The company is very proactive in the development of new products, with environmental issues within the construction industry at the forefront of their company drive. Their business formula is simple; develop a high quality product which is needed in the market place, market the product, identifying the benefits to user, give unequalled service, ensure profitability throughout the organisation, and re-invest capital income.

Garic has secured a patent for their 'Interceptor Drip Trays'. This product is playing a major role in environmental protection on most construction sites across the country today. They have designed and developed other products such as 'envirowash' wheel cleaning systems, including patented versions, for vehicles leaving construction sites. They are continually developing new products in-house for environment protection.

Garic aims to supply to all their customers needs and they supply throughout the UK.

Higher Concept Software’s Syrinx® platform was introduced by Garic to consolidate their vital business data. Previously, they had used various spreadsheets as well as a software system with limited capabilities, which made it difficult to keep track of their day-to-day issues and projects. Having used a different rental software package for 10 years, Garic decided to invest in a more suitable system for their requirements. Katie Brooks, Project Administrator, explains, “Our impression of Syrinx® was that someone developed it who knew the industry and had really thought about it.

When it came to implementing the new system, Garic knew they would be too busy to input their archived information manually. They therefore looked to HCS for a solution. Katie states, “Implementing it was so easy, and the transition required minimal effort. We pulled information from the old system, formatted it in Excel and uploaded it to Syrinx®. There was no down time at all – we did lots of preparatory work, so once we decided on the format and filtering system it was very straightforward.”

When a new software system is implemented, full training is crucial. Garic were trained on-site in groups of six or less. “We got the chance to really quiz the trainer about Syrinx® and get to grips with the system before it went live,” says Katie. “HCS offered complimentary workshops at various industry exhibitions, including the ones we attended at SED and Vertikal Days.”

Garic went live within 3 months of their original meeting with HCS, which Katie says was a shorter time frame than she had expected. She comments, “We did lots of testing and dummy runs on the new system. We needed to make sure that everything matched perfectly before we went live. We were very confident when we did press the button.”

Garic are strong believers in encouraging their staff to work in a time efficient way, and say that Syrinx® is instrumental in helping them do this. “Everything looks simplified and easy, but all the information you need is in there. It doesn’t try and give you too much information at once. It’s very quick, and does everything you need it to do.”

The Accounts and Hire teams at Garic make full use of the comprehensive reporting and stock management functions, but Katie says that the biggest benefit Garic have gained from their new system is having all of their information in one place, accessible to everyone.

“We receive user alerts and reminders – for example we can view all services due within the next 30 days as well as our contract servicing notes. We can see the hours on our generators, when to clean our cabin toilets, and generally control our services in a far more efficient way.”

Whereas Garic’s previous package only allowed them to open one screen at a time, Syrinx® has more flexibility. Katie comments, “It’s good at storing information, and you can switch screens easily. It doesn’t just have one screen, where you have to close down one screen to open another. Syrinx® is user friendly and fast, so it saves time.”

Garic have made full use of the Syrinx® support desk, especially when it came to going live. “We’d had lots of training, but we wanted to make sure we had it 100% right,” explains Katie. “When I email support I always get a call straight back, even if it’s just to say they’re looking into my query. I always speak to the same two contacts, and they know the company and system inside out.”

Although Syrinx® is not a bespoke system, Garic say that they are impressed with the way it meets their requirements. “Higher Concept Software figured out a way to set up and develop the system to fit our needs,” Katie comments. “Our old system was not built for what we do, whereas the Syrinx® system is much more personalised. It’s easy to use, and has advanced databases. It definitely makes our jobs easier.