our guys don ’ t have a fit for purpose vehicle , we can ’ t operate the business .’ This is one of the hard truths Dean Ryan faces every day in his role as supply chain and asset manager for Fortem .

Fortem was until recently Willmott Dixon Partnership , the repairs and maintenance specialist arm of Willmott Dixon . The name change was part of a strategy to grow the company outside its core social housing market . However , it already has a huge reach across local authorities and housing associations across the UK with a team of 1,400 directly employed engineers , undertaking repairs , maintenance and cyclical work on over 110,000 homes .

Getting the job done

With so many engineers and tradespeople needing to work in multiple locations across the country , Fortem ’ s light commercial vehicle ( LCV ) fleet is the lifeblood of the business . In fact , according to Dean , it can have up to 800 vans on the go at any given time . As asset manager , he manages this fleet , and could potentially spend each and every day sorting out service and repair or contract issues , without the right partner , especially as the vehicles are spread out across the country . In addition , the nature of the work means a real mix of vehicles with different fittings are needed . As well as general repairs , Fortem also maintains ‘ void ’ properties ; making sure properties are fit for new tenants when someone moves out . So there is a big demand for those with specialist skills such as electricians , plumbers , plasterers and carpenters .

As Dean explains , this adds a further challenge . ‘ If we hire a basic , ordinary van , our employees have to spend a day or more getting it ready before they can go out in it . One engineer may spend a lot of time

fitting racking inside with cubby holes for all their materials , but another might not fit any racking and therefore the materials will simply be placed loosely on the floor of the van .

‘ As a result , there could be health and safety issues . It also doesn ’ t look very professional if every van is finished to different standards . Every trade needs its own kind of van with different custom - built layouts inside for their tools and raw materials . However , they all need to be safe and of good quality .’

Dean is also responsible for getting the best deal possible for Fortem – and because of the changing nature of the business this is sometimes difficult . ‘ We need flexibility in our agreement ; some of our contracts are long term ; they could be five to 10 years – yet in other cases we need vehicles for a relatively short timeframe ,’ he says .

Flexibility and choice

Fortem has worked with Northgate for around 16 years . Over this time they have built up an excellent working relationship . As part of their agreement , not only does Northgate supply Fortem with the most fuel efficient vans on the market , but it also provides all the accessories such as roof racks , pipe tubes and racking .

‘ We place an order , for example , for five plumbers ’, five carpenters ’ and five plasterers ’ vans ,’ explains Dean . ‘ Northgate does all the work behind the scenes putting in the appropriate accessories plus the tracking devices and dashboard cameras . They also customise the vans with livery , which in a number of cases is dual branded with the relevant client . Therefore , when the vehicle is delivered to us , it ’ s completely fitted out and ready to go . The engineer can start work immediately .’

Fortem is also taking advantage of the rental company ’ s new Northgate Choice , a portfolio of products which gives customers enhanced control over how they rent and manage their fleets by enabling a mix of flexible and fixed term rental , tailored to each business . The Northgate Choice product portfolio includes the existing Northgate Flexible Term Rental ( Norflex ), a new Northgate Fixed Term Rental ( Norfix ) for those wanting the peace of mind of predictable long term costs and a combination of the two tailored for each individual business . The combined offering provides a balance of scalability and flexibility with cost control , especially when backed by Northgate ’ s consulting expertise and guidance .’

Dean explains , ‘ Some of our contracts don ’ t require flexible rental so this

Fortem and Northgate have built up an excellent working relationship over a period of 16 years .

arrangement saves us paying for these when a fixed term arrangement will suffice . This also includes a really good service package , including breakdown and recovery and tyres , with replacement vehicles where needed .’

Trusted partnership

According to Dean , Fortem ’ s relationship with Northgate saves him and his company much valuable time , enabling him to concentrate on other aspects of his work and those out in the field to become more productive and efficient .

For a start , as local branches of both companies have their own relationships , he rarely needs to get involved . ‘ In theory I only need to intervene if there is a problem , which means I hardly ever get drawn in . If there are any issues they can iron them out quickly without escalation because they do have that relationship ,’ he says .

More time is saved because Northgate looks after the vehicles from when they are first delivered until their end of life . Fortem no longer has to rely on its employees to fit out the vans but now has a smart fleet with consistent fittings and livery .

Finally , the fact that Dean can now mix and match different rental agreements enables him to better plan and avoid overspending when his client contracts are fixed .

However , talking to Dean , it ’ s clear it ’ s the relationship between the two companies that he values the most . ‘ After 16 years , they must be good for us to keep working with them . We don ’ t see them as a supplier as much as a business partner ,’ he concludes .