THE PLATFORM LIFT COMPANY

Gaining Clarity, Control and Confidence with DRC Mobile Services and Hydra Analytics

Company Overview

Founded in 2001, The Platform Lift Company is a family-run, independent business specialising in bespoke platform lift design and installation. Now celebrating 25 years in business, the company remains true to its founding mission – to improve accessibility through high-quality, reliable lift solutions, supported by exceptional customer service.With a team of in-house designers, engineers and surveyors, The Platform Lift Company works across private and public sectors, providing personalised, end-to- end service. The company also demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability, planting a tree for every lift installed and recently celebrated the milestone of over 1500 trees planted in Madagascar.

At a Glance

Challenges

Fragmented telecoms setup across 30+ sites
Multiple suppliers and legacy on-site systems
Lack of visibility and control over telecoms estate
Time-consuming supplier admin for internal teams
The need to prepare for the analogue switch off

The Solution

Consolidated services under DRC as primary telecoms provider
Migration to cloud-based Horizon IP phone system
Over 400 mobiles under one flexible, tailored contract
Proactive account management and dedicated support
Strategic telecoms consultancy and ongoing optimisation

Benefits

Unified, fully managed telecoms across all sites
Greater visibility & control with DRC’s Hydra Analytics platform
Reduced admin burden
Fast personalised support from a familiar team
Future-ready & scalable infrastructure
Trusted partnership that supports long-term planning

“Hydra has transformed the way we manage our mobile services,” said Emma Hards, Finance Manager. “Now we can see everything in one place, whenever we need to, giving us complete control and confidence in our billing.”

THE CHALLENGE

As the business grew, so did its mobile requirements. With a team of surveyors and engineers using tablets and phones to manage site visits, drawings and customer communications, having a reliable and transparent mobile service was essential.

However, their previous provider’s service became increasingly impersonal. Unexpected charges, poor communication and slow support made managing their mobile estate difficult and time-consuming..

“We’d lost that one-to-one, personal service we were used to,” said Elsa O’Sullivan, Company Director of The Platform Lift Company. “We were getting small, unexplained charges on our bills and it felt like we were just another number.”

The team needed a trusted telecoms partner who understood their business, offered straightforward advice and provided better visibility into how their mobile services were being used and billed.

THE SOLUTION

DRC provided a tailored mobile solution built on Vodafone’s reliable network, ensuring strong coverage across the company’s national operations – including rural areas where connectivity is critical. To support complete transparency and control, DRC also introduced Hydra Analytics – a powerful customer-facing platform that gives real-time visibility into mobile data, billing, usage and devices.

Access detailed billing data instantly without waiting for monthly statements.
Monitor data usage and allocate resources efficiently across 27 devices.
Rename or reassign devices as staff change roles, keeping records accurate and up to date.
Receive automated reports and easily manage spend across the business.

Transitioning to DRC was completely seamless. DRC handled the switch-over behind the scenes, managed contract transfers and even credited back a small termination fee to ensure a smooth start.

Key Services Delivered

Mobile Services – DRC provides Hills with over 400 SIMs under a consolidated mobile contract. Following a recent two-year renewal, a tailored data package was delivered that meets all their data needs with no risk of bill shock.
Telephony and IP Phones – Horizon, a cloud-based phone system, underpins Hills’ core voice communications, offering a flexible, feature-rich alternative to outdated on-site infrastructure. DRC manages the full lifecycle – from procurement and deployment to support and future planning – ensuring seamless, scalable telephony across multiple sites.
Business Data Lines – Critical site connectivity is managed and monitored by DRC, ensuring that Hills’ teams – whether on a quarry site or in a regional office – remain connected with minimal disruption.
Flexible Contracts and Ongoing Consultation – DRC worked collaboratively to ensure that contracts suit the business’s evolving needs. As the business expands or restructures, the telecoms infrastructure can flex with it.
Proactive Technical Support – Instead of anonymous support desks and long wait times, Hills has access to a dedicated account manager and a specialist support team who knows their setup inside out and can resolve issues rapidly.
Service with a Human Touch – With dedicated Account Management and a single point of contact who knows their estate inside out, Hills receive consistent, high- quality service without the hassle of repeating information or re-explaining their setup

By implementing unlimited data plans across most of their fleet, DRC has enabled the team to operate more efficiently, with uninterrupted access to the tools and information they need.

THE RESULTS

Transparency – TWith DRC and Hydra, The Platform Lift Company now enjoys a transparent, efficient, and stress-free mobile experience.
Improved Visibility & Control – Tf mobile usage and costs through Hydra Analytics, combined with personalised reports delivered to their inbox, gives The Platform Lift Company clear insights, helping them to avoid unexpected charges and bill shock.
Personalised Account Management – With proactive reviews and honest advice.
Reliable Connectivity – Through Vodafone’s network, ensuring consistent coverage for engineers and employees across the UK.

Optimised Mobile Costs – With unlimited data plans and tailored SIM options that match actual usage.

“DRC are professional, friendly and reliable,” said Elsa O’Sullivan. “Ian really took the time to understand our business and make sure everything suited the way we work. Nothing is ever too much trouble.”“It was all handled so professionally,” added Elsa O’Sullivan. “We didn’t experience any disruption - new handsets arrived on time, everything worked straight away and DRC made the process effortless.”

IN SUMMARY

By partnering with DRC, The Platform Lift Company has regained personal, trustworthy telecoms support, simplified mobile management with Hydra Analytics, gained clearer insight into usage and costs and improved operational efficiency across its nationwide team. “It’s great working with a partner who genuinely cares about what’s best for us,” said Emma Hards. “We trust DRC completely and look forward to building on this partnership as we grow.”