Member News

Ashford Commercial work with government agencies across the board, as well as social landlords, to install windows and doors as part of large constructions. Priding themselves on building good business partnerships, they engaged with Naked Element to create a timesaving, cross-platform mobile app for them, in order to reduce error and save time when compared to their paper processes. With a strict budget and prompt turnaround required, the Naked Element team had their skills put to the test.

This was Ashford Commercial’s first app, and they were new to having bespoke software developed, making it even more important that everything went smoothly. Developer Kieran said “The project was to create a mobile app to streamline the completion of Fire Door Installation paperwork. Ashford Commercial wanted to improve their paper-trail for fire door installation, as relying on paperwork often meant waiting for fitters to pass the forms onto supervisors and then having a bundle of documents arrive at once – or potentially get lost.”

Keeping in mind that a quick turnaround was desired, Kieran came up with a solution to what could have been a lengthy development process. “We leveraged React Native (a cross platform mobile development framework) to ensure we only had to work with one codebase for both iPhone and Android. This dramatically reduced the time required to build the app and allowed us to deliver the full app in 2 weeks.”

Instead of Ashford Commercial’s fitters having to complete necessary paperwork manually, the app allowed for pre-filling of much of the data required. “The app provided ‘Yes/No’ questions with sensible defaults to make completing the form a breeze. As a further improvement to the previous paperwork” Kieran said “we were able to take advantage of the cameras in smartphones, so photographic evidence of the installation is supplied each time, confirming that the door has been installed as specified.”

Neil Davis, Operations Manager at Ashford Commercial, said Naked Element had been chosen to create the app because they felt they were the right company to offer the support for development. “It was a quick process, 98% of which was done Naked Element help Ashfords to reduce lengthy paperwork processes with Mobile App fluidly. The app means that there’s 100% conformity now, which is exactly what we wanted, as well as the performance we wanted. There’s total legal conformance and a lot of transparency which there wasn’t before. We didn’t want to invest people, so it was better to get the system to work, which is what we made happen with Naked Element.” With a relatively straightforward project such as this one, there were few challenges outside of the time and budget restrictions. Everything was made clear throughout the development process, “I was quite satisfied with how everything went and I would be happy to recommend Naked Element” said Neil.

“The app means that there’s 100% conformity now, which is exactly what we wanted.”

We welcomeJive Kitchen & Barto our digital ad screens across Norwich this month. A Mexican Street Food inspired kitchen & bar dishing up the best burritos, tacos, tequila and takeout.

A great venue for lunch or dinner, grab a takeout or pop in for a drink and some some snacks at the bar.

Good tacos, good tequila, good vibes….

Owners Rowan & Lizzie were inspired after traveling to Mexico and hadan amazing insight into real Mexican street food. Weeks of traveling and sitting in acamper van writing up menus led the coupleto the decision of bringing this great food to Norwich.

Being able to combine authentic Mexican ingredients and the best local produce of Norfolk, Jive Kitchen & Bar hasbeen able to create a menu to eat in or takeaway that will leave your taste buds needing more.

Our latest Health and Safety newsletter was sent out last week. In this month’s newsletter we looked at;

– IOSH Managing Safely – As you may be aware the team at RedCat are now licensed to provide IOSH Managing Safely training courses. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) are the leading association for Safety and Health Practitioners. IOSH Managing Safely is ideal for anyone working at supervisory/managerial level. The course is designed to get delegates, from any sector, up to speed on the practical actions needed to make Health and Safety happen.

– RedCat eLearning Special Offer – Don’t forget we are offering a very special one-off price on our CIEH Level 2 eLearning courses.

This year we would like to offer all of our clients a special discount on our eLearning courses. A one off price of £20+VAT (Normal price £39+VAT) on any Level 2 CIEH eLearning course purchased before 28th February 2017.

To read our newsletter click here

Attleborough-based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has completed an air source heat pump installation for military charity Walking With The Wounded to deliver heating and hot water for a former Royal Engineers officer in Suffolk.

