Introduction to GSL
GSL is an international leader in the provision of primary and support services for companies and public authorities.
We help to create exceptional results for our customers by managing services, people, facilities, information, logistics and quality on their behalf. Companies, governments and local authorities on three continents entrust GSL to perform at consistently high standards around the clock every day of the year.
In close consultation with our customers we design and provide innovative and reliable solutions that produce immediate upward step changes in performance. GSL has a strong public service ethos and we employ people with caring attitudes who reinforce this approach at every opportunity. Indeed we believe in going the extra mile and getting it right first time every time for our customers.
Managing services
GSL has a track record of successful innovation and we strive to continuously improve our performance which in turn creates value for customers. We work for corporate customers and the public sector. Our customers include public sector agencies that operate in the care, justice, health, police, immigration, defence, foreign office, education, taxation, customs, employment and tourism sectors. The company also has a strong presence in the water and energy utility markets.
We work in partnership with customers to gain a thorough understanding of their requirements and the associated challenges. The knowledge we gain helps us design intelligent solutions and deliver reliable services that meet or exceed agreed output-based performance standards. We offer flexible and cost-effective service solutions for outsourcing complex activities. GSL has extensive experience of improving processes that involve interactions with large groups of people and managing multi-site activities.
GSL is at the forefront of Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) that offer a means of delivering major new public service investment projects and the company now provides essential services in a number of flagship government buildings. We work with private finance and other specialist service providers in partnership with the public sector to deliver better results.
Similarly we are a pioneer of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) that enable governments to share investment, risk and responsibility amongst their partners. The underlying logic is that the public and the private sectors have unique as well as complementary skills. When these skills are combined in contracts awarded to GSL through PFI or PPP schemes we are able to deliver significant service quality advantages and cost savings.
Managing people
.jpg)
We employ some 9,000 people in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. The expertise, commitment and caring attitudes of our people are key to the quality of service provided by GSL.
We have extensive experience of managing employees who may work in large teams on single sites and also in smaller groups at widely dispersed locations. For example, our people may be reading meters, maintaining buildings, driving ambulances, manning helpdesks, working in hospitals, schools, prisons, courts or police custody suites and inspecting hotels or transporting prisoners.
Teamwork is key to our success and we encourage our people to continuously submit innovative suggestions that will improve performance.
Our people make a difference in the care they take to do the job right first time and always being prepared to do that bit extra to delight our customers. We instil this approach throughout GSL helped by our process for recruiting, equipping, developing and empowering people who care which is fundamental to the success of the company.
GSL recruits for attitude and trains for aptitude. We aim to create an environment in which our people are motivated to deliver outstanding performance and one where they develop to achieve their full potential. We do this by equipping our people with comprehensive relevant training and through creating real career development opportunities.
GSL is committed to be an Investor in People and to this end the knowledge, skills and abilities of our people are being developed at all locations throughout the organisation.
GSL also has extensive experience of transferring people into our care and changing negative into positive attitudes. We work within the framework of the Investors in Excellence standard and aim to be a learning organisation that achieves the finest results.
Managing facilities
GSL works in partnership with customers to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions for the management of their support structures.
We provide and manage people, premises and equipment to support the efficient delivery of front line services for government bodies that include health authorities, education departments, the justice services and indeed many other agencies throughout the public sector.
GSL people ensure the whole life operability of facilities across the UK and our preventative maintenance regimes are supported by dedicated helpdesk staff who provide round the clock rapid response call out services to resolve problems. Our integrated service teams include experienced facilities managers who are fully supported by qualified engineers, tradesmen, catering staff, laundry workers, groundsmen, housekeepers, premises managers, porters, mail room personnel, cleaners and domestic assistants.
Managing information
Accurate data and information is a critical success factor in every business or public sector organisation. Provision of meaningful and timely information enables organisations to make well-informed fact based decisions in the modern business world.
We meet the information needs of a variety of organisations in the private and public sectors. Using leading-edge proprietary computer systems developed by the company we provide vital information to a range of organisations enabling them to manage their businesses and invoice customers. The information we provide helps to facilitate long-term planning and policy making by our customers.
AccuRead a part of GSL Data and Managed Services , is the leading data collection and information management service in the United Kingdom working on behalf of gas, electricity, water and liquid propane gas suppliers.
Managing quality
.jpg)
Customer satisfaction, service excellence and continuous improvement are the personal responsibilities of everyone in GSL. We measure our activities everywhere against rigorous performance standards and are the first company in our field to make a commitment to achieve the Investors in Excellence standard.
Many parts of the organisation have already been recognised as Investors in People and we are engaged in a programme to achieve this world-class people management standard throughout the company by 2007. Much of our work is project based and we use Prince2 methodology as well as ISO standards to run the organisation.
GSL partners a range of customers in a variety of industries and we support them in managing quality. For example Quality in Tourism is one of our businesses and it assesses accommodation on behalf of VisitBritain. GSL delivers cost effective training and development services to support quality programmes run by a range of public and private sector organisations.
Managing logistics
In the United Kingdom and Australia GSL has gained extensive experience of managing logistics. Every day we undertake the complex task of co-ordinating staff, vehicles and other resources to achieve tight deadlines when moving large numbers of people between numerous locations.
GSL is now the largest private sector operator of ambulances in the United Kingdom and in Australia. We operate on behalf of the public sector ambulance service in Melbourne and also for a number of hospital trusts in the United Kingdom. In addition GSL carries out more than 750,000 prisoner movements a year on behalf of the Prison Service in the United Kingdom and similar services are also provided by the company in Australia.