December is a period filled with festivities, celebrations and family led get togethers. However, it is also a time for reflection and review and, as we wrap up 2016 at Blue Clarity, turn off the lights and shut down our laptops (for a few days anyway), we felt that it was only right that we reconsider and celebrate all that we have achieved this year.

Growth

As many of our contacts, clients and followers will be well aware, Blue Clarity has continued on an upward growth trajectory throughout 2016. We have successfully climbed another ‘rung’ of the telecoms and fibre ‘ladder’ and this year secured some of the most sizeable contracts since the organisation’s incorporation in November 2013. Working with tier one telecommunications providers and their build partners has allowed us the opportunity to differentiate ourselves and demonstrate our worth within a particularly crowded industry. This growth has also been emulated within our architecture and design department. The appointment of our Principal Architect, Jenny Morrow, in March 2016 has resulted in several design and construction projects throughout Northern Ireland including an ongoing country club and equestrian centre which is due to be completed in 2017.

New Website and Client Portal

In August 2016, we launched our new and improved website and client portal. As our blog post ‘An Innovative Approach to SLA Tracking’ explains, the portal is accessed via our new site and displays a frame from our Smartsheets system; a work management and automation solution software package which we also introduced to the business this year. Blue Clarity has invested significantly in technology and devoted a considerable amount of time, effort and commerce into building programs and platforms that support our clients and safeguards our SLAs.

Charitable Endeavours

With a group of giving and dedicated employees on hand, Blue Clarity has been able to commit to several fundraising activities and events. Our head office is located in Newcastle, County Down, very close to Cancer Fund for Children’s Daisy Lodge facility and this is why we decided to stay with them as our 2016 charity of choice. Fundraising this year has included video and console donations, a dragon boat race (we lost out on first place by a mere three seconds) and a Christmas jumper day. In total, Blue Clarity has raised over £1600 for this much deserving NI based children’s cancer charity.

On top of this, Blue Clarity’s Project’s Director, Darren Fenton, recently completed the Social Bite CEO Sleep Out.  On Thursday 15th December, he slept on the streets of Edinburgh alongside other key business figures to raise awareness and funds for the homeless. Donations are still welcome and can be made via Darren’s Just Giving page.

Accreditations

In June 2016, Blue Clarity was accredited to ISO 9001: 2015 standard (awarded 2008 standard in 2015). We have also undergone several client-led external audits all of which we have passed and secured considerable contracts because of. We plan to continue to improve upon our accreditations and recognitions throughout 2017.

Recruitment

Following the appointment of Jenny Morrow as Principal Architect in March 2016, Blue Clarity employed an additional three architectural team members; Carlos Ruiz Diaz – Architect, Clare Brawley – BIM Lead, Maria Serrano – Architectural Assistant. Within our business support unit, Daniel McVicker joined as Client Project Manager and our telecommunications department gained Kingsley Sunday CEng as Lead Structural Engineer.

It has been a busy, sometimes stressful, but always enjoyable year for Blue Clarity! We want to take this opportunity to extend our warmest Christmas wishes to all our clients and contacts and we look forward to working with you again in 2017.