100% Fleet Transparency for Laser Electrical Putaruru
How Argus Tracking gives much-need oversight.
Throughout South Waikato, Laser Electrical Putãruru is known for delivering premium electrical services, from residential homes to large-scale industrial sites. As its reputation has grown, so has its fleet of qualified electricians, apprentices, and support staff. With vehicles constantly on the move and lots of last-minute jobs popping up, having real-time visibility and insight into its fleet’s movements is crucial. By implementing Argus Tracking, it’s witnessed remarkable improvements in operations. We sat down with Cherie Camp, Director of Laser Electrical Putãruru, to hear about the company’s operational transformation.
From Zero Visibility to Total Transparency
Before implementing Argus Tracking, Laser Electrical Putãruru was completely paper-based. Among other things, this made it incredibly difficult to see accurate time tracking for all its electricians. “We had hundreds and hundreds of job cards just floating around in no specific order. The guys were trying to schedule jobs and it was like picking them out of a hat,” says Cherie.
As a result, the company missed some customers, and its schedules had gaps, leading to inefficiencies and frustration. “Once Argus was implemented, we identified that one staff member regularly used his work vehicle outside work hours without approval. In addition to this, he was regularly leaving the worksite to attend to personal matters without our knowledge. Because we believed he was working, the time was being charged back to the customer as per his job card.” The lack of proper tracking and accountability raised two major concerns for business owner Cherie Camp:
“We needed to know where our electricians were and that they were safe. But it’s also about fairness to our customers. We wanted to be able to charge accurately for our time.”
Payroll was also difficult to keep accurate. With hundreds of job cards and invoices to reconcile manually, it was time-consuming and prone to errors. “The boys had to come back to get payslips, check they were accurate and sign for them. It was a massive waste of time,” Cherie said.
She decided to implement Argus’s fleet-based tracking. Cherie’s primary goals were to improve staff management, enhance health and safety practices, achieve accurate job billing and streamline the payroll process. Having heard positive feedback about the system from sister company Laser Taupo, she was confident Argus would be a game-changer for Laser Electrical Putãruru. Here’s what it’s meant for the company so far.
Streamlined Staff Management
With the electricians always on the road, monitoring everyone’s whereabouts in real time is great. With Argus GPS, Cherie can assign new tasks to the nearest available technician, optimising scheduling and response times.
“I love being able to assign new jobs on the fly, like asking them to stop by another site while they’re heading back. It’s a real time-saver!”
The geofencing feature also helps coordinate equipment pickups on the go, saving time and improving workflow. “The app alerts me when team members go through a particular geofence. So I can call them and say, ‘Hey, can you stop at J. A. Russell and pick up this gear for us?’ It’s so cool.”
Complete Transparency for Accurate Job Billing
With real-time job tracking, Laser Electrical Putãruru can accurately track completed jobs and work hours, so customers are billed fairly. This feature has eliminated disputes while improving customer trust in its services. “If a customer questions the duration of our work, I can go in and say, ‘Yes, we were here from this time to this time.’ We’ve used it on several occasions now, and it’s been great,” says Cherie.
Health and Safety Improvements
Argus’s ability to track vehicle speed has helped keep the team safe and accountable. Cherie can monitor their movements and intervene when necessary, ensuring they comply with safety regulations and minimise potential risks.
“Three staff returning to the workshop one Friday night were involved in an incident where one of the vans was in an accident. We had to try and sort out exactly what happened, but with the use of Argus, we were able to pinpoint what speeds they travelled, what they had been doing, and where they had been. This helped with the crash investigation with the insurance company and enabled us to sort out fair consequences for all parties involved.”
The system has improved staff accountability, empowering Cherie with the information she needs to give constructive feedback. “It’s great to see our staff being aware of their driving habits and striving to improve. With the new data, our one-on-one conversations have become more effective.
Accurate Pay Slips
The integration of Argus Tracking with the payroll system has simplified the payroll process. Timesheets are now automatically recorded as jobs are completed, reducing administrative work and ensuring staff are all paid for their work.
Cherie says, “Accurate tracking has boosted efficiency and morale. Everyone knows they’ll be paid fairly, and there’s no room for missed hours.” And instead of everyone having to make a trip to the office every fortnight, emails are sent out automatically through the system.
A Finalist in Champions of Innovation
Being a finalist in Champions of Innovation speaks to Laser Electrical Putãruru’s willingness to embrace cutting-edge technology and improve fleet management practices. “Argus Tracking played a major role in transforming how we operate, optimising staff management, enhancing safety measures and streamlining operations.”
Driving Excellence
By embracing innovation and better technology, Cherie and her team have improved efficiency, accuracy and safety across the business. Accurate job billing, efficient staff management, health and safety oversight and a streamlined payroll process have positioned Laser Electrical as a leading electrical services provider in the South Waikato region. Cherie says she’s over the moon with the transformation she’s seen so far.
“I know we’re all using our time more effectively now, thanks to Argus Tracking.”