Eric Hamilton, an ex-Royal Engineer soldier, is suffering from mesothelioma, contracted from aggregate blue asbestosis in Cyprus in 1976. Eric lives in a bungalow in Red Lodge with his daughter and full-time carer, Suzanne Wright, who is also a former servicewoman.His condition requires him to be kept warm all year around, which was proving difficult and expensive as the bungalow’s oil boiler was coming to the end of its life.

Finn Geotherm donated and installed a new 5kW air source heat pump system, to deliver all of the Wright’s heating and hot water, at a fraction of the operating cost of the previous boiler. Finn Geotherm’s team also upgraded the radiators in the bungalow to ensure it could easily reach the temperature needed.

Suzanne Wright said: “Our air source heat pump system is working a treat. The system is simply phenomenal – it’s quiet, clean and incredibly economical. To have continuous heating and hot water and not worry about the cost is equivalent to winning the lottery. We are simply unable to express how eternally grateful we are. Dad’s symptoms have got progressively worse over the last 12 months and the quality of living environment Finn Geotherm have afforded him with the heating system has not only extended his life expectancy but also improved it. All have noticed a big improvement in Dad’s wellbeing, both physically and psychologically. I, on the other hand, am still crying with happiness! Finn Geotherm are the dream team. Everyone was the ultimate professional – polite, helpful and cheerful.”

Guy Ransom, Commercial Director of Finn Geotherm, said: “We were only too happy to get involved with Walking With The Wounded to help Eric and Suzanne. It’s genuinely rare that you find yourself in the right place at the right time, where your capabilities allow you to do something that makes a real difference.If it happens, it’s a privilege, not a task.”

Finn Geotherm has also offered to service the heat pump annually free of charge.

Aaron Services Ltd, a Suffolk-based facilities management company that Finn Geotherm works with, have been able to help the Wrights further by removing the old oil tank and also installing a new bathroom.

For more information on air source heat pumps and details on Finn Geotherm, see www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.

In 2017, technology looks set to continue being a very influential part of our lives – providing a multitude of challenges and growth opportunities for business. Breakwater is lucky to work within a field that benefits from substantial investment and research, with IT regularly offering up new platforms to deliver the next level of innovation, and this year looks set to raise the technology bar even higher.

As an IT support and services provider, Breakwater works to ensure it is continually on the leading-edge, recommending new and efficient ways to meet the technology needs of clients.

With a future that looks set to be shaped by rapid IT progression and the subsequent demands upon company systems; Breakwater is excited to be welcoming in the year with a new Managing Director, a front-runner with a drive to positively employ the latest advancements brought onto the market. John Gostling has been appointed Managing Director of Breakwater, having been part of the company for 4 years and Operations Director for the past 2; during which time he has worked hard to enhance both the team and service they deliver.

Peter Davies, Chairman of Breakwater commented that: “John has been with the company for 4 years now and fully understands what is required to efficiently manage the IT needs of multiple companies across a wide range of business sectors. We are looking to significantly grow the business over the next 3 years and I am confident that with John at the helm we are going to achieve our aim of rapid and sustainable growth”

John is a great advocate of innovation, and with 2016 having been a year in which the technologies in our corporate world have shifted yet again, including the release of new products, rise of mobile workers, increased data and collaboration demands and of course, the big one – the ongoing threat and evolution of cybercrime; Breakwater are motivated to have such a forward-thinking Managing Director.

John Gostling, Breakwater’s new Managing Director commented that: “I am extremely excited to be meeting the year ahead in a position that enables me to actively guide the direction of Breakwater and the talented team we have here. It’s crucial that we continue to keep abreast of advancements in technology and the ever-changing needs of organisations operating across a variety of different fields. I’m especially conscious of the requirement to tackle the rapid rise and maturing nature of cyber threats and we will keep investing in technology and knowledge to deliver cutting-edge backup, recovery and business continuity solutions.”

