of software and getting better. Their approach to meeting our needs is excellent. eBusiness is not going to be big for another 12 months but PSI are there already, which means we’re ahead. They're very open to ideas and keep getting better at turnaround."
Adam Myers, Beesley & Fildes"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."
Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber"It was obvious the company was being held back by the limitations of the old system."
Operations Director, CF Anderson“There are other systems of course, but none have had the development time that’s behind bisTrack. I can’t believe there’s a better system out there. I’m convinced there’s nothing that can deliver better what we need.”
Peter Buttle, md, Buttle plc"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."
Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"The reporting capabilities of bisTrack really help the sales department answer day to day enquiries. It gives them instant access to information about purchasing volumes and when timber is due to come in."
Wayne Abrams, Project Leader, Arbor Forest Products"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."
Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants LtdWhat will YOU do with your week off?
"With the time saved we've carried out branch refurbishments and I've taken my first holiday!"
John Cavanagh, MD, Cavanagh Timber"We were drowning in paper and, as a business turning over £2.2 million, the time had come for us to invest in business management software."
David Biddle, MD, Huntingdon Timber & Roofing"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"bisTrack is an excellent piece of software and getting better. Their approach to meeting our needs is excellent. eBusiness is not going to be big for another 12 months but PSI are there already, which means we’re ahead. They're very open to ideas and keep getting better at turnaround."
Adam Myers, Beesley & Fildes"We have a responsibility to the environment. That’s why we’re trying to lower our carbon footprint. We introduced e-commerce, cut down on paper receipts & are introducing electronic billing for customers."
Director, building materials supplier"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."
Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."
Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."
Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants Ltd"Our computer system impacts on every aspect of the business. Buying, selling, importing, transport planning, as well as accounts. If you install the wrong software, without the right level of performance or functionality, it will cause significant problems throughout your business."
"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."
Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber"Our real differential is not in software features, it's in our relationships with customers. How we work with them and how we can make an effective difference. You need the staff and the expertise to be able to do that."
Arthur Duffy, managing director, Progressive Solutions"We were drowning in paper and, as a business turning over £2.2 million, the time had come for us to invest in business management software."
David Biddle, MD, Huntingdon Timber & Roofing"Performance across the system is continuously enhanced too. Since our last release, finding products is now significantly faster ...by up to 30%."
Gary Brookshaw, Product Director, Progressive Solutions"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber“A member of our buying group told us about bisTrack, although we looked at four or five other software packages. Key factors in the eventual selection of bisTrack were its SQL platform and our confidence in the people we dealt with.”
Gordon Rothwell, James Hargreaves (Plumbers Merch)"If we hadn't changed to bisTrack we simply couldn't have grown like this."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products"Once we started building up information we could trust, we started seeing real benefits. If stock accuracy was the main benefit, then quality of management information was next."
Peter Kerr, FD, Palmer Timber"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."
Payne Timber"The great thing is we can always export information to Excel and produce any report we need — such as aged debt by sales rep, or a bespoke exposure report, which assesses potential credit risk & protects us."
Damien Cosgrove, Credit Control Mgr, Noyeks Newmans"Performance across the system is continuously enhanced too. Since our last release, finding products is now significantly faster ...by up to 30%."
Gary Brookshaw, Product Director, Progressive Solutions"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”
Director, RidgeonsWhat will YOU do with your week off?
"With the time saved we've carried out branch refurbishments and I've taken my first holiday!"
John Cavanagh, MD, Cavanagh Timber"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"Progressive's experience was important, as was the link with Microsoft. We think that's the way ahead for all merchant systems."
Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."
Payne Timber"There’s no doubt that bisTrack is a good tool. We’ve a fantastic record for growth and we’re getting a lot out of bisTrack now, particularly over the control of our business."
Mike MacLellan, MD, GPH Builders Merchant"To stand out from the crowd, you need great customer service. Really great customer service."
Progressive Solutions' guest blog, Builders Merchants Journal"Our real differential is not in software features, it's in our relationships with customers. How we work with them and how we can make an effective difference. You need the staff and the expertise to be able to do that."
