New On-line Workflow Management System Helps Specialist Hire Company

Specialist Hires Ltd, trading as Envirogard operates from six depots in the UK; from these they hire out equipment to industrial contractors who are providing services to in areas such as waste management, land remediation, pollution control, cleansing, demolition, recycling and management of asbestos. 
The equipment hired includes ventilation, vacuum, air cleaning units, decontamination and safety showers, test and monitoring equipment, along with other essential temporary site services.  Due to the specialised and regulated nature of the markets in which their customers operate, Envirogard tend to supply equipment only to contractors who hold accreditations or licences issued by regulated authorities, such as the HSE.
As a multi-site company, it’s essential that communication between their various depots runs smoothly and efficiently as this helps them to maximise their resources, improve customer service and ultimately increase profitability.  Now, thanks to the implementation of a new on-line workflow management system supplied by T Cards Online, they are reaping the benefits of streamlined operations with enhanced communication and up-to-the-minute stock control.
The Challenge
For over 20 years Envirogard had used the manual T Cards system which works well with each of the 6 depots keeping an up-to-date status of the equipment available in stock. However, they wanted a facility whereby each depot could easily and quickly view the status of equipment and stock on-line for all the other depots without the need for numerous ‘phone calls between depots.  This would mean that any depot could locate an item of equipment that they needed from say, their nearest depot with availability, and then be able to book this direct with the depot in question.  This would enable them to be able to say ‘yes’ to more customers, improve utilisation of equipment and ultimately increase profitability.
The system would need to be intuitive, easy-to-use for all staff, and available across all the depots ensuring that that all the relevant information was kept up-to-date, in real-time.
The Solution
Envirogard considered what options were available and based on their positive experiences using the T Cards manual system, they chose to invest in the T Cards online system.  They were confident that should any issues arise they would be easier to resolve and it also meant T Cards could easily visit the Ashford site and appreciate first-hand what, if any, software changes were required to make the system even more efficient and tailored to their specific needs.
During 2013 Envirogard carried out a 3 month trial of the new online system at their Ashford depot, running it in parallel with the existing T Cards manual system. This meant they could check and iron out any issues and fine tune to their specific requirements, before dispensing with the manual system.  After a successful trial period they purchased a 10 board / 8 user system, after which their smaller depots were included and brought ‘on-line’, finally adding their Manchester depot later that year.
The Benefits
Commenting on their experiences in using the T Cards online system over a 6 month period, Gary Sheppard, Contracts Manager at Envirogard’s Ashford base said, “The new system allows us to see at-a-glance the status of any piece of equipment at any location, so we can reserve the equipment we need in other depots, quickly and easily”.  He added, “We were able to customise the T Cards fields to suit our application, adding information such as test dates for maintenance, electrical, gas and filtration testing, door codes for our trailer units etc. before, when plant and equipment was transferred between depots, we would receive machine record files via the post, now with the online system, its much quicker”.
Conclusion
Envirogard’s experience in using the new online system is a good example of T Cards Online expertise in helping organisations, such as those with multiple sites, to explore the benefits of a simple, intuitive, yet highly effective online management tool.  The result is an easy-to-use and convenient online system which streamlines and improves the recording and sharing of information which helps to improve processes, enhance productivity and ultimately increase profits.