We, as humans, LOVE instant gratification and hate to wait for anything. Think about lunch when you’re hungry. Think about an order from Amazon. Think about Christmas when you were a kid.
Nearly every company acknowledges this fact – online retailers are quick to offer faster delivery options and the number of restaurants that have a phone app to place orders ahead of time grows everyday.
Of course, at Expertec, we as upfitters have the challenge of providing a customized solution to a specific vehicle. With the huge variety of options we offer, there simply isn’t any way to get around the fact that our jobs depend on our skilled team of installers physically completing the job. Even though our team of experts is fast, there are two critical ways that you, as a customer, can ensure that your vehicle – whether it’s for a fleet or a specialized order – can be completed faster. Let’s look at those:
While there are a number of fleets that we provide solutions for, the primary way that we are able to deliver a ready-to-work vehicle so quickly is to draft a standardized upfitting package that meets their needs perfectly and then to work from that standard as new vehicles are procured for the fleet. It’s easy to think of this in terms of a law enforcement vehicle. Police cars need sirens, light bars, emergency equipment and firearms racks, a “cage” for detainees, and proper storage for any other standard cargo. Obviously, some agencies would need additional specialized equipment, but for 90% of the law enforcement agencies, this standard would apply. A police cruiser, using this sort of standard, can be outfitted in a matter of days, thus allowing agencies to take delivery quickly.
The same holds true for many industries – be it electrical, plumbing, fossil fuels, or delivery vehicles. Each one of these have certain standards of storage and specialized equipment they’ll need to do the majority of all jobs efficiently. Our recommendations in cases like these are to combine our team’s experience with your companies’ needs to realize the perfect vehicle for your fleet and how your company works.
The result is simple – faster delivery, reduced installation expenses, lower maintenance, and a systemized solution to your upfitting needs.
Now, that’s not to say that we don’t encourage custom work – not at all!
The next “secret” to shorter delivery times (and faster order-to-delivery leads) is for fleets to draft standards for fully outfitted packages. The result is significant cost savings over ordering every item separately plus the huge advantage of streamlining the ordering process. In this instance, a plumbing contractor may have a “standard” work van package that includes shelving, a ladder rack, along with a power inverter and an interior lighting package. That same contractor would then have a van package that will meet 90% of their service calls at a substantially lower price than a fully custom, one-off solution. When you standardize your upfitting process, bringing a new truck or van into the fleet becomes a simple, step-by-step system that assures when that vehicle will be ready to work and allows you to budget your time and your team accordingly.
The result? On time and on budget – with the truck or van that meets your exact specifications.
So how does the smaller business, without big fleets or deep pockets, take advantage of upfitting packages? THAT’S where our experience comes into play. We’ve been providing solutions for contractors and fleets from the largest to the smallest, so we know what works in nearly any industry. Just as importantly, when you involve Expertec in your purchasing process – before you actually buy a new truck or van, we can help you to understand the potential pros and cons of any vehicle platform out there. The benefits are obvious – we can help you project the exact costs of upfitting a specific truck or van to your standards versus outfitting a different model. As the buyer, you can then make the most informed decision on your purchase by looking at the complete purchase price – from the dealership, through the upfitting process, and into your business.
Service like that is one of the keys to our own success and why so many companies come back to us year after year for all their truck and van outfitting needs. If you are anticipating bringing a new vehicle into your business, we’d love for you to reach out to us and share how you’ll be using it, what you think you’ll need to make it perfect, and let us help you sort out all the variables for the different makes and models on the market today and how they impact your decision.
