Angela Coffey, First Ark value for money and procurement manager, says the efficiencies have been felt across the company’s facilities management and refurbishment services division, Vivark.
“With Fleet Operations, we have exceeded expectations in terms of our fleet performance and have seen significant gains related to value for money,” states Coffey.
Following a reduction in the size and profile of Vivark’s fleet, from 176 to 132 vehicles, an internal communications campaign was delivered, she says, to promote the new initiatives and particularly to address vehicle spot hiring.
“The success of this campaign, which included one-to-one briefings with contract managers, was remarkable with efficient vehicle utilisation realised within just three months,” adds Coffey.
“Our mobile Vivark staff now have access to a dedicated helpdesk number for Fleet Operations, who now communicate regularly with them,” she continues.
“Considerable time and financial and savings have been realised as a result.”
Vivark’s fleet risk policies have also now been reviewed and risk assessments carried out to ensure the organisation remains compliant with health and safety regulations.
Additionally, a ‘permit to drive’ scheme, involving regular licence checks, has been rolled out across all grey fleet drivers, while driver risk profiling, using telematics data, is set to improve road safety standards, says Coffey.