Working smarter

A new Regional Service Manager, Gareth Allen, took over at Leeds last year – and just in time because the centre is currently busier than ever.

As well as routine servicing and specific repair and maintenance contracts, the team at Leeds has been busy ‘backfilling’ – helping other local authorities get vehicles through MOTs.

They’ve also been repowering diesel RCVs to convert them to electric RCVs – including two for Tower Hamlets – and refurbishing older vehicles to give them a new lease of life under the Aftermarket’s Dennis Approved Used scheme.

And, according to Gareth, the secret of their success is simple: “Work smarter, not harder.”

Gareth, who hails from Yorkshire, joined in March 2022 and has made a few changes to the operation to simplify things.

“We’ve got an exceptionally good team here and they do work hard – they deserve all the credit for how well we’re performing. All I’ve done is try to make their work easier for them, freeing them up to get on with it.

“We’ve got so much going on here that we need to work very efficiently, it’s essential. And as a fresh pair of eyes coming in, I’ve been able to spot a few things we could simplify and change for the better.

“Of course, everyone’s keen on those kinds of changes. They all take pride in their work, they like to do every job really well – no matter how big or how small – and so making it easier for them is always appreciated.”

Gareth’s workshop team consists of six workshop engineers and an apprentice. Eight Field Service Engineers work from the centre along with two Contract Engineers based at Hambleton District Council.

And although they are running at close to full capacity, plans are afoot to expand the scope of operations.

“There is still room to improve,” added Gareth.

“We’ve identified what we want to do and these will save significant time which will allow us to turn certain jobs around even quicker and take on more
work. It’ll be good news all round.”