Choosing the right inspection software can transform how lifting operations manage compliance. Brandon Hire Station, part of the Vp Plc group, recently completed a custom to SaaS inspection migration, switching from a custom-built system to CheckedOK. Here’s what they learned.
After eight years with a custom-built inspection system, Brandon Hire Station’s HSEQ lifting team had a decision to make: commission another bespoke platform or try something different.
The original CoreRFID application had served them well since 2017. Built specifically for their operation, it handled LOLER inspections across multiple sites and external customers. But by 2024, technology had changed, and the platform was left behind. The system only worked on Samsung tablets, performance declined compared to current expectations, and technical issues were increasing.
“We knew technology had moved on” says Joseph Antoine, Head of Assurance at Brandon Hire Station. “The question was whether we needed another custom build or if the market had caught up with our requirements.”
The rebuild or buy crossroads
For an operation of Brandon Hire Station’s scale, the default answer would typically be “rebuild custom.” Large hire companies often assume software-as-a-service options can’t handle their asset volumes, site complexity, or workflow requirements.
But CheckedOK had been developed since Brandon Hire Station’s original system was built. The functionality was there: RFID and NFC support, offline capability for field teams, API integration for their management systems, and flexible template configuration for different inspection types.
More importantly, choosing the SaaS route meant no lengthy development cycles, no project management overhead, and a pricing model that made sense. The subscription included all future updates and new features – something that would have cost extra on a custom rebuild.
Brandon Hire Station decided to make the switch and complete its custom to SaaS inspection migration with CheckedOK.
What actually changed on the ground
Brandon Hire Station’s Lifting Examiners noticed the difference immediately:
Speed matters when you’re running large inspection schedules. “The app operates significantly quicker than the legacy version,” Joseph explains. Examiners move through their work without the frustration of waiting for screens to load or dealing with lag during high-volume inspection runs.
Device flexibility removed a significant operational constraint. CheckedOK runs on any device, eliminating the previous reliance on Samsung tablets. This means less equipment management and more options for field teams working across multiple sites.
Job control shifted to where it belongs. “Examiners can now manage and view their own jobs directly in the app,” says Joseph. “This is a substantial improvement over the old workflow, which required job allocation solely through the web portal.” The change gave examiners autonomy and reduced back-office workload.
System integration got simpler. “CheckedOK integrates smoothly with our internal management system,” Joseph notes. Certification data syncs automatically thanks to API integration. When resends are needed, the team can handle it themselves without contacting support; a small change that saves time repeatedly.
The reality of implementation
Like many businesses implementing new LOLER inspection software, Brandon Hire experienced some teething issues during rollout. Transferring eight years of asset registers and inspection data takes time. Training teams across a business of this size doesn’t happen overnight.
What made the difference was how CoreRFID’s support team responded. Issues were addressed quickly, not dismissed. The team worked through integration challenges collaboratively. When sync problems emerged, investigation revealed they stemmed partly from Brandon’s own management system rather than CheckedOK itself.
“We’ve had a few initial issues, but most were resolved quickly,” Joseph notes. “Once the integration challenge is fully sorted, we foresee no significant drawbacks.”
A migration that’s spreading across the group
Brandon Hire Station is one of the UK’s largest equipment hire companies. Operations at this scale typically require custom solutions. Yet here they are, running compliance inspections on an off-the-shelf SaaS platform, and recommending it to others.
Since Brandon Hire Station’s own custom to SaaS inspection migration, CheckedOK has been rolled out across other businesses in the wider Vp Plc group, including MEP Hire and ESS, alongside sister company Hire Station, which made a similar move to CheckedOK for its own compliance inspections.
The lesson isn’t that custom systems are wrong, it’s that the inspection software market has moved on. What required custom development eight years ago is now available as standard functionality. The cost savings, implementation speed and ongoing development included in the subscription made the business case straightforward.
For other HSEQ teams evaluating their inspection systems, Brandon Hire’s experience offers a useful benchmark. If a company of their scale can modernise successfully with CheckedOK, the platform likely has the depth needed for most operations.
“We would highly recommend CheckedOK to other organisations looking for an intuitive, reliable, and well-supported inspection management solution,” says Joseph. “The app’s functionality, flexibility, and strong support team have made a meaningful difference to our operations.”
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