Helping Oldstone save €1,675 in the first month on unnecessary equipment hire.
- Client
- Oldstone Conservation
- Sector
- Construction
- Company size
- €5m to €15m revenue
- Geography
- Leinster, Ireland
The problem
Equipment hire can continue after the work finishes.
Oldstone Conservation specialises in conservation work on historic and protected buildings, mainly government buildings. Its projects involve hired equipment that needs to be taken off hire when it is no longer required. Previously, one person reviewed closed sites at the end of each month and contacted the relevant hire companies. The review helped identify outstanding hire, but there could be a gap between a site finishing and the next monthly check.
What we built.
A repeatable process for every project.
Vardil created an Excel template to use on future projects. It brings together the project name, hired equipment, hire-company email addresses and phone numbers, and the site manager's contact details.
An email triggered from the front sheet.
The front sheet includes a project-status cell and a macro button. When used, the macro checks for "Closed" in the status cell and triggers an email to the responsible person in the office. That person receives the equipment and site details, along with the contacts needed to arrange off-hire with the suppliers.
The office stays in control.
The automation prepares the information for the office. The person responsible still reviews it and contacts the hire companies. The purpose is to make it easier to act on equipment that is no longer needed and reduce avoidable hire charges.
Designed to be used again.
The same template can be used for each new project, giving Oldstone a consistent way to record hired equipment and prepare the information needed when a site closes.
How it works.
Fictional demonstration data.
vardil| Equipment | Supplier | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Telehandler, 14 m | Midlands Plant Hire | On hire |
| Access scaffold | EcoScaff Ltd | On hire |
| Dust extraction unit | Airflow Systems | Off hire requested |
| Masonry saw | Midlands Plant Hire | Returned |
- To:
- Office
- Subject:
- Off-hire request · Riverside House
- 2 items on hire, 1 hire company
- Site manager contact included
The macro checks for Closed. The office reviews the email and contacts the supplier to arrange off-hire.
Before and after.
| Before | With Vardil | |
|---|---|---|
| Review of equipment on closed sites | Month-end review by an office team member | With the project marked Closed, the front-sheet macro button triggers an immediate email to the office |
| Information for supplier contact | Office team handled the follow-up after review | Equipment, site and contact details included in the email |
| Use on future projects | Existing review process | A reusable Excel template for each new project |
Around €1,500 a month in savings.
Oldstone reports savings in the region of €1,500 a month in avoidable equipment hire charges, with €1,675 saved in the first month. The office still reviews the information and contacts hire companies to arrange off-hire.
Talk to us.
We are available to talk 7 days a week.