WL Straughan & Sons Ltd, established in the early 1980s, is an environmental contractor based in Bedlington, Northumberland.

The company provides plant hire and landscaping services as well as equipment such as diggers, skips and tractors. It employs 14 people.

Phil Straughan, 56, is the MD. Up until recently he was finding it increasingly difficult to keep on top of the paper work. This was especially true with regard to processing requests for quotes and managing outgoing invoices.

As Mr Straughan explains, his attempts to keep up to speed with the many and varied demands of this crucial aspect of managing his business was causing real problems.

“I tried putting aside one day each week to get to grips with a mountain of paperwork but it just never seemed to work out, what with the phone constantly ringing and this and that. Try as I might, I could never get through all the paperwork that needed doing.

“We realised that we really needed to get on top of this situation regarding managing our processes.

“That’s when I heard about business consultant Giles Johnston and I asked for his help. The first thing he did was to spend time getting to know our company and understand its processes. He quickly came up with a solution to our mountainous paperwork problem.

“This is all about getting into a routine, knowing that I would spend 15 minutes each day with Diane, my secretary, and work through both my In and Out Trays. Giles called this technique Fish on Friday. He’d got the idea from a friend who described how his mother had always cooked fish for dinner on Fridays and as result he always knew what to expect.

“When Giles explained his concept, Fish on Friday, I thought he was joking. There was no way I could see daily 15 minute meetings working – but they did.

 “My In Tray for quotations used to be like a black hole. My Out Tray even had its own Eco system! Now both are well under control, thanks to my morning progress meetings with Diane. The days of overflowing paperwork have been left behind, I’m pleased to say!

“Giles worked with us in using technology more effectively, setting up spreadsheets for managing enquiries for quotes and sending out invoices. It’s been a case of going from box file to computer for us and it has worked very well.

“I look forward to my meetings with Giles; I learn something new every time. He brings fresh ideas to business problems and like all good ideas they are uncomplicated and easy to implement and they are also cost effective.”