Overview
For The Ecology Co-op, a medium-sized ecological consultancy in West Sussex, the path to a fully digital workflow wasn’t a straight line. They first trialled Coreo in 2021, but ended up reverting to pen and paper, partly due to a lack of understanding of Coreo’s capabilities, but also due to the way it was rolled out across the organisation. This initial setback, however, set the stage for a much more successful transition.
Challenge
Two years on, and the Ecology Co-op was facing the same problems on an even larger scale due to the growing demand for BNG and UKHab assessments. The ever-increasing quantity of paper meant an even higher risk of lost or incomplete data. The need for a change was no longer an option—it was a necessity. The consultancy required a solution that provided them with greater efficiency, improved data accuracy, and the consistency and transparency necessary for a solid evidence trail. Principal Ecologist Owen Crawshaw was given the responsibility of leading the digital rollout across the whole company.
Solution
Learning from their first attempt, Owen adopted a new, staggered approach to gain buy-in from the ground up. Five team members volunteered to be “Coreo Champions” and, after receiving training, they set off into the field with Coreo. The champions were encouraged to work with other team members so the rest of the team could see firsthand the benefits and they quickly noticed that Coreo champions were completing their reports in half the time.
After the six-month trial period, the feedback was mixed; some team members still preferred paper for specific tasks. While a hybrid system might have seemed like a compromise, Owen and the management team knew it would only create data silos and confusion. They made the decisive call to go fully digital. “The company hasn’t looked back since,” says Owen.
Impact
The Ecology Co-op now uses Coreo for all their surveys, and the results have been dramatic. The time savings alone are huge. Overall, UKHab and BNG reporting time has been cut by half, but for other surveys, the savings are even greater. As Owen Crawshaw explains: “It used to take an assistant ecologist a full day to transcribe six breeding bird surveys. With Coreo, this now takes me just 30 minutes!”
In addition to the faster turnaround times, the company has seen a host of other benefits:
- Improved Client Experience: With Coreo’s guest access, clients can now see their BNG and UKHab project data within a day of the survey.
- Better Data: The platform has dramatically reduced errors and data duplication, leading to higher-quality, more reliable data.
- Centralised and Improved Data Management: All survey data is now in one central, secure place, eliminating the risk of lost paperwork.
- All Evidence at Your Fingertips: From photos to notes, everything is linked directly to the survey.
- Enhanced Sustainability: Going paperless has significantly reduced the company’s environmental footprint.
Ready to make the switch to digital? Get in touch with us and we can set you up with a free trial. In the meantime, check out Owen’s top tips for a smooth transition from paper to digital in our blog.