Lombard is launching Van Plus+, the only in-house, bespoke build management service offered by a leasing company.

Van Plus+ gives customers a turn-key, custom-built van to meet the specific needs of their business and van usage. First, Lombard’s experts identify the basic van best suited to them and source the vehicle. Then they develop the final specification, from racking and roof systems to specialist items, and manage the suppliers. The van is fitted out and liveried entirely at one of Lombard’s three specialist build facilities, located to minimise the logistics of transporting components and delivering the end product - and at the same time reduce environmental impact. Finally the van is delivered to the customer ready to go.

The fact that the build takes place at a single location means that the process is faster than if the work were carried out by multiple suppliers. With Van Plus+, the vehicles are also earning money from the start of their term rather than having to be off the road for fit-out, while Lombard’s buying power allows the build to be carried out more cost-effectively.

Perhaps most importantly, Van Plus+ ensures that vans are able to carry out their work efficiently, securely and above all safely, because they have benchmark quality, expertise and duty of care built in.

Van Plus+ is the only build service where the work is carried out and managed completely in-house, reflecting the flexibility characterised by Lombard’s commitment to creating bespoke solutions. If, for example, a customer has a preferred supplier for racking, Lombard will source the racking from that supplier but will fit it on site at a Van Plus+ facility to ensure consistent quality and that it is fully integrated into the overall build package.

In this situation a competitor’s customer would have the racking fitted elsewhere by the preferred supplier, losing vital control over quality and overall build management, resulting in possible cost and timing issues. With a large fleet, these issues would not only be multiplied but the chances of problems occurring would significantly increase. The logistical disadvantages of a multi-site operation also create a carbon footprint before the vans even commence work.

“Good van operation is fundamentally about being fit for purpose, and Van Plus+ ensures that they are,” says Lombard’s Van Operations Manager Wayne Millward. “Many companies simply do not have the resources to ensure that their vehicles are correctly equipped, and few have the technical expertise. Van Plus+ allows businesses to concentrate on their core business activities and get the best from their vehicles, and the increasing need to meet increasing legislative demands makes it even more valuable.”