ABird Power Solutions, part of HSS Hire, has used the COVID enforced downtime to transform the management of its mobile operation. Using the latest mobile workforce technology from BigChange, the generator hire company has made considerable cost reductions in administrative resource alone - savings that can be repeated year on year. The cloud-based, 5-in-1 solution has also joined up previously disconnected parts of the business which is reducing lead times and improving customer service.
“We had been using BigChange for some time but, if I am honest, only to a fraction of its capacity,” commented Simon Taylor, General Manager at ABird Power Solutions. “Lockdown gave us time to reflect and time to improve. By using more of the BigChange functionality, we have automated more of our administration resulting in significant cost savings for the business. We also had time to adopt new working practices including the use of BigChange CRM which gives us time-critical intelligence which can be used across all aspects of the business.”
ABird Power Solutions is an established leader in the supply of power solutions, including generators, lighting towers and RFM (Remote Fleet Management). Part of the HSS Hire Service Group, ABird has 7 specialist depots across England and Wales and 2 in Scotland supporting a team of 35 mobile service engineers. ABird designs, delivers and maintains both short- and long-term smart generator hire solutions with units ranging from 20kVA to 1260kVA.
Although ABird originally introduced BigChange to track vehicles and schedule routine maintenance tasks additional aspects of the operation have recently been transferred to BigChange. By providing a single platform CRM, Job Scheduling, Mobile App, Vehicle Tracking and Online Portal, BigChange has automated many of the routine tasks associated with the hire process. From issuing of quotes, stock assignment and delivery through to maintenance scheduling, fuel reporting and equipment collection, BigChange powers a seamless, paperless exchange of information.
“I call it BigChange 360 because that is what it gives me; 360 degree visibility of the entire operation,” Taylor continued. “From the moment a hire is agreed I know which driver will deliver the unit and I can track its progress to site. I know when the generator is running, how much fuel it is using and who will do its routine service and when. I even know when it’s finished at that site which depot it needs to be returned to and where it will go next – all with a few taps on my phone!”