Increasing your fleet efficiency is an ongoing process that involves continual and incremental service improvements.
Use management software
According to Verizon, an effective fleet management system could be the most important factor in an efficient fleet. Although we now live in a connected, technology-driven society, many fleets still rely on cumbersome paper management systems that are inefficient and slow. Replacing an outdated filing system with a computerised fleet management system is a must. Management software will connect you with your fleet, centralise data, and make everyday processes much more streamlined.
Make use of fuel cards
There are plenty of advantages associated with using BP fuel cards. Not only are they an exceptionally convenient way to manage your fleet’s fuel consumption but also they can net you some savings. Fuel cards enable you to better track how much fuel your fleet is using and make it much easier to manage accounts by amalgamating bills in one location. With such a wide range of BP fuel cards available, it is easier than ever to find the right one for your fleet.
Optimise your vehicle replacement system
All fleets have a replacement cycle; however, this is sometimes arbitrary and haphazard. Replacing old vehicles can feel like a dark art, but adopting a formalised system based on pre-established criteria will make the process much more efficient. Calculate the best time to replace a vehicle based on its running costs, depreciation and fuel efficiency. A data-driven approach takes all the mystery out of vehicle replacement and makes maintaining your fleet far more efficient.
Go paperless with maintenance
Maintenance is one of the most important but time-consuming processes associated with running a fleet. Many companies rely on paper reports, which can be time inefficient and disorganised; instead, you will find an array of maintenance systems and mobile apps that can make the process paperless. This facilitates more rapid communication and lets you store all your maintenance data in a single virtual location that is easily searchable.
Keep an eye on service history
There is no better way to understand your fleet’s efficiency than by looking at historical data. There are plenty of fleet software programs that can do this for you. Analysing how your fleet has performed over the years is a brilliant way to identify areas for improvement. By combing through past data, fleet managers can gain valuable insights into what they need to change, modernise and streamline.
Automate cost of ownership
Calculating the total cost of your fleet is an essential but exceptionally time-consuming process. Manually entering data into spreadsheets can take hours, but having a centralised database makes the exercise far simpler. There is a range of fleet management programs that can automate this process and store all the data about your fleet in an easy to access centralised database.
The same goes for fuel consumption. Using a BP fuel card is an excellent way to centralise your fuel spend and better understand where savings can be made.