Superfast broadband has made a transformational difference – Treyone Kitchens

Based in Horningtops and with showrooms in Liskeard, Truro and Kingsbridge, the company designs, makes and installs bespoke hand-crafted kitchens.

In early 2019, Treyone Kitchens was able to install a ‘Fibre to the Premises’ connection, after years of struggling with a very low speed connection of under 1Mbps and then with a 4G connection.

Director Marc Doyle describes the difference that superfast broadband has made to the company is transformational.

He says: “We now enjoy consistent speeds of around 80Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. Our previous 4G connection was simply not reliable, so we could not make the most of the many exciting cloud-based applications, all of which rely on a fast, stable connection.

“We can now subscribe to a comprehensive new cloud-based quoting system, interlinked across our three showrooms. This saves our designers a huge amount of time, standardises our pricing and enables better presentation and speedier responses to clients, which in turn helps give us a competitive edge.

“We are now also making use of other cloud-based applications such as DropBox, as well as using the cloud for IT back-ups and remote IT diagnostics, whenever required.”

Marc continues: “Making more use of the cloud is a big step forward for the business, streamlining our operations and saving our designers’ time. This allows them to spend more time being creative and building client relationships, which adds real value to our business.

“The staff also save a significant amount of time uploading and downloading images. We receive many large files, such as architects’ plans and images from clients. We also need to download huge numbers of product specifications.

“The faster upload speed is widening our horizons on social media. We can now update our feeds instantly and make much more use of video than would have been possible before. Beyond conventional videos to showcase our kitchens, we can look at new ideas such as time-lapse video of the workshop and webcams so clients can see their kitchen being made. These capabilities help strengthen our reputation and increase our brand profile.”

Marc adds: “Meanwhile, smart appliances, remotely controlled over the internet, are one of the latest game changers in kitchen planning. Because of our superfast connectivity, we can demonstrate smart appliances in our showrooms and be right at the forefront of this important emerging trend.

“Already, superfast broadband is transforming the way we run our business, streamlining operations and increasing productivity. However, there are even more gains we can make in future, as we continue to exploit the full potential of the technology. For example, we plan to introduce a cloud-based accountancy system in the near future and also make use of Skype to carry out calls with clients. Many of these are second home owners who live in London or further afield. Using Skype will enable us to build good face-to face relationships with them in a way that hasn’t been possible until now.

“We may also look at the cost saving and efficiency benefits of Internet telephony in the future.

Marc concludes: “Although we are at heart a traditional family business, superfast broadband and the cloud are enabling us to work even more productively, improve our marketing and keep the company at the leading edge well into the future.”