Laird & Son: From Manual Timesheets to Real-Time Proof

Laird & Son is a long-established family-run HVAC business based in Toronto. Like many businesses managing a team of engineers across the city, they needed better visibility of what was happening in the field, and a more reliable way to manage time and attendance. RAM vehicle tracking gave them both.

Manual Timesheets and No Proof of Attendance

As a family-run HVAC business with a team of engineers working across the country, Laird & Son relied on a fortnightly manual timesheet process. Engineers signed off their hours in the office with no way to cross-reference against actual locations or time on site.

When a client disputed whether an engineer had attended an appointment, it quickly became clear the business had no quick way to verify it.

They needed a system that could:

• Replace manual timesheets with accurate, automated time records
• Provide documented proof of attendance at customer sites
• Give the office team real-time visibility of engineer locations
• Help engineers navigate to jobs more efficiently

Real-Time Tracking from Day One

RAM gave Laird & Son the visibility they needed, and it was working from the moment it went live.

As Operations Manager Kim Laird-Hurst explains:

We were tracking our engineers and printing management reports within minutes of it going live. Training was scheduled a short time later, but we were already working on saving money and increasing productivity from day one.

Payroll became significantly more accurate. With 100% verified time data, the small overstatements that had been building up through manual timesheets stopped immediately.

We know that every minute is accounted for and the odd 10 to 15 minutes that may have been overclaimed in the past has stopped and is now easily saving us a few hundred dollars per week.

When a client disputed whether an engineer had attended anappointment, the answer was immediate.

Within a matter of minutes we had unquestionable backup to show that the engineer had called at the location.

The travel reports and live fleet tracking also changed how the team navigated their day. Street-level map views allow the office to give engineers specific instructions about parking and access before they arrive, saving time and frustration on site.

GPS Tracking and Engineer Buy-In

One unexpected benefit was how quickly the team came around to the system. Initially, one engineer in particular raised concerns about being tracked. But within a couple of weeks, his view had shifted entirely. He no longer had to travel to the office to submit timesheets, the team could direct him efficiently to jobs, and his days became more productive and less stressful.

It's a pattern RAM sees regularly; initial resistance that quickly turns into appreciation once engineers experience the day-to-day benefits first hand.

Saving Hundreds Every Week

The results for Laird & Son were clear and immediate:

• Payroll savings of several hundred dollars per week through accurate automated time records
• Disputed client appointments resolved quickly with timestamped proof of attendance
• Engineers navigating more efficiently with street-level location data and site-specific instructions
• Real-time visibility of all engineers from the office
• Manual timesheets eliminated entirely