Testimonials

PDA
Speedy Services

Speedy SHEQ

As the UK's market leading hire and service provider, Speedy are constantly pushing the boundaries of continuous improvement across its vast network of 325 depots. So they only partner with cutting edge solution providers who can help them improve their skills and the way they work.

Over the last 5 years, a mixture of organic development and acquisitions has driven Speedy's growth.

Ensuring Speedy's best in class procedures are consistently applied across a large depot network and around several hundred thousand items of plant and equipment is a substantial challenge. Speedy monitors, manages and effectively controls a vast multitude of personnel and operational processes which for instance in health and safety include:

Speedy SHEQ
  • observations of areas of compliance, non compliance and preventive actions
  • maintenance of records & proper use of designated documents
  • understanding of procedures & effectiveness of communications
  • identification of necessary corrective actions
  • continual improvement vs benchmarks & KPIs

Speedy's response to this challenge typifies its approach to further developing its standards of operational excellence. They created a central advice and guidance function for its whole depot network, Safety Health Environment and Quality or SHEQ.

The SHEQ team complete a rigorous audit schedule to ensure that optimal standards of health and safety, waste, energy and water usage are maintained across the Group. Furthermore, they share operational best practice with their customers and build health, safety and environmental support into Speedy's day-to-day offer for them.

Auditform makes its debut

Formability possess over 10 years experience in the hire and related services sector developing and supporting a number of different auditing systems.

In 2008, they introduced Auditform, a web based audit management tool which enables the collection of audit inspection data during fieldwork. Hand-held data capture via PDA is utilised to conduct audits on remote sites, track non-compliances in real-time and provide managers with vastly improved knowledge and control to enable significant reductions in operational risks.

Field trials have demonstrated that data capture using this method saves an auditor 2 days a week when compared with manual methods of capturing and inputting the same data.

Simple data collection, real time reporting, no writing, greater productivity

Speedy SHEQ

At the time of their institution, Speedy's SHEQ team were faced with an acquisition legacy of several inefficient manual recording and reporting systems. Consequently, as part of its business efficiency drive in 2008, the SHEQ team sought a practical auditing system to improve the service they provide to Speedy business and is customers.

Neil Macara, Speedy Group Quality & Accreditation Manager explains "We were looking to streamline working practices, deliver improvements in productivity by removing costly administration, improve access to data and provide better management and control information".

Consequently, Speedy screened a number of prospective service providers for this project and chose Formability as its development partner. Neil said "We assessed a number of service providers for this project. Most fell well short of the mark. Only Formability demonstrated a good understanding of our requirements and a clear ability to adapt its technology into a practical solution for our needs. It proved to be scalable across our vast depot network and capable of being adapted as required, to the needs of individual businesses. Formability were very knowledgeable and supportive."

Neil continued. "The PDA system has improved our efficiencies within the SHEQ team to meet the requirements of ISO 9000,14001 & OHSAS 18001 and given the business information which will benefit the business in trend analysis, training requirements, commercial issues to name a few."

Trials involving 29 depots and 61 individual audits at the end of 2008 proved a great success. They revealed the potential of Auditform to remove the paperchase, free up auditing resource, simplify data collection and reporting and enable management to more effectively improve compliance. Subsequent agreement of the final deliverables specification for the auditing system was reached prior to a UK wide roll out which began in March 2010.

Vastly improved data collection & reporting

The introduction of the new SHEQ auditing process removed the need for manual data entry and numerous Excel databases. Speedy's 12 auditors who cover UK and its Irish operations save a great deal of time collecting and processing information. This not only increases efficiency and quality through reduced administration, but a single data input reduces risk by immediately reporting non-compliances for action without transposition errors.

They are also able to capture and upload photographs of problematical issues, auto-email reports and have backup access via the internet if a PDA develops a fault in the field.

Speedy SHEQ

Adding more management information value

The SHEQ system also enables Speedy to assess its performance from depot to depot, area to area, region to region and business to business.

Paul Beck Managing Director of Formability said "the use of a common web based interface means further efficiencies can be made through the follow up and resolution of non-compliance. Data is uploaded to a consolidated database which means that trends are easy to spot in real time. We've developed a powerful "drill down" information tool which enables management to review trends, implement more timely remedial measures and ensure compliance in line with KPIs".

Scalability & rapid deployment across many operations & processes

Formability's solution proved extremely user friendly with a minimal user learning curve which enabled employees to fully utilise the system from day one. This enabled Speedy to migrate the system across its core health & safety and environmental processes relating to the provision of:

  • small tools & equipment
  • surveying and measurement instrumentation
  • safety equipment
  • lifting and materials handling equipment

The system accommodated variations required for specific business operations with ease. In addition, it is also been applied to operational support services like engineering, road & TGW, for Fire Risk Assessment and asbestos reviews, technical and workshop audits.

Formability have a track record which dispels the usual myths about IT projects being late and way over budget. SHEQ Operations Director Mark Turnbull zeroed in on this "Formability took the time to understand our business requirements properly and delivered exactly what we needed, on time and at the price they quoted.

We now have a first class system which has freed up a minimum of one day per auditor every week. Instead of writing reports, we spend more time providing more support and guidance for our stakeholders to better manage risk in our operations".

To find out more about Speedy and the services they provide, click on http://www.speedyservices.com