< Previous28April 23 2020 ■ fleetnews.co.uk he UKs most influential fleet event is back with a new name, new theatre sessions and two days of packed content to help set the agenda across the fleet and mobility industry. The evolution of the shows name from Fleet Live to Fleet & Mobility Live for 2020 reflects how fleets are preparing for the business mobility as a service revolution and how fleet managers responsibilities are expanding beyond automotive and will encompass all areas of mobility. The event will once again be held at the NEC in Birmingham on October 6-7 and include a host of new features, including an Electric Vehicle Theatre, Mobility Theatre and Operational Excellence Theatre, as well as perennial favourite Discover Fleet Theatre. The Tomorrows Fleet Zone is also back and promises to be bigger and better than ever. The Commercial Fleet Zone also returns and promises to be bigger and better than ever, with new exhibitors and a host of new features and initiatives to appeal to operators of vans and trucks. The EV Theatre and Mobility Theatre (see panel) will explore two important topics in depth due to their significant impact on the future planning strategies for businesses across the UK. Fleet decision-makers and those involved in the mobility decision-making unit, including procurement, HR and finance, will be able to gain advice, guidance and insight from more than 20 expert speakers across all four theatres over the two-day event. David Oliver, Specsavers senior category manager and Fleet & Mobility Live Visitor Advisory Board member, said: This show is always the most productive and comprehensive time away from the office for me. Last years show was filled with timely focused content seminars, amazing speakers and a wide range of fleet service suppliers. With the unprecedented changes in fleet, and also a shift to really embrace the mobility initiatives, there is so much to keep on top of right now. Youll definitely find your questions answered at this event and you will be able to discuss with suppliers how they can help you improve your fleet efficiency and be ready for the new world. Fleet management software provider Jaama is sponsoring two Operational Excellence Theatre sessions this year, with the focus on providing insight from fleet professionals on how best to use data from telematics, fuel cards, connected cars and licence checks to help reduce costs and improve efficiency. Martin Evans, managing director at Jaama, said: The theatre sessions, along- side the Q&As, are a really good way of keeping your finger on the pulse to under- stand the current thinking across the industry. Were at a really interesting time with the development of fleet as just when the desirability of the company car looks to be dwindling, electric vehicles still make them a relevant option for a lot of drivers. Jaama will have its team on hand to chat with existing customers and new pros- pects about its Maintenance Exchange More than 2,000 visitors attended Fleet Live last year, taking the opportunity to hear from 44 expert speakers across 22 seminar sessions. Walking the floor took them around 124 exhibitors all record numbers for the UKs biggest and most influential fleet show. Visitors told us they were at the show FLEET LIVE 2019: WHAT YOU MISSED WHY DID YOU ATTEND FLEET LIVE? 86% to meet current or new suppliers 58% to keep up to date with fleet policy and best practice 56% to obtain information to help me do my job 46% to find out about new products and services 30% to understand more about new technology 27% to learn more about low and zero emission vehicles to meet current or new suppliers, to keep up to date with fleet policy and best practice, to find our about new products and services and to understand more about the latest technology, including electric vehicles. Electric was to be the major theme of Fleet Live 2019, with each seminar packed to standing room only. EVs were, said delegates, the biggest issue facing their businesses over the next 12 months. The vast majority of delegates 71% stayed at the show for more than three hours, while 91% said they had achieved their objectives. Even more impressively, 99% said they intended to return to the show in 2020. T29 EXHIBITORS TO DATE AID Fuel Oils Group Alfa Fleet/Tail Lift Services ARI Athlon UK Autoserve BP Fleet Solutions Chevin Fleet Solutions E-Driving Fleet Check Fleet Operations FuelGenie Grosvenor Leasing HaynesPro (UK) Ltd Jaama Ltd JCT600 Vehicle Leasing Solutions John Jordan Ltd LAP Electrical Ltd LeasePlan Licence Check Locks 4 Vans Ltd Lytx Masternaut Maxus Modul-System Ltd Nexus Vehicle Rental Northgate Vehicle Hire Ogilvie Fleet ProtectAVan Solutions Ltd Quartix Ltd RAM Mount UK Ltd Reflex Vehicle Hire Samsara Smart Fleet Solutions TCH Leasing TTC Group VisionTrack Volkswagen Financial Services | Fleet XPI Simulations Zenith TURN OVER FOR MORE REASONS TO ATTEND compliance platform and the ability to manage pool cars from its MyVehicle app. Fleet & Mobility Live always enjoys strong representation from the leasing sector, with the majority of the FN50 top 20 exhibiting at the show. Volkswagen Financial Services has been meeting customers there for the past two years. Tom Brewer, head of sales and marketing, said the show has become an established part of the fleet industry calendar. The focus