The Most Expensive Person in Your Control Room Isn’t the Highest Paid…

When I say the most expensive person in your control room isn’t necessarily the highest paid, most people assume I’m talking about an underperforming employee.

I’m not.

In fact, the most expensive “person” is often something much harder to spot.

It’s the dispatcher who hasn’t received the right training.

The planner who doesn’t have the right information.

The supervisor who is constantly firefighting instead of managing.

Or sometimes…

It’s the process itself.

After more than 36 years working in transport, recovery, roadside assistance and control room operations, I’ve seen businesses invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in vehicles, technology and equipment, yet overlook the one area that controls every single job.

The control room.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Measures

Most businesses know exactly what they spend on wages.

Few know what poor operational decisions are costing them.

Think about just one day…

A vehicle is dispatched from the wrong depot.

Another driver passes within five miles of the same job.

A recovery operator waits twenty minutes because nobody has updated the customer.

A planner spends an hour chasing information that should already be visible.

A vehicle transporter returns empty because nobody considered a backload.

Individually these don’t seem significant.

Collectively they can cost thousands of pounds every month.

Activity Isn’t Productivity

One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is believing a busy control room must be an efficient one.

It isn’t.

Some of the noisiest control rooms I’ve visited have been the least productive.

Operators are answering phones, responding to emails, updating systems and dealing with problems that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

Everyone is busy.

Nobody has time to improve the operation.

A well-managed control room often appears surprisingly calm.

People know their responsibilities.

Processes are consistent.

Information is easy to access.

Decisions are based on facts rather than guesswork.

What I Look For

Whenever I visit a new client, I don’t start by looking at KPIs or financial reports.

I simply observe.

Within minutes I’m asking questions such as:

• Does everyone understand their role?

• Are operators following the same process?

• Can planners instantly see the best available resource?

• Is information flowing efficiently?

• Are managers managing—or constantly solving preventable problems?

• Does technology support the team, or slow them down?

The answers tell me far more than a spreadsheet ever could.

The Biggest Opportunity

Improving performance doesn’t always require more staff.

It doesn’t always require more vehicles.

It doesn’t even require new software.

Sometimes it requires fresh eyes.

Someone who isn’t emotionally attached to “the way we’ve always done it.”

Someone who can identify the hidden inefficiencies that become invisible when you’ve worked in the same environment for years.

Small Changes. Big Results.

I’ve worked with organisations where relatively small operational changes have delivered:

• Faster response times

• Better vehicle utilisation

• Reduced empty mileage

• Improved customer communication

• Greater staff confidence

• Better supplier relationships

• Increased profitability

Not because people worked harder.

Because they worked smarter.

A Final Thought

The most expensive part of your control room isn’t usually sitting on your payroll.

It’s the cost of missed opportunities.

The jobs that could have been completed more efficiently.

The customers who quietly choose another supplier.

The hours lost to poor processes.

The revenue that disappears without anyone noticing.

Those costs rarely appear on a profit and loss report.

But they’re there every single day.

Sometimes all it takes is an independent review to uncover them.

If this article has made you look at your operation differently, perhaps it’s time to ask a simple question…

What is my control room really costing my business?

About Karen Ellis Consulting Ltd

Karen Ellis has over 36 years’ experience in transport, roadside assistance, recovery, fleet management and control room operations.

Karen Ellis Consulting Ltd helps businesses improve operational performance through control room reviews, APEX Network training, tender and contract support, PAS43 preparation and audit fixed price , storage and fleet solutions, outsourced control rooms, finance solutions and fuel discount programmes.

Visit www.karenellisconsultingltd.com to read more insights or get in touch 07495911413 to discuss how a fresh pair of experienced eyes could help your operation perform even better.