The Breakwater Service Desk team is also expanding to further advance the technology and IT provision available to clients and to facilitate this Jack Fisher has been promoted to the position of Service Delivery Manager, heading up the team with a fresh focus and experience. Jack has been with the company for several years, working as a 3rd Line Engineer, involved in many key projects including multiple Office 365 installations.

As IT plays an increasingly more important role for organisations across the board, 2017 looks to be an exciting time to deliver more business value than ever before and with an experienced leadership team Breakwater are well equipped to help businesses harness this.

At Naked Element we’re all about making your business process more efficient and more accurate, saving you time and money. In 2016 Naked Element helped its clients increase their efficiency by up to 95% with made to measure, cohesive software solutions.

• Are you drowning under the weight of spreadsheets?

• Do you need to streamline and automate your process for your team and/or your clients?

• Is manual monitoring of tools preventing you from getting the best results for your clients and costing you time?

• Are you struggling to find the perfect tool or mobile app to solve or improve your process problem?

• Do you need a tool or mobile app to make sure you’re compliant?

• Are you using a number of different tools you wish could all talk to each other seamlessly without the need for manual rekeying?

• Have you got a fantastic new idea for a digital product or service and don’t know how to start building it?

This year Naked Element has helped all of its clients with one or more of these issues.

What could we do for you? Contact us now to find out how we can make your business more efficient in 2017.

Email: info@nakedelement.co.ukCall: 01603 383 458

Briar Chemicalsattended the Chemical Industries Association annual business conference, which this year was focussed on “Brexit” and the UK Chemical Industry’s future strategy.

The event provided an excellent forum for senior management of UK chemical manufacturing companies, alongside UK Government Ministers and other stakeholders, to come together and define policy and opportunities.

There is no question that following the “Brexit” vote on23rd June 2016 there is uncertainty in the business environment and that this has resulted in a great deal of lively dialogue in our industry and in the media as a whole.

Susan Brench,Head of Commercial at Briar Chemicals,said: “Whilstwe understand our stakeholders’ concerns, I would like to offer the following perspective; Briar Chemicals believes that the current economic and political climate has also resulted in several opportunities presenting themselves:

• Sterling devaluation makes our selling prices more attractive
• There is the potential for reduced regulatory burden
• Government action can make the UK an even more attractive investment location

From a recent survey, the UK chemical industry, being a long-established, highly export-orientated manufacturing sector, maintains a positive outlook to business prospects; Briar Chemicalsis no exception and we are certainly still Open for Business.

Briar Chemicals continues to focus on operational excellence to drive down costs and deliver shared benefits for all stakeholders, investing in its employees and manufacturing assets (capex and maintenance spend will be maintained at a rate above the European industry norm).

Susan added “We believe that Briar Chemicals will remain an efficient and cost effective partner regardless of any challenges presented during the “Brexit” process.”

Read more from the Chemical Industries Association press release in which UK Chemical and Pharmaceutical companiessay exports can drive growth.

We’ve just finished the new website for childrens’ charity, Ormiston Families. The new website promotes the main programmes Ormiston Families run to help children and their families. It also shows how people can help the charity through fundraising, giving and volunteering. A big thank you to Naked Marketing for their great design work on this website. You can see the new website at www.ormiston.org

Bigfork – we make websites stand outwww.bigfork.co.uk t:01603 513080

Fast-growing Norfolk-based telecoms company 52 Degrees has moved its IT from a data centre in London’s Docklands to the high security facility in Norwich run by Norfolk Chamber Gold Patron MIGSOLV. The move is part of a new technology strategy to support the telecoms firm’s business expansion.

52 Degrees was founded in January 2016 to offer quality, hassle-free business telecoms services at good value. It provides hosting, broadband, fixed line and mobile services to companies UK-wide.

The firm recently undertook a technology review to ensure its ability to deliver these services with the greatest possible reliability and efficiency. As a result, it decided to change data centre provider to MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse facility in Norwich to benefit from its ultra-high security levels, 100% uptime and state-of-the art facilities. Connectivity is provided by 52 Degrees’ own purpose-built, resilient, high-speed network.

