Transforming Operations and Safety Management at Aussie Excavators Plant Hire

Aussie Excavators Plant Hire, a family-owned business in the earthmoving industry, has served the Brisbane and South East Queensland region for over three decades. Their focus on exceptional customer service, reliability, flexibility, and safety has distinguished them in a competitive market. To maintain their success and prepare for the future, the company recognized the need to integrate technology into their operations. Leanne Sullivan, Director of Aussie Excavators Plant Hire, and her team sought a comprehensive digital solution to streamline allocation, compliance management, and safety processes.

Key Takeaways:

• ​Streamlined Compliance Management
• ​Enhanced Mobility and Allocation
• ​Improved Operational Efficiency and Growth Potential

When Calls & Texts Slow You Down

Previously, the company relied on a server-based allocating software that was becoming inefficient and limited. Communication was mainly through calls and texts, and essential safety forms and timesheets were paper-based. The office was overwhelmed with paperwork, making information management difficult. Compliance management, including safety documentation and competencies, was also manual and paper-driven. This led them to seek a more flexible, efficient, and modern cloud-based solution.

Information on the Go

After thorough research, Aussie Excavators Plant Hire chose Assignar to address their challenges and enhance operations. Assignar provided digital timesheets and forms, compliance management, asset management, and real-time allocations. Its cloud-based platform allowed the team to access critical jobsite information on-the-go, eliminating the need for office-bound updates.

“Given the distribution of our jobs, our operators used to come back to the yard once a week to drop off their pre-starts, timesheets and fuel sheets. Now we receive all this operational and safety data in real-time.”
— Lis Bowden, Health & Safety Officer

More Than a Scheduling Tool

Digitizing Compliance Management: Assignar enabled the transition to a paperless environment by centralizing all safety documentation, including licenses, tickets, and verification of competency (VOC) records. The mobile app allowed operators to access their competencies, safety forms, maintenance history, and plant risk assessments easily. Safety forms became compulsory upon timesheet submission, ensuring real-time data availability. This empowered the fleet manager and workshop advisor to receive pre-start form results immediately, improving safety oversight.

Allocating with Mobility: The previous system was cumbersome and lacked mobility, requiring printed allocations and making scheduling, operator competencies, and last-minute changes challenging. Assignar’s mobile capabilities transformed this process, allowing allocators to access live scheduling data anytime, anywhere. This improved visibility, communication, and adaptability. The scheduler also aided business development managers in tracking availability and resource scheduling for tenders.

Onboarding and Implementation: Assignar’s onboarding process was efficient, with online training sessions led by a dedicated Customer Success Manager. Over three months, the team phased out the old system and integrated Assignar. The user-friendly interface and accessible Customer Success team ensured a smooth transition. Modules were tested, team members trained, and toolbox talks conducted to ensure all stakeholders were comfortable with the new platform.

Results and Future Outlook: Implementing Assignar transformed Aussie Excavators Plant Hire’s operations, making them more streamlined, efficient, and responsive. Real-time data improved visibility, communication, and decision-making. The platform contributed to winning significant tenders, highlighting its value as a business development tool. Embracing technology and innovation elevated their operations and positioned the company for future growth and success.

“We have used Assignar in our bigger tenders and won them, and I do think that having Assignar has been an advantage.”