Customer support is one of Aquarius’s key strengths, and this was noted by The Lawson Group; so Subir Gupta recently sat down with Dan Hearne, the company’s Group Transport Manager, for a frank and honest chat about their experience with Aquarius and the reasons behind their decision to transition and integrate their driver and fleet maintenance systems last year.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about The Lawsons Group and your transport operations?
A: The Lawsons Group is the largest independent Timber, Building Materials & Fencing merchant in London and the South East, and we have branches extending from Lincolnshire to the South Coast. We operate 35 regional branches delivering over 220,000 deliveries per year and all drivers are directly employed by Lawsons. With over 700 employees and a turnover exceeding £165 million, our transport operations are crucial in ensuring smooth logistics and compliance
across our vast UK network.
Q: What are the most important factors for you when managing drivers’ hours and compliance?
A: With over 150 drivers dispersed across multiple locations, it’s essential that we have a digital tachograph analysis system, backed up by support, that provides Head Office and our team of transport managers and office administrators with full visibility and ease-of-control over compliance – and one that does not create unnecessary burdens for our branch managers. The responsibility of ensuring legal compliance to the highest standards is with us here at Head Office.
Q: What prompted the decision to switch to Aquarius’ ClockWatcher Elite?
A: We transitioned from our previous software supplier to ClockWatcher Elite in 2021, just after the pandemic, following a recommendation based on its capabilities and Aquarius’s exceptional hands-on customer support. A key part of this transformation was the integration of eSIGN, which has helped us centrally manage and streamline driver infringements, making compliance oversight much more efficient and seamless.
Q: What led to the decision to fully integrate your driver and fleet management systems?
A: After working with Aquarius, and being impressed with the ease of use of their software and the support they provided, we then explored how we could further enhance compliance by connecting our driver and fleet management digital solutions. We decided to integrate Asset Maintenance, Driver Defect Check, and Document Manager into a single, streamlined platform. This move, we believe, also positions us as the first builders’ merchant in the UK to fully integrate driver and fleet management data onto one platform.
Q: Turning to Document Management first, what impact has this had on compliance and communication?
A: Document Management has revolutionised how we share critical company information with drivers. For example, our health and safety policies are comprehensive, but they mean nothing if you can’t get them out to drivers and get their buy-in – therefore ensuring drivers read, understand, and acknowledge them is essential. Through the Aquarius App, drivers can instantly access and sign off on essential documents in Document Manager, from our Transport Manual to Strapping Policies and Toolbox talks inbetween. This has vastly improved communication, reduced administrative workload for branch managers, and strengthened compliance across the business.
Q: Next, how has Asset Maintenance transformed your fleet management?
A: We previously used a well-known fleet management system, but as the company grew, its processes changed, and we lost the consistency of a dedicated point of contact. Having reliable personable support – being able to pick up the phone and speak to someone familiar – is crucial for me and my team.
The switch to Aquarius’s Asset Maintenance provided an integrated, user-friendly solution. Now, transport teams and branches no longer need to navigate multiple systems, saving time and improving efficiency. The system’s familiarity across branches ensures a seamless experience for managers who may transfer locations. Aquarius has given us ‘a single pane of glass’ – we have centralised, real-time visibility of all driver and vehicle data on one platform, enhancing compliance and decision-making.
Q: Can you describe the scale of assets managed through Asset Maintenance?
A: Our fleet is extensive and diverse, ranging from company cars and 3.5-tonne vehicles to commercial lorries with cranes and loft-lifters, forklifts, and plant equipment. We also operate Europe’s largest fleet of JCB reach trucks, and our commitment to sustainability is evident in our growing e-fleet, which includes electric cars, forklifts, and the UK’s first gas-powered lorry with a crane. The scalability of the software, and the ability to customise Asset Maintenance makes adding new assets seamless in line with our growth plans.
Q: How does integration between driver and vehicle data benefit compliance?
A: There are so many advantages on both a management and practical day-to-day level. One good real-life example, is that it ensures missing KMs are identified and explained. Previously, we lacked this level of cross-referencing between driver and vehicle data and being able to drill down into the figures. Now, with everything contained on one platform, compliance monitoring and reporting is more efficient, reducing the risk of errors and non-compliance issues.
Q: How was the onboarding process for the new systems?
A: Implementing Asset Maintenance, Defect Check, and Document Management was a significant task, but we fully embraced it. Our goal was to have everything live in three months, with the aim of all branches being live in December. We did however manage to complete the roll-out a month ahead of schedule due to the ease of the operational ease Aquarius provides us.
Q: You also work with Cubo, who are one of Aquarius’s partners – how does this integration support your operations?
A: We use Cubo’s live vehicle cameras and compliance tools, which integrate seamlessly with Aquarius. This further enhances our ability to monitor and manage compliance within a single, unified system. The single-pane-of-glass approach means we have company-wide visibility on one dashboard, streamlining processes and ensuring nothing is overlooked.
Q: Looking ahead, how does Aquarius support The Lawsons Group’s future growth?
A: As we continue to evolve and develop as a business and a department, having a scalable and future-proof system is crucial. We believe that Aquarius provides the technological backbone to support our compliance and fleet management needs, allowing us to maintain our high standards while growing. We’re always pushing forward, investing in the best solutions – as an example, our fleet is predominantly Scania – and leading the way in the industry. Aquarius is an essential partner in that journey.
Q: Any final thoughts on the partnership with Aquarius?
A: The success of any system isn’t just about the software – it’s about the people behind it. Aquarius’s commitment to customer service – the regular site visits from you, Subir and the day-to-day hands-on support – has been invaluable. They understand our business, and their solutions continue to evolve with our needs. Having the right partner is key, and Aquarius has proven to be exactly that.
Q. What’s next for The Lawsons Group and Aquarius?
A: It is still early days with Asset Maintenance, but we already have ideas on ways we can further leverage the software’s capabilities and fully maximise the data insights.
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