4Projects
Encyclopedia
4Projects is a UK
privately held Software as a service
(SaaS) company based in Doxford International Business Park
in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
. It also has offices in the USA
, Canada
, and the Middle East
. The company, which is a Microsoft
Gold Partner
, provides a project collaboration
platform for management teams to streamline document, communication and process management procedures.
Initially developed to serve the construction
industry it expanded during the late 2000s into other sectors including energy
(oil
and gas, and renewables
), retail, and marine construction.
Richard Vertigan, with investment from Sunderland-based educational publisher, Leighton Group, after an extensive period of product development
and testing. Customers include Microsoft and Centrica
.
The company contributed to an independent research paper in 2003 by Compagnia which examined the cost and resource savings achievable via collaboration software. Also in 2003, 4Projects was one of the founder members of the Network of Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (then managed by CIRIA
and today a grouping within Constructing Excellence
).
2007 saw a management buy-out with the assistance of August Equity LLP. Turnover rose from £3.1m in 2007 to £5.5m in 2009, while profits increased from £1.3m to £1.8m despite the impact of the late-2000s financial crisis
on the construction market. However, revenues dipped slightly, to £5.1m, in 2010 (though profits increased, to £2.1m).
The company's senior staff speak and deliver papers at construction and SaaS conferences (eg: ICT4Construction organised in partnership with Constructing Excellence).
Having been founded during the initial surge of interest in SaaS in the UK construction and property markets, 4Projects has seen uptake of its services expand during the 2000s.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
privately held Software as a service
Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) company based in Doxford International Business Park
Doxford International Business Park
Doxford International is a business park located at the A19 / A690 interchange on the outskirts of Sunderland, in the North East of England. Previously it was a greenfield site, it was designated as an Enterprise Zone in 1990 in response to the decline of the area's former ship building and coal...
in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
. It also has offices in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The company, which is a Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Gold Partner
Microsoft Certified Partner
A Microsoft Certified Partner is an independent company that provides Microsoft-related products or services.Microsoft Certified partners provide Microsoft services on behalf of Microsoft worldwide spanning many fields including OEM, Education, Software providers and Technical Support.Microsoft...
, provides a project collaboration
Construction collaboration technology
Construction collaboration technology refers to software applications used to enable effective sharing of project-related information between geographically dispersed members of a construction project team, often through use of a web-based Software as a service platform.-History:The terms...
platform for management teams to streamline document, communication and process management procedures.
Initially developed to serve the construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
industry it expanded during the late 2000s into other sectors including energy
Energy industry
The energy industry is the totality of all of the industries involved in the production and sale of energy, including fuel extraction, manufacturing, refining and distribution...
(oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and gas, and renewables
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
), retail, and marine construction.
History
4Projects Ltd was founded in 2000 as an independent trading company by current CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Richard Vertigan, with investment from Sunderland-based educational publisher, Leighton Group, after an extensive period of product development
New product development
In business and engineering, new product development is the term used to describe the complete process of bringing a new product to market. A product is a set of benefits offered for exchange and can be tangible or intangible...
and testing. Customers include Microsoft and Centrica
Centrica
Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
.
The company contributed to an independent research paper in 2003 by Compagnia which examined the cost and resource savings achievable via collaboration software. Also in 2003, 4Projects was one of the founder members of the Network of Construction Collaboration Technology Providers (then managed by CIRIA
CIRIA
CIRIA is a member-based research and information organisation dedicated to improvement in all aspects of the construction industry. Members include representatives from all parts of the supply chains of the modern built environment, covering building and civil engineering as well as transport and...
and today a grouping within Constructing Excellence
Constructing Excellence
Constructing Excellence is a UK-based construction industry membership organisation. In the UK, it is unique insofar as its member organisations are drawn from across the industry supply chain, ranging from clients, through contractors and consultants, to suppliers and manufacturers of building...
).
2007 saw a management buy-out with the assistance of August Equity LLP. Turnover rose from £3.1m in 2007 to £5.5m in 2009, while profits increased from £1.3m to £1.8m despite the impact of the late-2000s financial crisis
Late-2000s financial crisis
The late-2000s financial crisis is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s...
on the construction market. However, revenues dipped slightly, to £5.1m, in 2010 (though profits increased, to £2.1m).
The company's senior staff speak and deliver papers at construction and SaaS conferences (eg: ICT4Construction organised in partnership with Constructing Excellence).
Products
The 4Projects collaboration solution has a suite of products designed to connect people, information and processes. Features include:- Document Manager
- Communication Manager
- Forms & Workflow
- Asset Manager
- Integration
- Contract Manager
- Milestone Manager
- Tender & Bid Manager
- Organise & Report
- KPI & Financial Control
Having been founded during the initial surge of interest in SaaS in the UK construction and property markets, 4Projects has seen uptake of its services expand during the 2000s.
External links
- 4Projects corporate website (Accessed 3 September 2010)