About the client

True Lens Services (TLS) is a world-leading specialist in converting, servicing, testing and repairing film, broadcast, professional, industrial and projection lenses. Based in Leicestershire, TLS works with clients in the UK and internationally, supporting the film and television industries with bespoke precision engineering.

The challenge

True Lens Services (TLS) were relying heavily on Excel spreadsheets to manage customers, enquiries, jobs and related documentation. This created significant operational challenges:

• Risk of human error from duplicated and inconsistent data entry.
• No centralised system linking enquiries, jobs, delivery notes and invoices.
• Limited ability to manage equipment and stock models across multiple projects.
• Manual processes for generating reports and customer documentation.
• Security and GDPR compliance risks due to the lack of audit controls and structured access.

TLS needed a robust digital system to replace spreadsheets, streamline workflows and provide full traceability across their operations.

The solution

Hero developed a bespoke job and customer management system tailored to TLS’s needs, with functionality including:

• Customer & Contact Management: centralised database for company details, contacts, addresses and related information.
• Enquiry Handling: record and track initial customer requirements, with the ability to convert enquiries into jobs.
• Job Management: create and monitor jobs linked to enquiries, including descriptions, purchase orders and related notes.
• Delivery Notes & Invoices: generate and manage delivery notes, invoices and commercial invoices, all linked to jobs and customers.
• Equipment & Stock Models: maintain structured records of equipment and stock models for servicing, re-housing or sale.
• Item Management: track items through enquiries, jobs and invoices, with detailed attributes such as serial numbers, quantities, pricing and tax rates.
• Reporting Outputs: standardised document generation for quotes, jobs, delivery notes and invoices.
• System Administration: management tools for system settings and logs.
• Data Security: role-based access, audit trails and GDPR-compliant data management to safeguard sensitive information.

The impact

• Fragmented spreadsheets have been replaced by a centralised, secure platform.
• Efficiency has improved and errors have reduced by linking enquiries, jobs, delivery notes and invoices in a single workflow.
• Visibility of equipment, stock and job progress has been enhanced.
• Customer communications have been simplified through standardised document outputs.
• Compliance with GDPR has been strengthened through controlled access and audit logs.
• A scalable system has been provided, capable of growing with TLS’s international reputation and client base.