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We improved our efficiency to stick to our growth targets

Simon Joyce, MD of Anchor Vans, wanted to improve the company's efficiency
Simon Joyce tries to monitor and adapt Anchor Vans’ internal processes regularly

Name: Anchor Vans
Location: Reading
Employees: 70
Founded in: 1989
Tip: “The world is always moving forward. Keeping up is imperative, but being ahead is even better.”

The problem

Over the last 30 years, family business Anchor Vans has grown its operations and now delivers vans nationwide. One of the biggest difficulties has been keeping up with customer expectations around its speed of service. 

With an increasing number of vehicles entering and leaving the site every month, the firm needed to find a way to process each vehicle and advertise it online quickly. Once sold, vehicles have to be serviced and made ready for delivery – all of which had to happen in a very short window of time. 

The solution

Anchor Vans looked for ways to improve efficiency and organisation. As managing director Simon Joyce explained, today’s customers want things here and now, so the company needed to be able to deliver within an expected time frame.

Anchor Vans focused on improving its vehicle turnaround process. The first step was to assign team members designated jobs, so everyone knew exactly what was expected of them. This saved time and stopped tasks from slipping through the cracks.

To speed up the process – from a vehicle coming in to the keys being handed to a customer – they developed a bespoke T-card system, which displayed tasks on a wall. The system managed everything from sales to preparation and delivery. It divided up tasks into cards and gave a near-real-time overview of completed steps. 

It allowed the whole team to quickly identify new vehicles that needed processing and which responsibilities lay with each team member. 

The results

Anchor Vans continue to monitor and adapt the process almost daily. However, Simon notes that the changes so far have been crucial in improving efficiency and clarity around employee responsibilities. This has led to faster turnaround times for customers and growth for the company. 

“Offering the right service to support sales is of key importance. It’s not a one-time thing either – processes online and offline need to be constantly monitored and improved.”

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