Weslo Housing

Boosting recruitment with vehicle tracking

Navman Wireless vehicle tracking has been used by a wide range of companies to cut costs and boost productivity, but one organisation has found it can also bring great benefits to its workforce.

Scotland-based registered social landlord (RSL) Weslo Housing Management had discovered that many of its tradesmen found it difficult to get to work.

However, thanks to vehicle tracking, the organisation, which has owned, managed and maintained more than 2,100 properties in West Lothian and Boness since 1994, has solved the problem by allowing its tradesmen to take vehicles home.

“We had a number of tradesmen who had transport issues getting to and from work,” said Mike Crozier, Weslo’s Operations Director.

“We had a request from one of them asking whether he could take a van home. That was the catalyst for us to introduce vehicle tracking.”

Why vehicle tracking?

The organisation, which has charitable status, discovered that Navman Wireless’s latest tracking software OnlineAVL2 could allow it to monitor vehicles 24/7, ensuring tradesmen were not using vehicles for personal use. This has enabled Weslo Housing to not only keep a check on vehicle running costs, but also protect its staff against the government’s benefit-in-kind vehicle tax, which can rise from £500 to a massive £3,500 per annum.

“If someone has to use a vehicle for personal use in an emergency they can,” said Mr Crozier. “All they have to do is tell us beforehand so we know why they are in a place we wouldn’t expect them to be.

“It has given our tradesmen much more freedom and responsibility – and the vast majority have responded very positively. It builds trust between management and our workforce.

“We can now attract skilled workers who might not have been interested in working for us previously because we can offer transport to those who live some distance away.”

A happy workforce is a productive workforce

The introduction of OnlineAVL2 not only solved Weslo’s driver transport issues, but has also an impact on the organisation’s bottom line by boosting productivity.

Mr Crozier said: “Allowing staff to take vehicles home has enabled us to have much faster response times. Drivers can now go straight to jobs from home instead of coming all the way to work and going back on themselves.

“The benefits we have seen so far are incredible. We have managed to not only keep our workforce happy, but also increase our business efficiency.

“Our tenants will also benefit from our new system because it means we now have the potential to offer a faster and more responsive repair service.”

Staying ahead of the competition

Before opting for the Navman Wireless system seven months ago, the RSL, which carries out an estimated 9,000 repairs each year, spent months diligently searching for the right tracking technology to suit its needs.

But Mr Crozier admitted once the organisation saw the OnlineAVL2 system in action, there was only one choice.

“We were immediately impressed with what we saw,” he said. “The technology was so easy to use and the detailed and bespoke reports that were available were great.

“We could look at the journey times of our tradesmen and analyse how best to cut fuel costs, while increasing our business efficiency.
“It also has allowed us to instantly see which tradesman is nearest to a particular job when we get an emergency call. This allows us to dispatch instructions immediately instead of phoning around.

“Before vehicle tracking we would have had to call maybe three or four different people to get an idea who was closest to an emergency and I am delighted to say that is now a thing of the past.

“We did an initial pilot on seven vans, but we have been so delighted with the results that all 17 vehicles now have tracking installed.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we have also made substantial savings on fuel and this has made our business much more efficient and cost effective. It has completely revolutionised our operation.”

Improving driver safety

In addition, the RSL also benefits from a wide range of other useful functions from OnlineAVL2.

A notable tool Weslo has been keeping a close eye on is maintenance scheduling, which alerts employers when vehicles are due for oil changes, MOTs, insurance, tax and servicing.

Mr Crozier said: “Up until now we have always used traditional procedures to ensure our vehicles are properly maintained, but this will make the whole process so much easier for us to monitor.”

Mr Crozier added that the RSL is considering adding to its initial tracking investment by introducing Navman Wireless’ integrated MDT-860 messaging service, which not only allows fleet manager’s and drivers to communicate with ease, but also compels drivers to complete vehicle safety checks before they start work.

“This could further boost our duty of care to staff and could well be the next step for us,” Mr Crozier said. “It is something we will be looking at in the future.”