Improving Business Performance: Where do you stand?

A technology upgrade proved to be more than just a cost saver for Nelson-based Taylors Contracting. Upon installation of their GPS fleet management system, they soon discovered wide-ranging health and safety benefits as well.

Taylors Contracting is a civil contracting company which specialises in earthmoving, civil construction, forestry infrastructure and quarrying services. Started in Nelson in 1971 by the late Bob Taylor and his wife Marlene, Taylors Contracting is still very much a family affair, with Bob and Marlene’s sons Charlie and Matt Taylor now managing the business.

Today, the company employs more than 125 staff and runs a vast fleet of earthmoving equipment as well as a combined fleet of 125 trucks and utility vehicles. It’s a company with an eye on the future and a clear understanding of the benefits technology can provide.

Cutting costs using GPS tech
Claiming back Road User Charges (RUC) was the initial reason for installing GPS fleet management system Teletrac Navman. The forestry division alone of Taylors Contracting does around 12 per cent of all travel off road, but hadn’t previously been able to claim back the RUC.

“Since installing the GPS vehicle tracking system, we’ve been able to claim back over $8,500 in RUC,” says Ben Burbidge, Assistant Accountant at Taylors Contracting.

Safety first
Denise Kay, Health, Safety, Quality and Environment Manager, says that keeping an eye on staff working alone has been an immediate benefit of the system’s real-time GPS tracking technology. While many of the company’s workers rely on RTs to communicate, if they are out of range in a remote location, Denise can check on them using the GPS tracking software DIRECTOR.

“We have guys who work alone. They call in over the RT at least three times a day, but if they don’t we can check to see where they are and make sure they’re okay,” she says.

Staff driving
The real-time GPS fleet tracking shows speeding, abrupt braking and time spent idling, all factors which also happen to increase fuel usage. Recording examples of such behaviour can be used as training tools to help staff improve their driving behaviour.

Before Teletrac Navman, there was an assumption that the vehicles were being driven safely due to a very low number of speeding tickets. Once the GPS tracking system was installed it provided instant visibility to speeding and abrupt braking that could put lives at risk.  

A business improved
Taylors Contracting saw a window of opportunity through strengthening their weak points. As a company, it’s important to know where you stand in order to get where you want to go.

Since adopting Teletrac Navman the team at Taylors Contracting are seeing the wide-ranging benefits of the system, from keeping track of their workers in challenging environments and using it to improve health and safety systems, to saving money on RUCs.

So in regards to improving your business performance, where do you stand?