Abbey recently invested more than £4.5 million on new vehicles and trailers.
Abbey had previously implemented a system to manage compliance and maintenance, but with the business expanding, a more integrated and comprehensive system was required that would provide better management information and a platform for future expansion.
A key feature of Freeway is that it extends digital working into the hands of staff in the workshop, and Abbey is equipping technicians with tablets to digitally record their timesheets, inspections and job cards.
“When it came to managing the fleet, our previous system was fine for monitoring vehicle and parts costs but that was only giving us half the picture. Missing was any information on arguably our most important single asset, and that is labour,” says Paul Jamieson, head of finance, Abbey Logistics Group.
He said that the system offers an accurate cost allocation per asset. “That allows us to make properly informed decisions on how to improve the way we work.”
As well as the core functions of managing services, inspections, defects and compliance, Abbey is implementing Freeway for managing stores for digital parts issuing and stock control, with automated replenishment on impress stock.
Abbey will also be using Freeway’s driver app so drivers can use their mobiles to record their walk-around safety checks. This gives the workshop immediate visibility of any issues so decisions can be made immediately on the urgency on the rectification of any reported defect.
“Crucially, Freeway joins up the dots between the fleet team, the operations team and drivers,” says Jamieson. For example, the introduction of a live, paperless defect system is one way we can ensure the fleet is proactively maintained and 100% compliant at all times.”