Member Article

A Life on the Tiles

A Sheffield commercial tiling contractor is reaching for the skies after securing a number of prestigious new business wins, following its decision to embrace cloud technology.

The Great Northern Tiling Company (GNTC) called upon support from Holbrook-based HA Hosting which operates a bespoke data centre in the city to overhaul its IT infrastructure, allowing members of its workforce to access information about jobs whilst working on site via mobile devices as an alternative to the company’s paper-based system. Since implementing the technology, GNTC has secured contracts with Selfridges, Harrods, numerous high profile London restaurants and has recently completed work on York’s prestigious new Hotel Indigo.

The new cloud platform, which has been pioneered by HA Hosting enables members of staff to record details of jobs completed, share pictures of completed work and even log timesheets, helping to reduce the administrative burden upon the company, as well as helping the company to process salaries and invoices more effectively.

The Great Northern Tiling Company was launched in 2000 by entrepreneurs Darren Nockall and Mark Howden. The duo began their careers working alongside their fathers learning the trade before setting their sights on launching their business. Today, the company employs 25 full-time members of staff and through the support delivered by HA Hosting, on track to achieve a turnover of £1.8 million.

The entrepreneurial duo has also launched a sister company, Trimtraders, which allows DIY enthusiasts and commercial tiling contractors throughout the world to purchase custom edging strips. The web-based business is hosted within HA Hosting’s custom data centre and attracted orders from developments across the world, including a large construction project in Dubai.

Darren believes much of the success the company has enjoyed is as a result of support the company has received from HA Hosting and the work undertaken has helped the business to lay the foundations for significant future growth:

“The construction industry has a reputation as being one that’s often resistant to change, especially when it comes to embracing new technology. We recognised the important role technology could play in improving the way our business operates and HA Hosting have worked closely with us in recent years to provide us with the practical support and advice needed to enable our business to embrace the cloud.

“Harnessing cloud technology has helped our members of staff to reduce the amount of time taken logging timesheets and paperwork after completing a job. This has helped to simplify our admin processes. Our tilers are able to share pictures of work being undertaken or completed, meaning the quality can be checked and assessed form our head office. This is particularly useful in helping to overcome problems when they arise on a job. Similarly through the advice and support we’ve received from HA Hosting, our websites have attracted orders from across the world.

“HA Hosting has always been on hand to provide us with practical support and advice along every step of the way. They have been able to help us make the right choices when it comes to our IT infrastructure, resulting in a robust, reliable system which has helped to make a genuine difference to our business.”

Rory Delahoyde, Managing Director, HA Hosting said:

“We first began working with the GNTC several years ago, initially helping the company to overcome a few problems they were encountering with their email systems. As the business has evolved, we recognised there was a clear need to update its server equipment and so discussed the potential business benefits offered by a cloud-based system.

“One of the main advantages of cloud technology is the flexibility and comparatively little cost, compared with a traditional server. A traditional server typically requires an upfront investment of thousands of pounds and often requires expert IT knowledge to remain secure. In contrast, a cloud-based system grows and evolves as the needs of the business change.

“The technology has helped to give Darren and Mark a clear competitive edge, as well as helping the business to operate more efficiently. This has resulted not only in a better service to their clients, but also helped to pave the way for significant growth.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HA Hosting .