Arthur Duffy, managing director, Progressive Solutions"The people at Progressive Solutions are likeable, straight-talking individuals who have a commitment to continuously develop and push the software forward."
Joe Tipper, Walter Tippers Ltd"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."
Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products"We helped ourselves by getting bisTrack on board quickly and painlessly while business was slow, so we won't have disruption as we start to implement a very aggressive three year strategic plan."
Neil Fuller, Managing Director, Alsford Timber"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."
Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"One reason we chose Progressive was because their team was so approachable. It wasn’t just because the software was better. We really felt we could work with them.”
Director, Ridgeons"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."
Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products"We chose bisTrack because we needed to move on to the next generation of software."
Stephen Fairbairn, MD, Henry Alty"With bisTrack we now have real-time information on our profitability, which allows us to continually optimise and make decisions on our business plan."
Stuart Hall, General Manager, Lawcris Panel Products"We have a responsibility to the environment. That’s why we’re trying to lower our carbon footprint. We introduced e-commerce, cut down on paper receipts & are introducing electronic billing for customers."
Director, building materials supplier"Good customer service is easier to achieve with good IT to back up our staff. bisTrack gives provides an efficient system for dealing with customers. Good management tools enable us to concentrate our efforts in the right direction."
David Dunmow, Group FD, James Latham plc"The time was right for a change of software at Alsford's and we selected bisTrack from a shortlist of three. The key criteria was 'business fit'. We wanted a Microsoft Windows, intuitive solution which would best serve our claim to be 'The Timber Experts' in all our 20 branches."
Neil Fuller, MD, Alsford Timber"Good customer service is easier to achieve with good IT to back up our staff. bisTrack gives provides an efficient system for dealing with customers. Good management tools enable us to concentrate our efforts in the right direction."
David Dunmow, Group FD, James Latham plc"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"Good customer service is easier to achieve with good IT to back up our staff. bisTrack gives provides an efficient system for dealing with customers. Good management tools enable us to concentrate our efforts in the right direction."
David Dunmow, Group FD, James Latham plc"Inventory accuracy is higher because everyone is more focused and our staff can see the benefit of getting it right."
Ian Murchie, Operations Director, Howie Forest Products"We improved net margin by 3% within 6 weeks of going live on bisTrack."
Payne Timber"We spent a long time evaluating several systems and I'm confident that bisTrack is the best available."
Andrew Laver, Arnold Laver Timberworld"Implementation was achieved with absolutely no disruption to day-to-day trading. It was a joy! I'm working proactively with the system and having bisTrack doing much of our admin for us."
Scott Anderson, FD, Woodbridge Timber"We were drowning in paper and, as a business turning over £2.2 million, the time had come for us to invest in business management software."
David Biddle, MD, Huntingdon Timber & Roofing"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products"It's a very nicely laid out system with easy to follow structural menus and taskpads which, even if I haven't used a particular function before, I find relatively simple to complete."
Chris Pratt, Pratts Timber and Builders Merchants Ltd"Our staff have margin figures right in front of them now, so they're much more aware of the profit they are making."
Robert Blumsom, Blumsom Fine Timber"bisTrack is a terrific system and its potential is incredibly exciting. I have absolutely no regrets over choosing bisTrack and great confidence that we have something we can build on."
David Bryan, Director, Ridgeons"We looked at several systems, but most of them were using the same out-of-date technology as the system we were replacing!"
Rodney Scoles, Director, T Brewer & Co"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products"bisTrack was a big investment for us but it's the best change we've ever made. We've grown so much over the last four or five years, we simply couldn't have carried on using a manual system."
Gerwyn Thomas, partner, TL Thomas (builders' merchant)"We saw benefits straight away, particularly with the time we saved on monthly stock takes and sourcing information for management reports."
Nigel Williams, Chairman, Premier Forest Products"I'm convinced there's no other system that can deliver better what we need. Apart from its Windows architecture and its powerful functionality, it now has ten years of development behind it."
Peter Buttle, Buttle plc
