FirstPort is the UK’s largest residential property management company. It specializes in providing comprehensive services for developments owned by leaseholders and landlords. By combining international expertise with a strong focus on local service delivery, FirstPort ensures safe, well-maintained living environments and work with 1,600 resident management companies. The company’s comprehensive property management services encompass the maintenance of critical infrastructure and communal areas, ensuring outstanding value for both residents and property owners.
As customer service remains at the heart of its operations, but the complexities of property management continue to increase, FirstPort’s legacy CRM system began to falter. Fragmented data, inefficiencies, and an inability to scale threatened its goal to maintain a high-touch relationship model. Recognizing these challenges, FirstPort embarked on a transformative digital journey to modernize its operations, improve customer service, and position itself for sustainable growth.
Watch the interview with Cathy Reid, Customer Operations Director, to find out more about FirstPort digital transformation.
Challenges
Users were reluctant to use
the system due to its lack
of usability
System modifications
required expensive
developer input
Teams responded to
issues rather than
anticipating them
Customer data was dispersed across
multiple disconnected platforms,
complicating customer journeys
Manual processes and verbal
handovers slowed down operations
and increased the risk of errors
Key Deliverables
Seamless customer journeys:
No-code flexibility:
Strong adoption:
Rapid and effective development:
Driving Change with Speed and Precision
FirstPort's legacy system suffered from poor integration and low user adoption, which created significant inefficiencies, fragmented customer journeys, and limited operational agility. Moreover, adapting the system to accommodate new requirements, such as regulatory changes in building safety, proved prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. Recognizing the need for an agile, customer-centric solution, FirstPort initiated a bold transformation to centralize all its operations, streamline workflows, and elevate customer service standards.
The company chose Creatio for no-code and AI-powered transformation supported by the expertise of implementation partner Praesto Consulting. The company deployed a cohesive, end-to-end system across marketing, sales, service, and customer portals in just six months, successfully onboarding over 1,000 users. This rapid implementation replaced their legacy system and laid the foundation for future innovation.
We went for a bold implementation—case management, marketing, an online portal—all at once. Delivering that in such a short time was ambitious, but we did it together.
By fostering close collaboration between business leaders, Creatio, and its partner, FirstPort successfully met aggressive timelines while ensuring the system was fully aligned with their operational needs.
The Single Source of Truth
Before implementing Creatio, FirstPort faced significant challenges with fragmented data spread across multiple disconnected systems. This siloed approach meant staff had to manually gather information from various platforms to piece together customer histories—a cumbersome process that was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. These inefficiencies resulted in a system that struggled to meet the increasing complexity and demands of property management.
The implementation of Creatio’s AI-native platform transformed this scattered landscape into a unified digital ecosystem. Now, every interaction, preference, and transaction history is instantly accessible in one place, enabling teams to provide informed, personalized service at a moment's notice. This centralization has eliminated the inefficiencies of multiple logins and manual data compilation, freeing up valuable time and ensuring smoother customer interactions.
What we've achieved in just six months is incredible. By integrating CRM with other systems, we've created a single source of truth and secured strong adoption across our business—a process that often takes years.
Driving Proactive and Efficient Service with No-Code
With a single source of truth in place, FirstPort’s operations have undergone a profound transformation. The accessibility of unified, real-time data has allowed the company to shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive service delivery. Advanced analytics alert teams to potential issues before they escalate, enabling timely interventions that strengthen customer relationships. Automated workflows and seamless integration with other systems have streamlined daily operations, allowing teams to focus on high-value activities. This centralized approach reduces delays, eliminates inefficiencies, and ensures personalized, efficient customer interactions. Overall, the digital transformation has elevated operational efficiency and the customer experience, driving satisfaction and loyalty.
We’re now offering more proactive services and empowering customers with self-service options, which puts us in a stronger position than ever before. This marks an exciting step in our long-term strategy, with innovation and connectivity playing a pivotal role in delivering even greater value and benefits to our customers.
Collaboration Reimagined
Before implementing Creatio, FirstPort's team communication relied heavily on verbal handovers and written notes, which could result in miscommunication and pose a risk of critical information slipping through the cracks. This approach slowed operations and hindered effective collaboration across departments.
The implementation of the no-code CRM transformed how teams share and manage information, introducing a unified digital workspace that seamlessly connects departments. The platform now gives teams a real-time view of customer interactions and project statuses, ensuring everyone is aligned and working from the same playbook. This shift has eliminated the risk of lost information or missed follow-ups, creating a smoother and more efficient workflow.
By streamlining communication and fostering cross-departmental collaboration, Creatio has empowered FirstPort to respond to customer needs with greater agility and precision. The organization is now more connected and prepared to tackle challenges with a unified and efficient approach, ensuring consistency and continuity in delivering exceptional service.
From Intuition to Data-Driven Decisions
FirstPort’s traditional approach to decision-making was rooted in intuition and experience, which, while valuable, can lack the speed and precision required to meet evolving demands. With the introduction of Creatio’s advanced analytics capabilities, the company has redefined its processes, transitioning to an AI-powered data-driven model. Teams now begin their day with personalized dashboards that provide real-time insights into critical business metrics, enabling them to identify priorities in seconds rather than hours. This shift has streamlined decision-making, fostered a shared understanding of goals across the organization, and enhanced overall efficiency.
Creatio’s no-code platform further empowered FirstPort’s employees to take ownership of their tools. Team members actively customized dashboards, modified workflows, and tailored processes to address their unique needs—all without requiring developer support. This hands-on approach not only accelerated adoption but also fostered innovation and adaptability within the organization.
I’ve seen my teams build dashboards and assign groups on the fly. These are key components of any customer service operation, and being able to do this independently has been game-changing.
By combining data accessibility with employee empowerment, FirstPort has not only enhanced its operational capabilities but also cultivated a culture of collaboration and agility, setting a strong foundation for future growth.
AI and Future Plans
The implementation of the no-code platform marks the first step in FirstPort’s ongoing digital transformation journey. As the company looks ahead, plans are underway to integrate Creatio AI capabilities that will further revolutionize its operations. These innovations are designed to enhance automation, improve customer self-service options, and streamline routine processes, freeing staff to focus on high-value, human-to-human interactions that define exceptional service.
AI will be hugely important to our business—not to replace the vital human-to-human connection, but to optimize processes and interactions. It will enable customers to self-serve and find answers faster, while giving us the capacity to concentrate on delivering real value.
By embracing AI and continuing to innovate, FirstPort is positioned to deliver even greater service excellence. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, the company aims to meet future demands while staying true to its commitment to personalized customer care, ensuring it remains a leader in the property management industry.
About Praesto Consulting
Technology consultancy specializing in CRM, Data and Insights, EPM/CPM, Marketing, and Business Strategy. Praesto’s consultants drive global solutions, implement major marketing systems, and deliver real-time P&L insights, providing clients a one-stop-shop for Business Analytics.
