Innovative App a Passport to Success: Passport365, a sport facilities management app developed in the East Midlands, has sold its Australian territory rights to synthetic grass specialist Tuff Group in a six-figure deal.

Passport365, an innovative mobile application, allows all of those connected with sports surfaces across the world to book in jobs, record their daily activity and upload images from the sites they manage and maintain, which can be viewed by asset managers in head offices across the globe in real time.

The application is the brainchild of Garry Martin, Managing Director of Long Bennington-based synthetic grounds maintenance specialist Replay Maintenance, who developed the app over two years and launched it for global sale at the end of April this year.

Fraser Gehrig, Manging Director of Tuff Group Holding Pty Ltd, heard about the app soon after its launch and after trialling the software was immediately impressed by its potential benefit to his company, which specialises in the design, construction, installation and maintenance of synthetic grass and all forms of sport and recreation surfaces across Australia and New Zealand.

Fraser, a former professional Australian rules footballer, was so keen to make use of the app for his customers that he jumped on a plane to the UK to meet the Passport365 team and see the app working out in the field.

He believes that implementing Passport365 will significantly increase the capability of the business. Fraser said: “Passport365 will give us the ability to deliver a level of service not seen in Australia before.

“We operate across the entire surfaces industry, including retail, residential, commercial and maintenance. We will be implementing the system across all our divisions, allowing our staff to communicate more effectively and substantially improving the end results we deliver.

“Being able to report to our clients in real time from anywhere in Australia, on any job, will mean we are delivering innovation and new standards to the market here. The system provides real clarity to the client and helps mitigate risk in ensuring the customer is getting exactly what they pay for.

“We have invested heavily in technology and systems to support our growth and Passport365 complements this perfectly. As the sports field construction industry continues to grow across the country, Tuff Group will be using this system to ensure that every job we do is delivered to our own high standards and that our clients can see the progress every step of the way.”

Tuff Group was established in 2009 and supports clients such as the International Rugby Board, FIFA Football, IAAF Athletics, FIH Hockey and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Garry Martin said: “It’s been a hectic six months for Passport365, having launched for global sale in April this year.

“Our early adopters have given us amazing feedback and we’re now supplying the software to clients who are managing everything from single-use sports facilities all the way up to those running hundreds of surfaces across the UK.

“Having met Fraser and listening to his passion for delivering high levels of service to his customers, I knew that Passport365 would support him and his employees working within Tuff Group in delivering this.

“Having all of the information about any one site, in one place and accessible on the go will help his team manage the assets they install and service and will eliminate the need for paperwork – halving administration time and connecting Tuff Group to its customers for the lifetime of the surfaces.

“Passport365 allows everyone working on or managing a site to be able to view, update, share and collate reports from the app either through their phone or on their desktop and will display in real time through the bespoke portal application or on mobile if you are away from your desk.

“Most importantly, app users can check on each of their sites or team members while they’re hundreds of miles away at head office or even in another country.”

The application, which will be personalised with Tuff Group branding in Australia, also boasts a reporting system, making data, statistics and images available at the touch of a button.

The connectivity the software provides enhances all levels of service, from health and safety to quality assurance without the heavy administrative burden providers often have to implement.

Garry and the Passport365 team are currently in talks with sport and leisure surface specialists in other parts of the world who are interested in buying the rights to use the app in their territories.

For more information, or to register for a free 14-day trial of the app, visit: www.passport365.co.uk

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