Local Startup Walbridge Material Technology's Experience: Achieving More with the Right System
Startup teams often face the challenge of limited time and resources. In addition to going from zero to one in a short period, they also need to adapt their operational strategies as they expand. Consequently, the management systems initially set up during the early stages of creativity quickly become inadequate. To address this issue of managing personnel and performance as their operations scale up, Walbridge Material Technology Co., Ltd. serves as a prime example.
Established in 2010, Walbridge Material Technology Co., Ltd. is a homegrown startup that emerged from the innovation incubation center at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. In its early days, the company, founded by three individuals with limited resources, increased its revenue from 500,000 NTD to an annual income of 25 million NTD in just four years. They built a strong technical foundation in roof waterproofing, thermal insulation, and exterior wall painting systems. As their performance continued to grow, they developed a comprehensive envelope system and introduced "Roof Greening Systems" and "Roof Farming Systems." Combined with eco-friendly building materials compliant with European environmental standards, they became an exemplary innovative enterprise in Taiwan, embracing the global trend of green construction and sustainable ecology.
Walbridge Material Technology stated that in the construction industry, using traditional paper-based operations and LINE group communication presented considerable difficulties and challenges in management and operations. While such methods may be manageable when projects and personnel are few, they become increasingly problematic as the scale expands, leading to issues like the management of engineers distributed across various locations, tracking project progress, accounts receivable tracking, and information collection. This necessitated the consideration of implementing a system for more efficient management.
Utilizing ServiceJDC to Assist Effective Management: Starting with Consultant Services
To address this challenge, Walbridge Material Technology initially purchased a Swiss materials management system primarily focused on managing consumables and tools distributed to construction sites and maintenance personnel and tracking their time. However, due to its lack of user-friendliness and practicality, the system had low utilization rates, resulting in expenditure without problem resolution.
Abandoning Foreign Systems: Walbridge Material Technology Adopts ServiceJDC for Management Image/Provided by Walbridge Material Technology
In March 2018, Walbridge Material Technology's management came across the ServiceJDC product online. This digital cloud-based management solution specifically addressed the digital management of field personnel, encompassing functions such as clocking in and out, dispatching, and digital form management. Apart from addressing the company's management issues in the construction industry, the subscription-based fee structure, payable monthly or annually, proved to be a manageable cost. They decided to begin testing by taking advantage of the free trial offer, which covered up to five users.
In contrast to the previous system, which lacked user adoption and failed to improve utilization rates, the introduction of ServiceJDC involved consultation wherein the consultants focused on current workflow processes, such as material preparation, dispatching, attendance, clocking in and out, work orders, and invoice generation. Following less than a month of testing, Walbridge Material Technology fully adopted the system.
Three Major Changes: E-management, Cloud Reporting, Real-time Data
The adoption of ServiceJDC allowed Walbridge Material Technology to transition towards E-management, moving away from the early chaotic LINE groups and paper-based operations that led to the scattering of information and a lack of real-time synchronization. With ServiceJDC, the company can now multitask across various projects with ease. Not only does this streamline operations by providing a clear view of each project, but it also eliminates the need for manual data compilation. The system provides real-time access to accurate project information. Materials are a critical resource in the construction industry that influences project progress and costs. Currently, Walbridge Material Technology uses ServiceJDC to communicate material resource requirements to the relevant parties. Supervisors can view the schedules of various projects and personnel in the system one day in advance, allowing them to assign additional tasks according to progress.
When engineers arrive at the construction site, they can use ServiceJDC to report their tasks via mobile, clock in for work, report off-duty, and submit work orders once the work is completed. Supervisors can review each individual's work order status within an hour after work hours using the web or app, close cases, and assign tasks for the following day. This not only streamlines dispatching and attendance management but also records all data. The company gains precise control over human and time costs by utilizing the pivot analysis table in the background.
ServiceJDC significantly reduces the time spent on payroll calculations, a critical aspect of financial management. Traditional paper-based operations for payroll verification typically require at least three working days for reconciliation. With ServiceJDC, clock-in records and leave attendance are clear and accessible. Data exported to the cloud allows for payroll calculations to be completed within three hours, significantly improving efficiency.
Walbridge Material Technology further utilizes ServiceJDC's mobile app form functionality, enabling engineers to fill out payment requests or advance payment request forms anytime, anywhere. Accountants can then check, verify, and proceed with the payment process from the backend, effectively managing project revenue and expenses. This also shortens the time engineers have to advance payments, improving their overall work experience.
Overall, Walbridge Material Technology has seen a multitude of benefits following the adoption of ServiceJDC. Beyond benefiting management, the company has enhanced its operational and managerial efficiency. As ServiceJDC has become an integral part of daily operations, Walbridge Material Technology has improved records of attendance, dispatching, and material preparation, as well as administrative tasks such as salary calculation and advance payment requests. Frontline users have highly accepted this system, and the company intends to continue leveraging it for further optimization.
ServiceJDC Interface Image/Provided by MDS
Considering the limited resources of small and medium-sized enterprises, ServiceJDC, offered as a cloud service, eliminates the need for a substantial upfront system construction cost. Furthermore, all customers can assess the mode they wish to adopt online without the burden of a large initial payment.
According to Min Wang, a consultant for ServiceJDC, startups similar to Walbridge Material Technology, which possess more flexible management structures than large enterprises, can further expand the usage of ServiceJDC services to administrative management. For instance, paper documents used in financial verification can be replaced with electronically designed forms, facilitating more convenient verification by accountants and reducing the time employees need to advance money. Additionally, data from electronic payment request forms can be used for employees to check the correctness of their payment details via an online pivot analysis table. Wang stated that ServiceJDC will soon introduce new functions in the equipment/contract module that will be particularly beneficial for units involved in engineering, enabling more effective management of the distribution of consumables and tools, among other aspects.
ServiceJDC's online signature approval process design and multilingual support extend digital form services from store visits and field management to administrative approval. The multilingual support also caters to multinational Taiwanese businesses, providing them with the best experience in managing multiple languages. Currently, businesses with fewer than five users can use the service for free. For more information, please visit the ServiceJDC official website.