Anthony Wright, Director at 52 Degrees, explains: “We recognised the security and availability of our IT as absolutely vital to the services we provide our customers – and so to our own business success. As part of our expansion strategy, we took a close look at the best colocation options and MIGSOLV’s facility was a clear winner for us.

“The Gatehouse is one of the world’s most secure data centres. Based in Norwich, it avoids the terrorism risks facing London and other big UK cities. It offers 100% uptime and represents great value, which helps us deliver the same to our customers. Most importantly, MIGSOLV’s customer service is exceptional: we’ve been looked after like nothing else we’ve ever experienced!”

MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre is on a nine-acre site in Norwich which is free of terrorism and flood risks. It incorporates a range of rigorous security measures including data hall access by iris recognition, CCTV coverage of every square inch of the site, microwave intruder detection and state-of-the-art fire protection systems. For more, see www.migsolv.com, email enquiries@migsolv.com or call 020 3600 1000.

For more on 52 Degrees, see https://www.52degrees.uk, email info@52degrees.co.uk or call 020 7965 7352.

For more media information & images, contact: Tariq Khwaja from TK Associates on: tariq.khwaja@tk-associates.com 01932 224 212 

Why Naked Element?

Naked Element design and build made to measure software that solves your business problems. We are a one-stop-shop for bespoke workflow solutions, enterprise applications, mobile apps and stunning websites.

We know that no two customers’ requirements are exactly the same. Because of that, we pride ourselves in being expert listeners, not just expert technologists.

People often ask us: “What is it like working with Naked Element?” Our answer is simple: we want to help you achieve your ambitions. We also believe passionately that working with us should be a transparent, jargon-free and enjoyable experience.

That is why you can expect the following from a relationship with Naked Element:

The human face of tech

• Capturing your needs in plain English. We start by running an interactive workshop with you to capture what really matters. We record it in a way that both you and our engineers can understand. We estimate a budget and then we talk to you again to pinpoint your key priorities.
• Working software in under a month. We deliver working software quickly. We work in short iterations, sometimes referred to as ‘sprints’. Iterations usually last two weeks. Even after the first iteration you will see working software. At the end of each subsequent iteration that software has grown to become more and more useful.
• Solving problems, not giving you headaches. Working software at the end of each iteration means that you can start using it to solve your businesses problems early on in the project.
• Talking every step of the way. We demonstrate the software to you at the end of each iteration and help you to decide which features should be developed in the next iteration.
• Train on the job. Because you and your team are involved in testing throughout the process, you learn how to use the software as you go. This means there’s no need for costly training sessions at the end.
• What you actually need, not guesswork. We make sure that both you and Naked Element learn more about what you need as the project progresses. This means at the end of the project you have the software you need, not the software you thought you wanted at the beginning.
• With you for the journey. Unlike traditional software companies, we don’t disappear for six months to build the software only to return with what you asked for initially, but not what you actually need. We’re with you every step of the way to respond to your changing requirements.
• No growing pains. You own the software we develop, which means there are no licensing costs. This can save a small fortune as your business grows and more people start to use the system.
• Pay as you go. Your commitment to us is only to the end of the current iteration as we charge by iteration. There are no black holes, bottomless pits or hidden charges.

We love complexity

• If it’s easy, you don’t need us. Naked Element’s experience and techniques lend themselves well to problems that seem difficult to solve. We’ve provided numerous solutions for customers who told us they had an impossible challenge.
• Unique, because you are. Our solutions are bespoke, not off-the-shelf. Successful businesses stand out because they are different. Our software helps you to be different.
• Swan like on the surface. We enjoy making the complex simple for you and your users. We worry about the difficult stuff behind the scenes so you don’t have to.
• Joined up thinking. We use our experience of integration to get all of your existing systems talking to each other seamlessly.

Quality, security, stability

• Proven in the real world. We apply our 20+ years of robust software development experience to ensure quality which goes beyond the industry standard.
• Safety first. We help you design solutions that protect your business and your customers. If your reputation matters to you, it matters to us.
• Solid as a rock. We’ll give you the advice you need to invest in the right infrastructure. We want to ensure your software runs as fast as you need it to, whenever you need it to.

