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Focus of study:
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Business data linked to website |
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Sector:
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Shipping Industry |
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Impact:
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National and International |
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| Expert advice helps move
home-based enterprise to international success |
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| When business partners, Steve
Cox and Phil Parry realised that to help their business progress they
needed to update their database, they called in a Technology Means
Business approved adviser. The results exceeded their expectations:
a more powerful and efficient database, less time spent with admin
and more time to devote their expertise to good use in the business. |
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| Partners Steve Cox and Phil
Parry launched their specialist recruitment service Spinnaker Consulting
to plug a gap in the shipping industry. With the creation of www.shippingjobs.com
it has grown from a home-based enterprise to a successful international
business, servicing clients in the US and the Far East. |
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| The Business Opportunity |
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| In the early days of building
Spinnaker's reputation the partners had sufficient time to handle
the information on clients and candidates - first from a simple manual
system and later using a basic computerised database system. Matching
clients to candidates manually was time-consuming and not a long-term
option as demand soared. When Steve realised a much more sophisticated
database was needed he called on the services of Cathryn Fox, an independent
consultant with Technology means Business accreditation, who run Objective.
The results gained by Spinnaker demonstrate ample evidence of the
beneficial effects of the way advisers with TMB accreditation combine
business and ICT expertise. |
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WEB DESIGNER JOHN FINLEY WITH STEVE COX AND PHIL
PARRY OF SPINNAKER
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| "Cathryn had little knowledge
of the shipping industry," explained Steve Cox, "but she
adapted to our way of doing things. She also had a very practical
approach. She did not try to sell us a Rolls Royce when all we needed
was a Mini." |
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| The results exceed their
expectations |
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| Cathryn's database expertise
has combined the client and candidate data, and linked it to the website
designed by Objective's web designer John Finley to Cathryn's specification,
enabling Spinnaker to handle administration in a fifth of the time.
Streamlining administration also freed the company's fee earners so
they could concentrate on providing their expert knowledge of the
industry rather than dealing with administration. |
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| "Working with Cathryn
has been a joint effort", say Steve, "we have achieved more
than we ever expected. As we went along we found ways of managing
our processes slightly better, which stared to bring benefits from
early on in the project. Our predicted growth has also been taken
into account. The IT system now accommodates our twelve staff and
has the capacity to handle up to 25 with further enhancement." |
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| Steve's idea of bringing in
specialist adviser has enabled him and his partner to embrace information
and communication technology, in a way that suits how they operate
and enables them to grow the business and increase efficiency. It
also enabled them to devote more time to their core business activities.
The advantage of using an adviser with TMB accreditation is that they
have both business and ICT experience and their advice is impartial.
As Steve and Phil have experience, it's the ideal way for small and
medium sized companies to progress. |
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