26-05-2005 Investors In People

Investing In People Pays Off For Somerset IT Firm

A Somerset firm that has gained a prestigious award for improving the potential of its staff is already reaping the benefits with a bulging order book and nearly 100% customer satisfaction.

Blueloop Limited, which provides comprehensive IT solutions from its base in North Perrott, near Crewkerne, has seen turnover increase by 35% since it began the process to achieve the Investors In People Standard.

The ongoing development of the skills of Blueloop staff has also helped to secure the satisfaction of 98% of customers in a recent survey.

The nine-strong team at Blueloop took just six months to qualify for the national award, whic is presented locally by Business Link Somerset and the Learning Skills Council. To gain the Standard, organisations must illustrate that they reach a series of high standards when developing staff potential through training.

One of Blueloop’s Directors, Robin Barker, said the firm decided to work towards achieving the Standard as part of its five-year development plan.

He explained: “One of the key drivers in our five-year plan for the development and expansion of Blueloop was to make sure we had the correct systems and standards in place to maintain a happy and efficient environment for directors and staff.”

Robin said: “One of our priorities is to ensure everyone feels comfortable that they have the skills to do the job. Our business is driven by technical skills and a priority is to reinforce them and to offer shadowing so that expertise isn’t just with one person.”

The firm has a series of measures in place to make sure the potential of staff is realised. They include six monthly performance reviews, internal mentoring, training for accreditation on specific software, a strong induction package and clear communication – which includes encouraging staff to put ideas and suggestions to the directors.

Robin added: “We are very aware of the costs of staff development in terms of time and money and we have many examples of how training has contributed to Blueloop’s success. The return on the company’s investment with Investors In People will mean that Blueloop continues to grow profitably through our people.”

Organisations wanting to know how to become an Investor In People can contact the Business Link Somerset workforce development team on 0845 450 4088.

Rachel Sweet (Business Link), Julie Grant, Jon Gerdes, Robin Barker & Tony Haines

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