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Our Vision
To build state-of-the-art service networks and remain the partner of choice for our clients by delivering safe, innovative and efficient customer-focused solutions.
We’ve a highly-trained workforce of circa 3500, 40 + national operational centres, 4 training hubs and a fleet of over 2500 vehicles.
Behind everything we do is a set of services, systems and values which guarantee we have the safest, most productive and efficient workforce possible.
State-of-the-art training centre, designed to replicate real-world environments, offering accredited courses led by expert trainers.
21-01-2025
Get a behind-the-scenes look into the world of audit operations as Chris Grainger shares his expertise, leadership insights, and vision for driving excellence in the field. From building high-performing teams to navigating the complexities of modern auditing, Chris reveals the strategies that set him apart as a leader in his industry.
Discover his thoughts on fostering innovation, mentoring future leaders, and staying ahead in a constantly evolving landscape.
Audit Strategy and Leadership
For us, the audit strategy is based around what the needs are at the time of the business, so we can adapt our auditors to what is required. For example, if the business operations in FTTP and SD are seeing a high number of quality defects or health and safety issues we will target that specific type of work, to bring that back into line. So really our key strategy is adaptability. For example, when we first started auditing, we were focused on the quality of work then it transitioned into health and safety and then the state of vehicles engineers are using out on the field. Then we realised the plant tooling needed to be looked over.
It's important to understand that the needs are different across each project, it's our rule to ensure we can hop from project to project and carry out multiple lines of auditing. At the end of the day, from a business perspective, our role is to ensure our engineers are out there working safely and the Maintenance of all the assets Kellys has invested into.
The welfare of the engineers and the business is a vital part of adding value to the business, we are another set of eyes and ears for the operational team so we can make sure our engineers are out working safely with the right equipment. When looking at it from a financial point it's important to know we have large amounts of plants and equipment, so what we can do is go out there and audit those plants and make sure the records from the business end are kept up to date.
We are aligned with all parts of the Business; for every In Progress H&S audit we carry out, feedback is documented and shared with the Operational teams, and we chair weekly feedback sessions with all the teams to ensure that the right coaching and feedback is delivered to the engineers who need it. Every Plant and Tooling audit we complete is shared with the Plant Management team to ensure that company records are kept up to date and maintained any losses are recorded correctly to ensure losses to the business are kept to a minimum. Every Vehicle audit we do is captured using an APP that directly feeds back to the Fleet Department who can act promptly to any repairs needed, this can reduce downtime on vehicles and additional unnecessary maintenance.
Every contract me and my team have worked on has been a success (touch wood) for different reasons. However each project is different, but they all have the same goal, an operation will always be an operation the product is what's different. So, we have taken poor-performing areas and turned them into good profitable areas but also, we have had to manage, for example, contracts that were not profitable, in this case, we look to mitigate as much cost and reduce the damage.
Team Management and Development
When ensuring continuous improvement, effective communication is essential in my role. I'm in constant contact with my team, holding regular calls to discuss ongoing work and staying updated on progress. As a director, I also present at monthly board meetings, where we review the previous month’s successes, challenges, red flags, and profit/loss. After these meetings, I relay the key information to my team, and we analyse our performance together. Since my team is highly adaptable, I can sit down with them to introduce new methods and implement changes when necessary.
Feedback from the field is crucial, and I make sure to liaise with the team to integrate those insights. Our small team of auditors includes many former engineers, which is a significant advantage. Their hands-on experience gives them a deep understanding of how operations should run, and they know firsthand what excellence looks like.
Ultimately, consistent communication and engagement with the team are vital for continuous improvement. I make it a point to join the team on-site, conducting audits alongside them. I believe it’s important to lead by example I wouldn’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. Now they know more about the technical side of it but going out and seeing engineers is key to the success of our work.
This type of work has changed drastically because of the fact that as a generation we are more conscious of the Welfare of our workforce. This has improved massively over the last 10 years. Although the HSW Act has been in place since the 70’s, we have seen in recent years a vast improvement in legislation, increased awareness and technology. These combined have made it easier for businesses to manage and maintain a safe working environment. Although these changes have made completing tasks
Vision for the Future
As a team we are adaptive to the needs of the business, we can direct our attentions to specific requirements of the business, by region or by projects. By ensuring my team's accreditations and learning portfolios are always up to date allows us to be adaptive. Independent Auditing is a must for large Organisations to allow an unbiased view.
Final words
I take pride knowing that the team I am responsible for are making a difference, supporting their colleagues in the Operation and most importantly making sure our workforce gets home safely.
Kelly House, Fourth Way, Wembley
Middlesex, HA9 0LH
We are always recruiting for the best people in the industry, click here see our latest vacancies.