this year is to decode the issues for our customers and to make sense of the complexity, Brewer said. We will be there to help attendees push fleet up the agenda in their organisations; but this will also mean talking more about the future of work and what that means. Brewer said that framing conversations around the future of work will drive better questions at the event around changes in behaviour towards non-automotive mobility the market will see in the future. He said: Our plan is to engage in a new piece of research prior to this years Fleet & Mobility Live so we can really tune in to what decisions and topics organisations are wrestling with. So far, 42 exhibitors have signed up to exhibit at Fleet & Mobility Live 2020, including nine leasing companies, plus rental providers, software, tyres, fuel solutions and van suppliers. Chris Connors, Countryside Properties (UK) Ltd head of facilities & fleet, believes this is one of the major draws of Fleet & Mobility Live. It is supported by the largest of organisations as well as the smaller ones, he said. Its a unique environment where you can meet with providers in a relaxed way. Stephen Briers, Fleet News editor-in- chief, said: With the help of our experi- enced Visitor Advisory Board, we continue to shape and evolve Fleet & Mobility Live to ensure it remains relevant to every type of fleet decision-maker, irrespective of the size and make up of their fleet. This year, in recognition that fleet is now about how businesses move their people, goods and services about, we have introduced a host of new features designed to provide advice and guidance to those responsible for making decisions about mobility and fleetnews.co.uk ■ April 23 202030April 23 2020 ■ fleetnews.co.uk NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE THEATRE The Governments recent announcement to bring the ban on new petrol and diesel forward to 2035, or potentially even earlier, and include all hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles has elevated electric vehicles up the list of priorities for the industry in 2020. Changes to benefit-in-kind taxation and the explosion of new products from vehicle manufacturers looking to rapidly cut emissions has kickstarted the decade of electrification. Expert speakers will investigate the challenges, opportunities and barriers to increased adoption, infrastructure, energy management and how the fleet industry will lead the way on EV and meet the challenge of transport decarbonisation. NEW MOBILITY THEATRE This theatre is symbolic of the name change for this years show as companies prepare for the business mobility as a service revolution. The responsibilities of fleet decision-makers are expanding beyond automotive and will ultimately encompass all areas of mobility as a broader concept. Each conference speaker session will have a greater focus on linking fleet strategy to Government policy, helping businesses to understand how decisions at both national and local levels will influence the way they move their people, goods and services. Key areas of focus will be how cities and towns are changing with the adoption of their own mobility platforms, how more connected and autonomous technology will transform the industry and how fleets are thinking beyond automotive. NEW OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE THEATRE Presentations from this theatre will focus on top tips and best practice advice that fleet professionals and business owners can take away and put into practice the next day. Improving efficiency and safety, and implementing effective service level agreements, will all be high on the agenda. These sessions focus on the immediate day-to-day challenges of fleet management for vehicles that are currently on the road, assessing where action needs to be taken in the short-term in response to ongoing business developments. Speakers at the seminars will be experts in their fields, either hands-on fleet managers or representatives of specialist industry bodies and organisations. DISCOVER FLEET THEATRE Vehicle taxation and finance are central to fleet management, and the Discover Fleet Theatre offers expert sessions where guidance will be designed specifically for the specialist roles that support mobility outside the traditional fleet management department. This includes professionals in finance, procurement and HR. The sessions aim to provide insight to newcomers to the fleet industry, while broadening the skills of existing fleet managers. Topics will include the latest guidance on taxation, different vehicle funding methods and benefits, and how fleets can improve driver wellbeing. FOUR THEATRES TO TACKLE THE BIG TOPICS THE FLEET & MOBILITY LIVE VISITOR ADVISORY BOARD The Fleet and Mobility Live visitor advisory board was created to ensure the show meets the needs of fleet decision-makers. The panel meets every two months to discuss new ideas and agree on the core content driving the best practice and strategy sessions. Board members manage fleets ranging from fewer than 100 vehicles to more than 1,000. ALISON MORIARTY, RISK FLEET PROFESSIONAL If you can only attend one event this year, make it FML. It is a unique opportunity to meet with some truly innovative providers, big and small, and to see whats new to the market for all things fleet related. Its also a fantastic opportunity to meet up with your existing suppliers. There are many industry specialists in attendance, making it a good networking opportunity and the seminars are informative and thought provoking. