Keeping business going swimmingly

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Last Updated: Monday, 8 November, 2004, 00:31 GMT

Keeping business going swimmingly

Self-confessed workaholic John Gandley once claimed he would like to keep working until he was 80.

With his firm Gandlake up and running for 30 years now, he could well be on his way to that landmark.

Mr Gandley has 38 years of experience in the printing industry and helped to found the business which he now heads as managing director.

What was your first car?

A 1948 grey Ford Prefect with the old rack and pinion steering.

It was the only one I could afford. If my memory serves me well, I paid £30 for it and sold it back to the garage after one year for £20.

What was your first job?

My very first job was a lifeguard at Kennington Oval Swimming Pool.

However, I entered into the world of computers through the Civil Service, having been employed by the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.

I remember the salary was £600 per year.

What was your first house?

A newly built mid-terrace. I purchased it in 1965 and paid somewhere between £2,000 and £3,000.

What's the best bit of business advice you've had?

To always keep your customers happy.

I am proud that our average customer stays with us for over eight years - we also have customers that have been with Gandlake for 25 years.

What can the government do to boost business?

The Freedom of Information Act comes into force in January 2005 - this dictates that all public authorities in the UK must pass information on activities, subject to stated exemptions, to anyone who makes a written request within 20 working days.

With this in mind, I think it is vital to develop legislation that allows for greater use of electronic documents as this will be the easiest way of presenting information to citizens.

What business story is grabbing your interest at the moment?

The e-government 2005 deadlines and the need for electronic output is a major story at the moment because it will change the way millions of people view statements and pay their bills.

Local authorities are interpreting the information they receive from central government in different ways with regard to what they have to do to comply with the 2005 compliance ruling.

If you speak to four different councils you will get four different answers to what is required. Some will tell you they are just going through the motions and doing the minimum to comply.

Other councils aren't sure when the deadline is, what needs to be done or how they should achieve it.

Some councils don't feel the pressure at all and don't feel they need to be doing anything and some councils say they are taking it all very seriously and complying.

The government should promote the success of the National Project to all councils and reinforce that they should learn from them and comply with these requirements.

What's the biggest challenge facing business now?

Finding the hidden costs.

Our customers will often say that they have purchased software elsewhere, in the past, believing that they will have no more to pay and have then been hit with additional maintenance, support and upgrade costs, to name a few.

All of our software costs are presented upfront and many businesses approach us because of that.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

I am proud that Gandlake has been a market leader for so long and has remained a healthy profitable company since it's inception over 30 years ago.

My greatest achievement though, has to be running the print and mail systems for the Department of Social Services and Inland Revenue as well as implementing the first successful large scale print and mail system - known as the Automated Document Factory - for British Gas.

Gandlake has served the output management and document needs of major organisations for more than 30 years - and currently handling business from one in four of the UK's councils.

The group also boasts private sector customers including: River Island, Carlton Cards, British Gas, Irish Independent News Papers and Hoseasons.

It transformed from a partnership to a limited company last year.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/3982015.stm

Published: 2004/11/08 00:31:59 GMT

© BBC MMIV

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