T Cards Direct outlines its history
With a vast background of visual planning, both manual and online, CVW hears about the history of T Cards Direct.
When it comes to visual planning not many companies can say they have the experience of T Cards Direct. The company first started manufacturing T Cards back in the 60’s when systems where they were most common in the MOD and the National Health Service.
Since then, the company has gone through many changes, but the personnel have mainly stayed the same. Set up by Fred Heine and his wife Margaret, a large part of the business was supporting trade clients. Then in the early 90’s when Fred’s daughter Sarah joined, the firm started to grow direct business, mainly to better support the end user. Mainly focusing on the Motor Trade and Engineering companies the business were approved suppliers to many big brands like Mercedes Benz, Landrover, Coke-Cola, Trebor Basset, to name but a few.
Sarah’s background of business improvement helped T Cards clients get a grip with improving efficiency through continuous improvement programs like Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing. T Cards is a perfect tool for those applications as well as for simple workflow processes like workshop control. T Cards provide a “Go to Board” whenever anyone needs an update to the status of work, or information, compared to being inaccessible or just in people’s heads.
The business was again boosted when Fred’s son Philip joined the company in the mid 90’s and with the growth of the internet, T Cards were able to spread the word of how to keep track, allocate and improve efficiency by implementing simple tools like T Cards. The website shop help cast the “net” internationally and since then, orders are regularly sent as far away as New Zealand and Australia. Indeed, the export business has continued to steadily grow and is today an important part of the business.
Back in the UK the business has been building with the client base in different markets such as construction and accounting, but the simplicity of the system means it can be adapted to almost any application. Health and safety is an obvious example where visual communication isessential. An excellent example is Weetabix. It needed to improve its near miss reporting system. To them T Cards seemed an obvious tool. A clear simple process, not relying on staff opening emails for awareness of potential hazards. It proved to be a costefficient solution. Since then, hundreds ofcompanies have implemented the system, which can cost less than £100.
Getting online
In the mid 2000’s Sarah and Philip decided to use their experience and create a digital version of T Cards. Right from the word go it was all about what clients wanted – low cost, adaptable, easy to customise and accessible for users and the management. With the internet being more accessible and the technology available, it was clear that a web-based T Card system was the way to go. Having a “Go to Board” that was accessible from anywhere was going to be huge benefit for clients. T Cards then reached out and asked clients what features were most important. Since then, the system has continued to evolve off the back of client feedback.
In essence, T Cards Online was designed to replicate the simplicity of the manual system, where you can easily customise the structure with column titles and T Card designs to suit individual planning needs. Having come from a visual planning rather than a software background the system has the advantage of being built for the desired purpose of making processes visible whilst being simple to setup and most importantly, easy to use.
People first
One key advantage for T Cards is its people. Having that experience to help people setup their systems and run through requirements with a client would sometimes incur a cost but not at T Cards.
Gareth Down at Marshall Mercedes Commercials in Hampshire is a proud advocate of the system and has used the system for many years now: “We have been on a journey with T Cards Online, the system has been a real help in developing our business. They have regular updates where features are always being improved, some of which has really benefited us. The free APP has helped our engineers whilst out on the road. And the API functionality has been fantastic with integrating with Sage. What separates the team at T Cards from others is their personal support. Whenever there has been a problem, they have been right on top of it.”
T Cards Online has been a huge success in helping hundreds of companies, large and small over the last 12 years. Updates are planned in over the next two years which will include some exciting features.
Nevertheless, you might be surprised to hear that the manual system is still proving a hit. Even Philip is surprised with more than three a day being sent out!
Manual still popular
Philip commented, “It’s a real testament to the simplicity of the manual systems that they are still proving so popular, if you need something quick, simple and easy to use then the boards offer somethingtangible for companies”. He continued. “The T Cards online system has just added another string to our bow, and it now allows us to support clients who wouldn’t even have considered something like this, that is so cost effective. What really drives us though as a company is realising our clients’ needs especially when they bring ideas and suggestions.”
“Unfortunately, Fred passed away several years ago without seeing the real success of T Cards Online and seeing how his ideas have developed. However, he would have been delighted with the next generation now contributing. Sarah’s son Joe has joined the firm and has been hard at work making efficiencies and improvements in the software and managing the whole team that supports the platform. With the code and support being managed internally, here in the UK, allows us to be nibble and agile with regards to helping clients.”
