Unlocking actionable insights with seamless reporting
Who are Thompsons Group?
Thompsons Group is driven by a mission to deliver professional, sustainable, and environmentally positive services across a wide range of sectors—from construction and utilities to telecoms, highways, rail, and beyond. Their goal is simple: provide brilliant service, form long lasting relationships built on trust, and foster a team culture that values integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
With a strong set of values at its core—be safe, be nice, in it together, be better than yesterday, and care for our environment— Thompsons Group has cultivated a culture of collaboration and accountability. They take pride in making a positive impact not only for their clients but also for the communities and environments they work in
Before Tugger, our reporting was fragmented. Our data lacked clarity. Tugger changed all of that, giving us unified, visually engaging reports across all areas of our business, making data insights much easier to understand and act on.
The Problem: Navigating complex data across multiple platforms
Even with established systems in place – Xero for financials and Simpro® for operational data – Thompsons Group struggled to gain meaningful insights from their reports. Teams outside the finance department found it especially difficult to make sense of the data, which was often presented in dense lists and numbers.
While Simpro provides comprehensive data aggregation across various cost centres and job functions, translating that information into actionable metrics was challenging. The reports were siloed across different platforms, making it hard to identify trends or assess performance effectively. Thompsons needed a solution to simplify and amplify the key metrics, integrating operational data from Simpro with financial data from Xero.
"We wanted to make reporting more visual and accessible, especially for hard to-reach data. We can now track and balance workloads more effectively. This wouldn’t have been possible without Tugger®, and it’s made a real difference in managing our team’s productivity." said Gary.
The company needed a way to improve their reporting overall, particularly for teams like estimators who needed critical data but found it hard to extract from the existing system.
“We had implemented Simpro and we were going through some additional training on that, and it was a guy that came out from Simpro to do that training who said, “Have you looked at Tugger?” and I said no, and that's where my research started and stopped.”
The Solution: Pre-built, visual dashboards from Tugger ®
Why Tugger?
After a recommendation from a Simpro trainer, Thompsons Group turned to Tugger. The pre-built dashboards provided by Tugger integrated seamlessly with both Simpro and Xero, enabling the team to immediately access key data in a more visual, actionable format. Tugger simplified the large volume of reports from multiple platforms and presented the data side by side, making it easy to see the full picture.
What sets Tugger apart is the pre-built dashboards that integrate seamlessly with Simpro and Xero. Tugger provided readymade reports, so I didn't have to learn Power BI or build reports from scratch — everything was already set up, and I could easily tweak them as needed. It made the whole process fast and efficient.
The Tugger dashboards enabled the team to distribute reports efficiently across departments. A new quotes dashboard allowed estimators to track conversion rates, workloads, and expected profits, helping the company balance team productivity and workloads more effectively.
"We now have a quotes dashboard that we send out to estimators monthly. It shows how many quotes, conversion rates, and the spread of work — something we just couldn't do before.“
What’s it like working with Tugger?
When Thompsons Group implemented Tugger, they gained more than just an advanced reporting solution—they found a partner that delivered both functionality and exceptional support. Tugger’s system provided the team with valuable monthly reports, enabling them to track critical metrics across the business, from quote volumes and conversion rates to performance and expected profits.
As Gary explains, “Tugger has been invaluable in providing monthly reports. It allows us to track key metrics like quote volumes, performance, conversion rates, and expected profits, giving us critical insights into our team’s work.”
Beyond the technical capabilities, the support from Tugger's team has been a standout element. Whenever questions arose or issues needed resolving, the team was quick to offer assistance. This hands-on approach ensured that Thompsons Group was able to maximise the value of Tugger’s reports without unnecessary downtime or confusion.
Gary recalls, “The outstanding support from Tugger’s team has exceeded my expectations. Being able to quickly get answers via Teams calls or emails has been incredibly valuable. It’s clear that Tugger has a knowledgeable team behind the software. I highly recommend Tugger, without a doubt.”
What set Tugger apart for Thompsons Group wasn’t just the software’s capabilities, but the level of customer service they received throughout the journey. “What has made me happiest about working with Tugger is their exceptional service. Whenever I've had questions or run into issues, their team has been incredibly helpful. After a quick call, any problem is resolved swiftly,” Gary says, reflecting on the smooth and efficient collaboration.
The Results: Data-driven decision-making, engaged teams and improved productivity
Since implementing Tugger, Thompsons Group has seen significant improvements in team engagement and productivity. The company is now able to deliver monthly reports to their estimators, who use the data to adjust their workloads and improve performance.
It’s not just management or directors reviewing reports anymore — the whole team is engaged. They’re interested in the data, and if I’m late sending it out, they’re asking where it is!
Key results achieved with Tugger:
Increased estimating efficiency:
Estimators can now complete quotes faster and track conversion rates effortlessly.
Enhanced productivity:Teams are able to balance workloads more effectively, leading to smoother operations.
Improved profitability:
By analysing expected profits and workloads side by side, managers can make better-informed decisions.
Tugger’s automation and seamless integration have also made life easier for Gary and his team –"Once it's set up, it just runs in the background. I don’t have to manually refresh anything — it’s just there."
Would they recommend Tugger?
The team at Thompsons Group was unequivocal in their praise. The tool didn’t just enhance their reporting—it transformed how their team interacted with the data. Tugger’s easy-to-use dashboards empowered not only directors but also the entire management team to engage with the reports and understand the insights.
“Tugger has unlocked a wealth of information for us, but the biggest impact has been how it’s gotten our team involved. It's no longer just the directors reviewing reports—our whole management team is now engaged, interested, and starting to really understand the insights Tugger provides.”
For Thompsons Group, Tugger’s value went beyond expectations. The tangible results in reporting and the hands-on involvement of the team have led them to confidently recommend the solution to others.
If you're considering Tugger, I’d say go for it and give it a try. You won’t fully appreciate the value of the dashboards and reports until you see them for yourself. It’s definitely worth experiencing first-hand.
How would they describe Tugger in one word?
"If I had to describe Tugger in one word, it would be 'responsive.' Their support team is always quick to help and easy to contact, which is invaluable for someone like me who isn’t well-versed in Power BI.”
Find out more about our Simpro and Xero connectors, or start your free trial .
The service is outstanding. From start to finish, the process has been fantastic, and we've had no Gary Moorhouse Commercial Director at Thompsons Group issues at all. I’d give Tugger a 10 out of 10 — definitely!
