Unfortunately, accidents can happen anywhere, any time. However, any involving non-compliant equipment can leave you liable for prosecution, which could land you with a massive fine or even a jail term in more serious cases. Non-compliant equipment can impact your customers already very tight deadlines as the risk of breakdown is much higher. All of this can jeopardise your business' reputation and performance. This can be easily avoided though, by ensuring your equipment is always compliant.
With the right hire software solution, the compliance process doesn't have to be a laborious one. It will transform your business, ensuring you are always one step ahead and that your equipment is safe and certified for use. Here are our three easy steps for how you can boost your business' efficiency when it comes to managing compliance in the workshop.
1. Optimise utilisation
You can prevent equipment breakdowns which can be costly, by having clear, scheduled maintenance plans. Having the flexibility to set routine maintenance, based on hours or usage intervals, with reminders set for when services are due, enables your hire business to maximise asset utilisation. You could also remove equipment from your available inventory list during this period to ensure that equipment isn't booked out for higher and essential maintenance cannot be overlooked. As well as ensuring your equipment is always in the best condition possible and compliant, routine maintenance will also save you time and money long term.
2. Post-hire inspections
Performing inspections to equipment when it returns to the depot, on top of any statutory requirements, allows any issues with equipment to be flagged up and the equipment booked in for any necessary work.
You can ensure engineers complete every step in the inspection process by having customisable, compulsory checklists. This will improve the reliability and safety of your rental assets and reduce the likelihood of breakdowns with the next customer.
By having the right, reliable hire software solution, you can also ensure statutory tests are never missed, with the option to set notifications and alerts when a test is due. You can also store the certificates from these tests against the assets, so the compliance history is all in one place.
3. Make your processes paper-free
By having paper-free rental processes, you eliminate the problems associated with easily lost, inaccurate, often laborious to complete, and not to mention challenging to share paperwork. It also enables you to record any works orders, replacement parts, service history and PAT tests against each of your assets within your hire management solution. This clear visibility of your equipment's current health and history can also be easily shared between depots digitally. It also means that should an unfortunate accident occur involving your equipment; you can quickly and easily prove its compliance with legislation.
With a suitable workshop solution for your hire business, you will have the reassurance that every time equipment leaves your depot it is safe for the customer and compliant with regulations. Having all records digitally will not only provide greater transparency of the workshop, but it will also help to boost efficiency.
Read our concise guide to 'Optimising your asset lifestyle and boosting revenue' to discover how the right hire software solution can help your business to thrive.