TUXFORD'S Riggott and Co, one of the country's leading line marking companies, has used investment in advanced technology to save on rising fuel costs.

As business grew across the UK, Riggott experienced a huge rise in fuel costs.

To achieve savings, the company set up regional depots for remote staff, thus reducing mileage.

Efficient communications with the remote teams was absolutely essential for the system to work competently and achieve savings.

Advanced technology was the answer says IT and marketing manager Rob Pearson, who turned to East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI) for a £10,000 match-funded grant to improve the company's ROADS IT system.

ROADS is a dedicated database designed to automate the company's core business processes – generating quotations and conversion to orders, 'Job Cards' for the operational crews and customer invoicing.

Since its introduction in 2003, the system has allowed Riggott to rapidly expand its business, increasing turnover from just over £2m in 2004 to more than £5m in 2007.

Mr Pearson said: "Investments in technology are very important to our business.

"We pride ourselves on our professionalism. In the field of IT, things change so rapidly that continued training in new and emerging technologies is essential to maintain a competitive advantage.

"With the new ROADS system, we hope we will improve our cost-efficiency by cutting down on rising fuel costs and being able to manage remote crews."

The ROADS system has proved itself in helping Riggott's business to develop.

Now it has decided to sell on the system to other small and medium-sized firms, especially in construction and civil engineering sectors.

"Technology such as this would normally cost tens of thousands of pounds and so we have high hopes that we'll be able to make the system available to other small to medium-sized businesses at a realistic cost," said Mr Pearson.

Riggott has been in business since 1994 and has more than 30 operational teams throughout the UK.

The company works with blue chip businesses and local authorities, primarily painting lines on roads and car parks, inside warehouses and factories as well as carrying out minor civil works such as pathways, maintenance facilities, plantings and drainage.

Riggott's staff all undertake extensive training in-house and study for NVQs run by its trade body, the RSMA (Road Safety Markings Association).

As part of the NTI grant process, two members of staff have also enrolled on computing courses.

East Midlands NTI is an initiative backed by the region's leading colleges and universities.

It provides match-funded grants of up to £10,000 to small and medium sized firms to invest in the latest technology, and gain advanced technology skills on NTI-approved courses.