The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has won the ‘Best Use of Technology Award’ at this year’s annual memcom awards, which celebrates excellence in professional membership bodies.
The prestigious award for the FMB’s digital transformation project recognises how the FMB has brought together disjointed and inefficient legacy systems, and revolutionised the way in which it communicates with, and provides services to, its members and to homeowners looking to find a builder.
The FMB, the largest trade body in the UK construction sector, was recognised at the annual memcom awards, that were held in London on 30 September.
Working with digital agency, Pixl8, the complex project involved bringing together five disconnected systems into a seamless whole:
- A new “Find a Builder” search tool was built, to help homeowners find approved Master Builder companies in their local area with ease and accuracy.
- To manage the FMB’s biennial Master Builder Awards, an integrated awards centre was created, allowing members and judges to take part in the awards via a simple platform based on the FMB’s new website.
- A refreshed members’ area allows straightforward engagement by existing members with FMB services.
- The new website was integrated with Microsoft Dynamics, allowing useful visibility of the FMB’s CRM data, and the ability to track user behaviour via the CMS in order to target campaigns and content.
- The FMB’s Disputes Resolution service was brought online.
The judges said that the project was “a great example of tackling a complex overhaul of five legacy systems and of a digital transformation that directly targets and impacts the strategic goals of the whole organisation.”
Commenting on the success metrics, including 30% more visits to the Join pages, 60% faster site speed, and a 15 percentage point increase in newsletter open rates, the judges added: “Really strong stats. [A] great project.”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Working with Pixl8, we have transformed tired and clunky systems into a hyper-efficient, easy to use, and really smart looking website. It’s the shop window of the FMB, and I’m extremely proud of the message it sends to our members, prospective members, and to homeowners. It’s a quality product and has enabled the FMB to better target its communications and personalise its member services.”
Alex Skinner, Managing Director of Pixl8, said: “We are totally thrilled that the Federation of Master Builders have won this award. We found them such a well-informed and hardworking team and this project was a true collaboration. At Pixl8, we love to stretch our limits and it is great to see the reach and impact of the FMB grow. The team loved working on it and the results speak for themselves.”
Notes to editors
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry representing thousands of firms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms, the FMB is independent and non-profit making, lobbying for members’ interests at both the national and local level.
The FMB is a source of knowledge, professional advice and support for its members, providing a range of modern and relevant business building services to help them succeed. The FMB is committed to raising quality in the construction industry and offers a free Find a Builder service to consumers.