A colourful on-screen approach has given the red card to manual workplan T-card systems - saving thousands of pounds for hundreds of companies.
Every five minutes saved is welcome in a busy office – and an electronic version of the familiar T-card system tells users not only the progress of work with updates, but also searches quickly for information about jobs.
In a hectic car dealership, for example, customers waiting for news of their vehicle appreciate this professional approach.
Businessman Stephen Rabone realised that car dealership staff used manual T-Cards to process sales and service, and he invented a screen display version to streamline work.
Now his on-screen TeeCard Software system is being used around the world to organise activities of virtually any business or service with a graphic display of the T-Card board, to manage the workforce.
Clients includes Airbus, which saved £50,000 in 6 months. The impressive list also features Astra Zeneca, New York Coast Guard, St Josephs hospital in Seattle, and BMW and other dealerships.
More user-friendly than whiteboards, spreadsheets and project management software, it can be networked to many people around the organisation.
Main dealership Allams, of Surrey, has taken a 20-user licence to use the TeeCard software, and their Paul Dobson says they have become more efficient.
He said: "It makes our organisation more professional. I can see what's going on in fine detail, without needing to go to a manual board.
"We have front house and back, and everyone in the service department also has a screen display on their desk. It gives us flexibility.
"This saves more than just the time for checking on progress. It also provides easy searches for vehicles, which would require scanning up and down a manual board.
"You can type in a registration number and quickly find a car, which makes life easier. There's nothing worse than picking up a call in the back office and having to ask people to wait while you go to the front to check the old card system.
"This is more efficient, for example customer inquiries can be dealt with more quickly."
Another user, accident investigator David Church-Taylor, MD of David Church-Taylor Associates, which checks for possible fraudulent insurance claims, said: "It's an absolutely superb tool – and even a chimp could use it.
Costs and time for big companies are cut by networking information on PC screen displays rather than a manual T-Card board.
It's programmed to give up-to-date progress in work and sales across the company, from the smallest to largest concerns.
One central heating company using it is now a thriving concern, and described it as 'perfect' for them, showing:
Progress of work;
Bottlenecks;
Action required.
Stephen Rabone, director of TeeCards Software, of Hagley, West Midlands, said: "Instead of having to drill down through spreadsheets, TeeCards software gives a clear colour coded graphical display.
"Our brains seem to like this approach. Simplicity is the beauty of the system, used by breakdown companies, personal data suppliers, emergency services in the USA and Australia, and shop floor staff."
For details and demo, TeeCards managing director Stephen Rabone can be contacted on 01562 884297 or 08458 38 22 38, www.TeeCard.co.uk; or TeeCards sales manager John Fedden at john.fedden@t-cardsoftware.co.uk