Lancashire contractor F Parkinson Ltd (known locally and by clients as Parkinson Building Contractors) has managed business growth of 30% within a year by using Summit contract financial software. Summit has enabled the business to provide a central source of information for a whole range of staff across its operations which has improved productivity and helped the business win a number of prestigious contracts in the Blackpool Manchester and York areas.
With a raft of new prestigious contracts under its belt, Parkinson Building Contractors' future is looking more than a little rosy. The Blackpool-based company says much of its success is due to the fact that it continues to do what it does best - focusing on public sector contracts - schools, hospitals, industrial and commercial projects alike. A key and guiding principal of the business has always been delivering a good quality service to its clients.
Previous contracts have included renovation works to the Grade II listed Canada House in Manchester City Centre, as well as refurbishment and building works for BBC Radio Lancashire, North Manchester Hospital and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute's new £1 million main depot in Thornaby. Recently acquired contracts include a number of education contracts with York and Blackpool Councils, in addition to gaining preferred contractor status on Manchester City Council's Framework Project spanning the next three years. Other clients include Police Authorities, Ministry of Defence, Diocese of Blackburn and various local Councils across the North West and North East of the country; hence its recent business software system upgrade couldn't have come at a better time.
Parkinson Building Contractors employs 120 staff and has been working with RedSky IT since having the Summit 2000 solution installed in 2001. It has been impressed with both the software it has installed and the product support and training provided. As Frank Hull, F Parkinson's Finance Director says: "We are delighted with the Summit system - it does what it says on the tin and if you know how to use it properly you shouldn't have any problems. RedSky IT has helped us every step of the way and have always been on hand to answer queries, sort out any teething problems and help with staff training."
RedSky IT recently upgraded the application server at Parkinson's, which was only too happy to continue using the Summit system. It says the software package has given the company a more central source of information and allows staff members at more junior levels to take on more responsibility. For example, the pressure has been taken off buyers by allowing other members of staff to deal with purchase order processing.
Frank Hull says: "Our buyers are able to off load some of the pressure to other staff, who in turn feel happy to be given more trust and responsibility. They can input invoices with a 10% margin either side - if it's any higher then it will be automatically referred for further authorisation. This has offered our company a huge saving in time."
He also points to the contract cost reporting in Summit as a major feature. By having a system in place where people can share contract information provides invaluable additional benefits to the business. He says: "Quantity Surveyors now have up to the minute, correct information at their fingertips, which means they aren't having to question costs and budgets, as they did previously, and it gives them the confidence to move contracts forward. With so many big-budget contracts on the go at once, this is vital to our firm's livelihood."
F Parkinson Ltd, which recently won Lancashire Business of the Year 2006 at the BIBA Awards, says the Summit system has played a part in its financial growth over the last couple of years - turnover has increased from £23 million to an estimated £30 million this year. It says Summit has the components to allow the company to reach its goals and has even more potential in there as yet untapped.
However Frank Hull is keen to point out that a software system is not just about facts and figures. "There is a very human side to the Summit solution," he says. "We've found that during appraisals our staff want to know more about the software, they are interested, realise it has great potential and it has allowed them to take on more responsibility. If you pick the right software product and people feel that they are more involved in the day to day processes and are encouraged to take on more responsibility, then the system will be more successful."
