When a firm such as thefleetbusiness.co.uk speaks of the benefits of outsourcing fleet management services, it’s easy to write off the advice as little more than a marketing push. But as businesses and governmental organisations across the UK find their budgets increasingly stretched and face growing pressure to manage their operations more efficiently, the inherent benefits out outsourcing fleet management begin to make even more sense.
Perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind across the board is that unless your business is one that focuses specifically on fleet management as its number one priority, there’s a service out there that could be doing a better job of it. Both in the immediate moments after taking on such a third-party partner and for the long-term future of the business, there are so many genuine and measurable benefits to be made full use of, including the following:
Increased Efficiency
Little is of more importance to any business these days than the pure and simple efficiency of running. Exactly to what extent any business will benefit in terms of efficiency will of course vary in accordance with current efficiency levels, but by outsourcing what is a quite complex and extensive set of essential fleet management tasks, it’s impossible not to note a huge difference. From reliability of the fleet itself to consistent performance of available assets and the establishment of Key Performance Indicators, the uptick in efficiency can be seen, felt and measured from day one.
Core Business Focus
Something else to bear in mind is the way in which every minute not spent on looking after fleet management in-house is another minute that can be spent focusing on the core of the business. Nobody knows your business better than you, just as none knows fleet management, better than the dedicated professionals. As such, it just makes so much sense to allow a third-party to look after fleet-related tasks and management, in turn allowing you to make best use of your own time and human resources at all times.
Lower Operating Costs
To utilise the services of a professional fleet management group is to gain access to an array of spectacular offers, discounts and what could be described as ‘wholesale’ services not available anywhere else. The reason being that those working exclusively in the field of fleet management is granted access to certain deals made possible only by way of both their extraordinary purchase power and relationships formed during their time in business. As such, the exact same services, products and duties that would have to be carried out by an in-house team become considerably more affordable, while at the same time facilitating much better overall results.
Superior Maintenance Standards
While there’s nothing to say that an in-house effort cannot successfully look after fleet maintenance, it’s foolhardy to expect the same results as those with a professional team would be capable of. It’s a little like comparing a home DIY job to that of a crack team of professional home re-modellers – both options may get the job done, though one will be inherently superior to the other. Maintenance standards play a role in your fleet’s efficiency, cost-effectiveness and overall lifespan – all of which can be enhanced with professional inclusion.
Enhanced Metrics
A professional fleet management service can help keep an eye on literally every aspect of your fleet and provide detailed reports thereon in a manner that would be simply implausible when handled in-house. It is only ever by producing, studying and analysing such reports that it becomes possible to make genuine and beneficial improvements to the way the fleet is run, ultimately increasing efficiency and saving money. Metrics can be tailored in accordance with the nature, size and direction of the business, though will in all instances prove truly invaluable.
Minimal Initial Investment
Last but not least, in order to take care of fleet management in-house, it will of course be necessary to invest in a quite staggering array of equipment and provisions, not to mention the necessary training and human resources required to take care of matters. By contrast, to involve a third-party fleet management team requires no heavy initial investment at all and therefore no immediate or on-going equipment costs at all. Instead, it’s simply a case of paying the agreed monthly or annual fee as specified during the establishment of the contract, which in turn means that costs not only remain low, but are 100% predictable for the long-term. No spikes, no nasty surprises and really not a thing to worry about.