Node4 helps Novacroft to continue uninterrupted through COVID-19 uncertainty

Novacroft creates and develops smart technology solutions and customer care services to simplify complex processes, reduce waste, protect income and create new revenue streams for clients across transport, charity, energy, and central and local government sectors. At present, more than 32 million people use Novacroft’s products and services.

Novacroft has a team of over 450, all of which had to quickly move to a remote working model due to the lockdown restrictions around Covid-19. Going from a 100% on-site working environment to fully remote meant there could be challenges, and contractual requirements still needed to be upheld.

Additionally, Novacroft was still in the process of winning and onboarding new customer contracts, meaning the company was recruiting across the UK. With the growth in its customer base, the company had the mammoth task of onboarding 200 new staff remotely, and the added challenge of having part of the team using Novacroft hardware, and some using their own equipment.

With high-profile public and charity customers such as Transport for London and The Royal British Legion, Novacroft needed a robust solution. It had to allow them to work off-premises with no interruptions, while still maintaining the same standards of data protection, availability and flexibility its customers are accustomed to.

Novacroft was able to fulfil its brief of delivering a scalable, Bring Your Own Device solution for seasonal staff. Node4 delivered a hybrid cloud environment, integrating a virtual desktop into the high speed and reliable MPLS to ensure consistent delivery of third-party applications from Node4’s secure data centres.

“We had the option to review Node4’s site and we were really impressed from the off-set,” commented Corin Flett, Operations Director at Novacroft. “There’s tight security before you even get into the building, which is something we deem as vital.”

Included as part of the solution, Novacroft benefits from Node4’s disaster recovery and security, its reliability, speed and delivery of services, as well as day-to-day support from the Node4 team.

By working with Node4, Novacroft successfully moved from an on-premises solution to a completely remote working model, all while ensuring 100% uptime and availability for its customers. Novacroft was able to keep working with zero interruptions, which was essential due to the nature of some of its customers who work in the travel industry and rely on Novacroft’s software to keep commuters’ mornings running smoothly.

“When lockdown was announced, we knew we had to move to a remote working model as quickly as we could,” said Corin. “Thanks to Node4, we were able to do it without any problems whatsoever. Novacroft is founded on three pillars – people, processes and technology.”

“We needed a technology solution that lived up to our high expectations and Node4 has provided just that. As well as delivering a great service to Novacroft, the team at Node4 is always helpful and approachable, and we see them as a valued technology partner, not a supplier.”

Another benefit is that with a high volume of seasonal staff being taken on, Node4’s virtual desktop offering has allowed users to use their own devices, saving Novacroft time and money by not sourcing and setting up laptops for each new user. It has also enabled them to open up their positions to individuals from across the UK rather than close to their offices.

For Novacroft’s contact centre, the remote working solution ensures the customer services team feels more productive and engaged through current circumstances. A recent internal survey found that 96% of the team feel like they have the tools they need to do their job and 81% have a better work/life balance – which is largely thanks to Node4’s solutions. Additionally, the contact centre boasts an NPS score of 97%, which Novacroft can maintain by utilising the virtual desktop solution.

Debra Charles, CEO said: “Customer care is a hugely important part of our ethos, and when we were faced with the task of getting everyone moved off-premises, our team members and customers were front of mind. The fact that we could move to remote working so quickly is a huge milestone for the business. Because of this, we are now able to expand our search for talent to include the whole of the UK and be more inclusive in the range of people we employ.”

About Novacroft

To ensure that organisations thrive in the future, they must get fit today. We are on a mission to help our clients in the third sector, transport and local government to get clarity of vision, understand the challenges, risks and opportunities, and rise to them. We are experts in integrating people, processes, and technology to help transform businesses.

In the transport sector and for local authorities, our innovative technologies and programmes are making travel easier and cheaper for passengers, whilst creating efficiency and reducing risk of fraud or loss of income for the organisation.

For charities, we reduce administration costs, enabling them to direct more pence in every £1 to the cause they’re fighting for. Our unique approach to a clean, lean, modern and secure membership journey enables charities to continue to build trust with the public, members and volunteers. We help charities transparently demonstrate their impact, whilst ensuring they are ready for an increasingly challenging future, by facilitating a common understanding of what success looks like, the barriers, how to unblock them and a high-level plan to achieve the success criteria.

Our impact has saved the transport sector £25m, enabled 250,000 members of a leading UK charity to apply online for membership, delivered £55,000,000 in energy grant funding, and has enabled 70,000 volunteers to support 14 million visitors for London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Today, 32,000,000 people use our technology services.

Novacroft places wellbeing (and a good portion of fun) and as central to team and business excellence.

Founded in 1998 by Debra Charles, CEO, the Novacroft team proudly celebrated twenty two years of making a difference in 2020.

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