Meet Bill Forbes: Life as an Auxiga Auditor

When you ask Bill Forbes what a typical day looks like as an Auxiga auditor, he laughs and says: "There's no such thing as an average day."

After almost a decade with Auxiga, Bill has learned that unpredictability is one of the things that makes the role so rewarding. One day he might visit five or six dealerships, travelling more than 130 miles to audit motorcycles, cars and agricultural equipment. The next, he'll spend the day at a single site inspecting more than 100 vehicles. It's this variety that keeps every week interesting.

Every month starts with a plan

Before Bill even sets foot on site, there's planning to do. Each month he receives his audit schedule and maps out the most efficient routes, covering a territory stretching across north-east Scotland.

Bill confirms: "A big part of the job is planning. If you don't plan it, you'll be chasing your tail."

Every schedule is different. Some audits need to be completed within tight timeframes, while others can be grouped together to minimise travel. It's a role that offers genuine independence, allowing auditors to organise their own workload while being supported by Auxiga's scheduling and compliance teams.

From motorcycles to million-pound machinery

One of the biggest surprises about the role is the sheer variety of assets auditors inspect. In a single month, Bill could be auditing:

• New and used cars
• Motorcycles
• Agricultural machinery
• Caravans and motorhomes
• Construction equipment
• Cranes
• Quarry machinery
• Oil industry equipment
• Shop fitting installations
• Coaches and commercial vehicles

Some days involve walking dealership forecourts, while others take him onto farms, construction sites, wind farms or industrial facilities. One memorable audit involved specialist oil industry drilling equipment, with Bill commenting: "You're looking at six tubes sitting on a table, each about the thickness of your arm and, together, they're worth over a million pounds."

Every audit tells a story

Although every client is different, the aim is always the same: physically verify the asset. As Bill puts it: "The whole purpose of every audit is to 'touch the metal'."

Using Auxiga's SMART mobile technology, auditors confirm each asset's identity by checking the vehicle identification number (VIN) or serial number, capturing photographic evidence and recording the information instantly.

Sometimes it's straightforward. Cars are often quick to audit, with VIN numbers clearly visible through the windscreen. Motorcycles, however, can test even the most experienced auditor, with Bill pointing out: "The VIN is usually black on black, upside down and hidden behind cables. Three hands would be fantastic."

Finding missing assets can become detective work too. A vehicle may have been sold yesterday, be out on demonstration with a customer, waiting to arrive from the manufacturer or temporarily located at another site. Each one has to be accounted for before the audit is complete.

Problem-solving on the move

No two clients are exactly alike. Some audits involve just a handful of assets, but others can involve hundreds of vehicles spread across multiple locations.

Bill recently worked on a coordinated audit covering more than 40 dealership sites and around 4,500 vehicles across Scotland and the north of England.

As vehicles are sold, moved between dealerships or loaned to customers throughout the week, auditors continually work with dealership teams to verify every asset and ensure nothing is overlooked. As Bill confirms: "It's all about accounting for every unit."

Technology makes the process seamless

Once an audit is complete, results are uploaded directly from Bill's smartphone before he leaves site.

The information is automatically submitted through Auxiga's SMART platform, with compliance teams reviewing any exceptions or unusual findings before reports are finalised where required.

Technology has transformed this kind of role.

When Bill joined the company, much of the process had already moved away from paper-based auditing to digital reporting, allowing auditors to spend more time on site and less time on administration.

Flexibility that fits your lifestyle

One of the biggest reasons Bill has stayed with Auxiga is the flexibility. After spending 25 years in the motor trade, he joined Auxiga looking for something different. Nearly a decade later, he still enjoys the freedom and variety the role offers, commenting: "I thought I was retiring, until I spotted the Auxiga job ad. I now do around ten or eleven days each month. It's a really nice part-time job."

Some auditors choose to work three days a week. Others work full-time. The flexibility allows people to build a schedule that works around their lifestyle while continuing to enjoy interesting, meaningful work.

Why Bill still enjoys the job

Ask Bill what keeps him motivated after nearly ten years and the answer is simple. "No two days are the same."

Whether he's visiting a local dealership, climbing around agricultural machinery, inspecting cranes at a wind farm or verifying specialist equipment destined for projects across the world, every day brings something different.

For people who enjoy working independently, meeting new people, solving problems and getting out from behind a desk, life as an Auxiga auditor offers far more variety than many expect. And that's exactly why Bill still loves doing it.

Could this be a role for you?

If, like Bill, you would enjoy a flexible, independent role full of variety, we’d love to hear from you - contact us.