And if you really want to know how we do it…. we can talk techie to you until the cows come home. We use industry standard techniques such as:

• Automated unit testing
• Continuous integration
• Version control
• Static analysis
• Measuring code test coverage

All to ensure basic code quality.

But if you just prefer talk to us about how we can help you solve your business problems, we’ll happily do that too.

Following the acquisition of Cambridge-based commercial cleaning contractor Atkins Gregory by Monthind Holdings Ltd., the company has unveiled its new website ahead of its 2017 marketing campaign.

Designed by the award-winning sustainable creative agency Zero Above, the new website meets and exceeds its messaging objective of highlighting Atkins Gregory’s professionalism, through its accreditations; team, sector, and service profiles; with informative case studies to introduce the company’s current clients and capabilities. Meeting and exceeding expectations are key contributors to the longevity of Atkins Gregory’s success in the industry and are synchronised with the business ethos of its parent company, Monthind Holdings Ltd.

Tony Felgate, Director at Atkins Gregory says: “Atkins Gregory has built an excellent reputation and a solid business delivering high-quality commercial office and window cleaning services across the region, and we needed a website that provides an opportunity to showcase our news, case studies and staff profiles. The website is designed to evolve alongside the company as we broaden our already diverse client base, and the current content is informative and inspiring. Quality is at the heart of everything we do and we believe the website reflects that.”

For more information about Atkins Gregory and its services visit: www.atkinsgregory.com or call 01223 438118.

The Interreg France (Channel) England programme, based in Norwich, has announced that it will invest 12.5 million euros in three projects that aim to address a range of key challenges faced in both the South of England and the North of France¹. The projects will involve a combined total of 33 partners from both countries.

Following a project selection sub-committee, where representatives from both France and England were present, the Programme announced that it will co-fund the following projects:

ADAPT – The project will tackle mobility problems faced by elderly and disabled people by developing a smart Electronic Powered Wheelchair. The smart wheelchair will include driving assistance technologies such as obstacle avoidance, route selection and autonomous driving. The provision of smart wheelchairs will provide autonomy for users and improve social inclusion. European Region Development Fund budget – 5.9 million euros.CoRoT – The project will develop innovative and affordable robot software and hardware that is focused on the needs and budgets of SMEs. The robotic systems, developed by CoRot, will allow smaller manufacturing businesses to become more flexible and responsive to demand, improving their productivity and competitiveness. European Region Development Fund budget – 2.6 million euros.LABFACT – Led by the University of Southampton, the LABFACT project will unite world-class research centres in the Channel area to support and train SMEs on clean and environmentally friendly ways to manufacture fine chemicals. The project will focus on the emerging technologies of reagentless and flow chemistry which will unlock new, low cost and low waste manufacturing opportunities for SMEs in the chemical industry. European Region Development Fund budget – 4 million euros.

Commenting on the announcement Vince Muspratt from the Programme’s Managing Authority, Norfolk County Council said: “It’s great that we’ve had a further three projects approved and underlines how cross-border co-operation is continuing to find innovative ways to tackle key issues.

“We want to remind potential applicants that the UK government has guaranteed funding for the lifetime of all projects contracted prior to the UK leaving the EU². The France Channel England Programme is still very much open for business and we encourage applicants to continue to apply for funding.”

The Interreg FCE Programme is a European Territorial Cooperation programme that aims to fund high quality cooperation projects in the Channel border region between France and England. It focuses on a range of specific objectives including supporting innovation, improving the attractiveness of the FCE area and developing low carbon technologies. The programme is managed by Managing Authority Norfolk County Council.

Please feel free to contact theFrance (Channel) England team on interregv@nofolk.gov.uk if you would like to enquire about funding opportunities.

1. The projects’ approval is dependent on projects meeting a number of conditions outlined by the Selection Sub-Committee.