In Business catches up with Novacroft’s founder and CEO to find out the story behind its technological success
2014 has been a busy year for Novacroft, the company that manages concessionary photocard schemes and other ticketing systems. The Northampton SME has launched four brands, increased its workforce and is currently in the midst of an ambitious three-year growth strategy.
Having developed a string of successful smart ticketing solutions to help service providers access cheaper travel and leisure facilities for clients such as Transport for London, Novacroft is now on the move itself.
The award-winning Northampton-based smartcard specialist has just acquired its third site, a £6million investment at The Lakes, which will soon be its new headquarters. In Business was lucky to get a sneak preview.
The 26,000 sq ft of space will house the Novacroft Group’s key functions and is the latest development which founder and CEO Debra Charles has for achieving growth.
Discussing the move, Debra said:
This is a really exciting time for Novacroft because the site will change the way our team members operate. The open space environment will encourage collaboration, which is important to innovation and providing creative solutions for clients.
It will accommodate the core functions: research and development, software development, customer care centre and its smartcard encoding centre bringing with it about 200 existing and new team members. The new office will be equipped with digital displays, providing real-time performance data. The colourful, open plan, engaging environment has been designed to promote Novacroft’s core values.
Novacroft designs, develops and manages smart travelcards and provides an end-to-end service including online application processing and customer support via its own contact centre.
Since it was set up 16 years ago by Debra following the death of her parents, the SME has managed to cement its reputation as a business that delivers innovative solutions for clients in the public and private sectors and as a company that nurtures talent.
Whilst other organisations were cutting back on their budgets during the recession and streamlining their business, Novacroft did the opposite.
Debra said:
When the economy changed several years ago, like many other companies we looked at our operations. Novacroft operates in an environment where innovation is used to simplify and it relies on our talented team members to fulfil this. We recognised there were growth opportunities for creating greater value for clients and thriving through innovation.
Rather than just being a supplier like many others, we went back to our roots to support clients by identifying and resolving root causes to underlying issues to improve processes and help them make significant cost savings. In one case, we helped a passenger transport service provider save £680,000.
Today its list of clients extends from Transport for London to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Raileasy and many local authorities.
And the industry accolades keep growing. They range from Northamptonshire Business of the Year 2013, Northamptonshire Training and Development Award 2010, regional winner of The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award 2008 to Most Innovative Business Award 2008 in the East Midlands.
The latest recognition is being named a National Business Awards Market Gravity Innovation finalist, which celebrates ideas that have had the greatest impact on an organisation or industry.
Last year 2013, Novacroft marked its 15th anniversary and announced an aggressive three-year growth plan which includes the £6 million investment in moving to a new site and further investment in recruiting team talent, innovation and acquisition.
Combining its 2014 recruitment programme with last year’s 57% rise in employee numbers means Novacroft will double in size within 24 months.
With all these successes behind her, Debra reveals she fell into the high technology business by chance. Having left school with GCSEs, she gained her first proper job aged 18 as European adviser for the robotics division of an innovative solutions company in Shropshire supporting the sales director. She recalls:
My division was involved in designing and building robots for industry – some would be used to carry out surgery in the medical field. It was here that I had my first real exposure to technology and where my love grew for innovation.
Seven years later, Debra was headhunted by Apple’s UK division to set up its Apple Corporate Centre in Birmingham.
In 1998, Debra established Novacroft in Islington, London. In the early days the business focused on data management and won a number of government contracts. It then won the contract to manage a concessionary photocard scheme for Transport for London.
With a belief she could harness technology to deliver better services, Debra and her growing team spotted an opportunity that went beyond just processing data in an online database – designing and developing cards with chips inside allowing pay-as-you-go travel on buses and trains.
So what’s next on the cards for Novacroft?
Debra reveals with a glint in her eye:
We plan to move into the international market within the next two years and are currently working with UK Trade & Investment. We also plan to build the business through acquisitions and developing Ucan-do-it, smartcard-based social action reward and recognition programmes.
Sixteen years in and my passion for Novacroft’s growth, in terms of helping our clients get more for less and making life easier for all, grows stronger thanks to significant market opportunities and our incredible team talent that turns vision into reality.
PROFILE: NOVACROFT
DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY
Novacroft consists of an amazing group of talented team members that care passionately about helping our clients get more for less by making life easier for all. It’s the sum of these talented individuals that drives the company.
FIRST JOB
Working as an adviser at a travel agency aged 18. The only place I’d ever been abroad to was France.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT
Seeing our team members develop and progress over the last 16 years. They have all made a significant contribution to Novacroft and it’s through the team that Novacroft has been able to deliver success to different markets. It’s important to me that these individuals are recognised.
ON MOVING THE BUISNESS TO NORTHAMPTON
Northampton is developing a reputation for innovation excellence, we want to be part of that. It has great transport connections however the relocation of the business from Islington was a non-strategic approach. I was meeting a friend in Northampton. What I have found here is an amazing breadth of talent where the workforce is very diverse in terms of skillset.
JOINING NORTHAMPTON CHAMBER
The Chamber provides great opportunities for networking and training as well as for recruitment. It also enables us to be part of a community and to get involved in local matters.
