Expansive FM

Request a Demo

Schedule a demo in 30 seconds.

Capterra Best Ease of Use 2023 Capterra 4.8 rating
Book a Demo
Book a Demo

From tickets to
total control

How
Busy Bees brought 370 nurseries under one clear FM view

“expansive has allowed us to take ownership of the whole reactive and planned maintenance process.”

— Mark Kirkby, Director of European Construction and Global Compliance, Busy Bees

WATCH A DEMO
expansive x Prezzo-1

The Numbers

100percent-1

Compliance achieved

60K

Work orders in 20 months

24

Contractors launched at once

370

UK nurseries

The Challenge

A closed ticket could not show what was really happening

Busy Bees’ previous system was, in their own words, “a glorified ticketing system”. A job could be raised and marked open or closed, but the FM team had little visibility of the work behind it. Costs were difficult to scrutinise, contractor attendance could not be verified and useful trend data was unavailable. Compliance was managed separately on a spreadsheet held by an external contractor.

Before expansive, we couldn’t say with 100% certainty that we were compliant across the board.

Closing tickets was only part of the job

  • The system only recorded whether tickets were open or closed.
  • Compliance was managed through spreadsheets.
  • Around 2,000 separate invoices could arrive each month.
  • Contractor attendance, time on site and costs were difficult to verify.

Why Change Was Needed

Busy Bees needed ownership of the process, with evidence behind every decision.

Sites

Teams needed direct control of maintenance across the estate

Compliance

Compliance status needed to be visible, with remedial actions included

Contractor

Contractor attendance and costs needed to be verified prior work approval

What They Needed

Control that extended beyond closing tickets

Busy Bees wanted a CAFM platform that could support a new operating model. The team needed to work directly with specialist contractors while retaining a clear view of performance across every nursery.

Flexible Contractor Allocation

Work needed to be assigned by region and trade so Busy Bees could appoint the right specialist directly, without routing every instruction through a single facilities management provider.

Clear Cost Control

The team needed agreed rates, visible quotes and an approval process before costs reached the invoice stage. Monthly reporting also had to show exactly where money was being spent.

Reliable Compliance Reporting

Compliance had to reflect completed, passed work rather than attendance alone. Remedial actions needed to be signed off before contributing to the compliance figure.

Useful Operational Data

Busy Bees wanted to understand recurring faults and compare performance between nurseries. The data needed to support practical maintenance decisions rather than simply describe what had already happened.

We went live with expansive in full, with 24 new contractors, at the same time.

A full-estate launch on a very short lead time

Busy Bees approved the implementation in November 2023. Using our implementation approach at the time, the reactive maintenance workflow was ready by the end of February, followed by the full planned and statutory compliance operation on 1 April 2024. Our implementation process has since been streamlined, enabling customers to go live more quickly today.

There was no gradual pilot. Busy Bees launched expansive across the estate while moving to 24 new contractors, none of whom had used the platform before. A contractor briefing took place in March, supported by hands-on guidance from expansive during the first weeks after launch.

There were some expected teething issues, but no major interruption. Contractors found the system straightforward to adopt, while support moved naturally from weekly contact to fortnightly and then monthly sessions.

 

The Solution

expansive now supports the full journey from a nursery reporting an issue to contractor payment. The helpdesk logs and triages each job before assigning it to the appropriate contractor. Engineers scan in and out using a QR code at the nursery, creating a record of attendance and time on site.

Once work is complete, the helpdesk checks the job and approves the associated costs. Approved work is then placed onto a consolidated invoice for that contractor. Each contractor can see what has been signed off and what remains outstanding.

Compliance schedules are also managed through expansive. Future attendance dates are generated automatically once work has been submitted and approved. Documentation is held against the relevant record, giving nursery teams quick access when Ofsted, environmental health officers or fire risk assessors request evidence.

 

A real example: replacing repeat repairs with planned decisions

With call-out history and spend visible, Busy Bees can identify assets that repeatedly fail. For example, where a dishwasher is receiving ten call-outs at one nursery, instead of authorising an eleventh repair, the team can use the evidence to support replacement and inform its wider lifecycle strategy.

Direct Contractor Control


Teams can assign work directly to contractors by region and trade, without relying on a single facilities management provider.

Verified Site Attendance


Engineers scan in and out using a nursery's QR code, giving the helpdesk a clear record of attendance and time on site.

Compliance That Means Complete


Work only counts towards compliance once it has passed and any required remedials have been completed.

Consolidated Invoicing


Approved jobs are grouped into one invoice per contractor, making costs easier to check before payment.

Results & Impact

From contractor-led reporting to decisions backed by Busy Bees’ own data

98%

Reduction in invoices. Consolidated invoicing has replaced around 2,000 separate monthly invoices with one invoice per contractor. The FM team can now review approved work in a manageable format before payments are processed.

1

expansive Insights saved the equivalent of one working day during each reporting cycle. Instead of spending hours gathering information, the team can open the report and focus on what the figures are showing.

Lower average order value

Direct contractor relationships have removed the previous facilities management company’s markup, reducing the average cost of each order.

Performance in black and white

Busy Bees can see whether contractors attended on time and how long they remained on site. Costs can be checked before approval, replacing subjective conversations with clear operational evidence.

the biggest surprise

The biggest surprise was how smoothly such a substantial change went live. Busy Bees introduced a new platform across 370 nurseries while onboarding 24 contractors and changing its wider maintenance model.

The team expected the speed and scale to create more disruption. Instead, the issues were minor and resolved quickly. The system’s ease of use helped contractors adopt the new process without a long bedding-in period.

I wanted something adaptable and flexible, and that’s exactly what we’ve got. If you need more from it, expansive can facilitate that for you.

— Mark Kirkby, Director of European Construction and Global Compliance, Busy Bees

expansive global reach-2

More Than Just a System

Busy Bees replaced its basic ticketing system and contractor-managed spreadsheets with expansive, creating a clear operational view across the estate.

The FM team now manages specialist contractors directly, with visibility of attendance, job progress and approved costs.

Compliance reporting reflects completed work, including any remedials required before an activity is considered compliant.

Consolidated invoicing and automated reporting have reduced administration, giving the team more time to focus on operational decisions.

Reliable maintenance data is helping Busy Bees plan ahead, identify recurring failures and make informed repair or replacement decisions.

Ready to take control of your FM operation?

Ready to take control of your FM operation?

Platform Tour

See what else expansive can do

Quoted Works

Streamline your quote requests and communicate seamlessly with contractors. Enhance collaboration and ensure value for money...  Read More »

Reactive Maintenance

Are you drowning in administration and feel like you’re operating a call centre? With Expansive FM you’ll benefit from less phone calls, emails and general administration due to the complete visibility of… Read More »

Asset Management

Our cloud-based asset management module means that data management has never been easier and brings great reward for FM teams. Read More »

Contractor & Engineer Management

Our mobile first CAFM application allows Contractors & Engineers to easily interact via the Contractor & Engineer Portal providing you with real-time and full transparency across your entire estate. Read More »

Parts Ordering

Your team can rapidly order whatever they need directly from multiple suppliers in minimal steps. Suppliers can use the platform to send updates and invoices as the order is processed. Read More »

Analytics & Reporting

Our Dashboards turn your FM data into informative, easy to share and useful analytical insights. Whether it’s SLA Performance Reports, Asset Lifecycle, Spend vs Budget or Time Tracking – we have it! Read More »

Cost Control & Invoicing

With Expansive FM, contractors and engineers can now submit their cost proposals and invoices with ease allowing FM managers to regain control with real-time reporting and analysis. Read More »