Celebrating Berkeley Myles Solutions’ 20th Anniversary
This year, Berkeley Myles Solutions, the developer of ProgressPlus software, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. They definitely have a lot to celebrate about. Starting humbly in 1996, Berkeley Myles Solutions Ltd was taken over three years later by the current three directors: Tony MacBride, Mark Holmes and Martin Brawley. At the time the directors took over the company there were around 40 businesses that used its software.
Today, 3,000 users in over 300 businesses spread across the UK and the Republic of Ireland use ProgressPlus, the company’s celebrated manufacturing software for small and medium scale businesses. In the highly competitive software manufacturing industry, this is no small achievement. Many software manufacturing companies usually close shop before they even celebrate their 5th anniversary. In this industry, those that fail to adapt fast enough are quickly swept aside by the constant waves of change.
The Secret of Success
Berkeley Myles Solutions has stood the test of time and according to one of its directors, Tony MacBride, the secret of their longevity and tremendous growth is simple. He says, “Since we bought Berkeley Myles Solutions, our main value has been customer focus and we meet this by providing a product that matches our customer’s needs. This has helped the business grow and the product change year on year.”
Clearly, Berkeley Myles Solutions’ secret for success is not a secret at all. They have simply concentrated all of their energies on something that most business know but quite often ignore – the customer. In their relentless quest to effectively meet the needs of their customers, the company has embraced and delivered the latest technology. They have redeveloped their software from scratch three times to combine comprehensive functionality alongside ease of use for customers.
This constant change to ensure that their customers enjoy the latest waves of technology has definitely played a major role in the company’s longevity. Tony MacBride agrees. “We are very happy with our customers’ growth and success. This has helped ProgressPlus become a leading business management system for manufacturers. We pride ourselves on never losing sight of our customers desired business outcomes – they are at the core of what has made us unique as production control system provider for the last 20 years. We realise that as markets change so we must for our customers.” Certainly, no organisation will want to buy software that is at the heart of its operations from a company that could disappear any time soon. With 20 years of existence, businesses know that Berkeley Myles Solutions Ltd will always be there for them.
Just Providing Customer Service The Way It Should Be Provided
Apart from having a great product that meets the needs of its customers, Berkeley Myles Solutions’ other competitive advantage is excellent customer service. Right from the sales process, the company is guided by transparency and honesty. Nothing is promised that the company cannot deliver. Its after-sales services are second to none. From installing the software at the facilities of the clients to training their staff on its use and always being available to attend to any queries that may arise in the course of using the software there is nothing Berkeley Myles Solutions Ltd won’t do to make sure that the client is satisfied. To this end, the company has a well-staffed and excellently-trained support team that is always ready to attend to the needs of the customer. Most of the staff members have been around since the company’s inception. With around 20 years of experience, there is simply no problem that is beyond the reach of these veterans.
Berkeley Myles Solutions Ltd not only trains the staff of its clients how to use its software but also learns from them. Through regular seminars attended by its clients, Berkeley Myles Solutions lets their clients know the latest additions and enhancements to their software. These seminars also allow Berkeley Myles Solutions to receive feedback on potential software enhancements which will improve the users experience and provide clients with even more value. Berkeley Myles Solutions’ relationship with its clients is, therefore, not a typical buyer and seller arrangement; theirs is a symbiotic relationship where both parties learn from each other and continually improve themselves.
Such a relationship has definitely created trust between Berkeley Myles Solutions and its clients. A testament to the effectiveness of this kind of a relationship is that, even when their clients have been acquired or merged with others, they have still retained ProgressPlus. There is no doubt that ProgressPlus is a superior product. But that is not enough. Having a great product will get you customers but retaining them for all that long requires excellent customer service and a lot of trust.
Berkeley Myles Solutions has undeniably always been there for its customers. In this difficult environment, Berkeley Myles Solutions and its clients have found success. This alone shows how important ProgressPlus software is to its users and has gone a long way in helping the businesses withstand the tough times that have forced some of their counterparts to go under.
Tony MacBride said, “In the highly competitive environment, Berkeley Myles Solutions has grown from a position of understanding customer needs. We achieve this through a strong team ethic and building trust with our customers evidenced by doing what we say. Our customers are our central focus.”
It’s all about the customer
Indeed, customers are the central focus of Berkeley Myles Solutions and many of them appreciate this fact. Andrew Harvey, Director of Aerotech Precision Manufacturing Ltd has been using ProgressPlus for close to 20 years. He has nothing but appreciation and admiration for the software. He says, “ProgressPlus is the heartbeat of our business and thanks to the ease of use and system flexibility, information flows freely around the business and every detail of history is at the users fingertips.”
Ronco Engineering is another company that used ProgressPlus. Starting with it in 2000, Ronco Engineering’s General Manager, Graham Bull, says that “ProgressPlus gives us a central resource for purchasing, sales, deliveries, work orders and attendance. It also allows Ronco Engineering to effectively meet the demands of our customers. In fact, such is the importance of the software to our operations that it forms the backbone of the company’s ISO 9001: 2008 certification.”
Sarah Brady, the Operations Director of Falcon Precision Limited, also has the same high view of ProgressPlus. Starting with the software in 2002, the company has over the years added SFDC and Quality modules. “With this comprehensive package,” she says, “we are able to achieve accurate planning with end-to-end visibility of all processes from the quotation to the manufacturing and invoice.” Overall, she says, “ProgressPlus has made the company more efficient and productive since they started using it and has given them the tools to help them remain competitive in the coming years.”
Berkeley Myles Solutions Ltd will continue to deliver to clients more than expected in the future. It’s commitment to excellence should assure both current and future clients that they will continue enjoying excellent products and customer service for a very long time to come.