Five essential questions every business should ask when choosing a fleet management partner

Richard Hipkiss, Managing Director at Fleet Operations, answers some of the most pressing questions businesses should ask when choosing a fleet management partner.

Why are more businesses turning to fleet management partners?

From compliance and safety to cost control and sustainability, the demands of managing a modern vehicle fleet can be complex and time-consuming. Partnering with a specialist provider can help ease the pressure.

A good partner should function as an extension of your existing fleet team, bringing the tools, data and expertise needed to help you make more informed decisions.

This support, in turn, should allow you to focus on your core operations, helping improve efficiency and long-term value.

What’s the first step in choosing the right provider?

The most important first step is to define what success looks like.

Are you aiming to reduce costs for instance, improve compliance, simplify administration or accelerate your transition to electric vehicles (EVs)? Stakeholders across HR, finance, operations and health and safety should all be involved in this process to help align business objectives and pain points.

Independence is another important consideration. In many cases, providers tied to manufacturers, dealer groups or leasing companies will be limited in the solutions they can offer.

Fleet Operations works across the supply chain, helping customers access the most suitable options for their needs, rather than being restricted by fixed agreements.

What should businesses look for in terms of expertise and technology?

Fleet management spans a multitude of disciplines, from acquisition and maintenance to compliance, driver engagement and sustainability.

Businesses should, consequently, look for a provider with proven expertise across all these areas and with a track record of achieving measurable results.
The right technology platforms are also needed to provide real-time visibility of vehicle status, costs and compliance data.

Fleet Operations’ MOVE software suite, for example, integrates every aspect of fleet management and includes a driver app that simplifies ordering, checks and reporting. By doing so it helps improve safety while reducing downtime and admin.

How important are culture and accountability in a successful partnership?

Culture is the key to turning a contract into a true partnership. Shared values, transparency and open communication are all vital ingredients to helping ensure consistent service delivery.

It is prudent to meet the team who will manage your account to get a better understanding of how they work and how performance will be measured.

The best providers should back up their promises with clear service level agreements, regular reporting and ROI tracking. This helps to ensure that every efficiency gain or compliance improvement is demonstrable and can be sustained.

Sustainability is now a major focus for fleets. How can a partner support that journey?

The transition to low-carbon transport calls for your fleet partner to be able to analyse duty cycles, plan charging strategies and model whole-life costs, while also offering practical solutions that support EV adoption.

Fleet Operations’ SalAd salary-sacrifice scheme, for example, can help employers reduce their carbon footprint while boosting their employee benefits provision by giving staff affordable access to EVs.

Furthermore, when assessing potential partners, you should check their own environmental credentials. Certifications such as ISO 14001 and EcoVadis help demonstrate a meaningful commitment to sustainability.

For more information, contact Fleet Operations on 0344 567 8000 or email advice@fleetoperations.co.uk.