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Advisory Board area where we will be happy to share our experience and best practice and answer any questions you may have - if we dont know, we will know someone who does! This really is THE fleet event of the year. CAROLINE SANDALL, ACFO NATIONAL CHAIR FML is a key event in the industry calendar offering the perfect mix of networking seminars and meeting suppliers and viewing products and services. You can fit so much into one or both days - its valuable time away from the office - stimulating thought and consideration for the future. CHRIS CONNORS, COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES (UK) LTD, HEAD OF FACILITIES & FLEET FML is the one event of the year where the industry comes together. Important to me is the knowledge you can gain from your peers and industry specialists, either through the organised seminars or the informal networking. DAVID OLIVER, SPECSAVERS SENIOR CATEGORY MANAGER Fleet & Mobility Live is the most productive and comprehensive day or two away from the office. DEBBIE FLOYDE, BAUER MEDIA FLEET & RISK MANAGER Its the only event where you can meet dedicated key industry suppliers, account managers and manufacturers, where you can share best practice and where you can network with industry colleagues, learn about new initiatives and touch and feel products that are actually relevant to you. You can have a coffee with industry experts and become involved in the future of the industry as it evolves at a record pace while evaluating both new vehicle and new mobility models.31fleetnews.co.uk ■ April 23 2020 Maxus, the new name for LDV, has become the first manufac- turer to confirm its attendance at Fleet & Mobility Live 2020. The van maker, owned by Chinese manufacturer SAIC but distributed in the UK by Harris Group of Ireland, will be showcasing its new Deliver 9 Euro 6 diesel large van and E Deliver 3 fully electric small van at what will likely be the public debut for both models. Mark Barrett, Maxus UK and Ireland general manager, said: These new models on new platforms meant the timing was right to rebrand as Maxus. Its really important that we have this mix of electric and diesel engines on show at a time where fleets are looking to increase their plug-in vehicle fleet mix, but there will still likely be a split between the two fuel types depending on operational need. Barrett said Fleet & Mobility Live is a key opportunity for dele- gates to learn more about electric vehicles and for the Maxus team to engage with current and prospective customers to hold their hand and guide them through the way the fleet industry is changing towards electric propulsion. He said: We will be there to help fleets embrace electric with elements around assessing suitability for electric vehicles as well as how they can manage charging. The Deliver 9 will be available in a choice of three lengths, three heights and a choice of front or rear wheel drive. The E Deliver 3 offers range of up to up 168miles (WLTP) on a single charge from its 52.5kWh battery. fleetandmobilitylive.co.uk October 6-7 2020. Hall 20, NEC JERRY WARD, JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP MANAGER, LEGAL OPERATIONS Fleet & Mobility Live provides a great opportunity to ensure we stay up to date with technology and services, which is vitally important. An invaluable part of the show are the seminars and advice desk where the latest information is available to help fleet operators work effectively. The show is an event every fleet operator should not miss. LORNA CARPENTER, WESTERN UNION FLEET MANAGER Fleet & Mobility Live is a must-attend event for anyone involved in any aspect of your companys decision-making process. Whether procurement, HR or fleet, there are informative seminars combined with market leading and innovative products which help to develop and shape our mobility strategies. The opportunity to network with industry experts as well as other decision makers is unrivalled and the Visitor Advisory Board will be on hand to offer advice meaning you should leave with no question unanswered. LORNA MCATEAR, NATIONAL GRID FLEET MANAGER Its such an important event for everyone from procurement professionals, to HR professionals, to fleet managers, to anybody that wants to get involved in the industry. PETER WESTON, ARCUS FLEET MANAGER Fleet & Mobility Live is the most important event to attend. No matter what you know about fleet, theres always more you can learn and this is the place to learn it. RORY MORGAN, IRON MOUNTAIN HEAD OF LOGISTICS SUPPORT The chance to see, experience and learn about new innovation coming down the line is a major part of Fleet & Mobility Live. STEWART LIGHTBODY, M GROUP SERVICES FLEET DIRECTOR It is the pinnacle of fleet events in any year. Its for this reason I have the pleasure of sitting among my peers on the Advisory Board so we can shape the event to reflect the industry. The chance to meet and discuss our greatest challenges (and successes) should not be overlooked nor taken lightly. It is the place to conduct your fleet business and gauge what others are doing. MAXUS GOES ELECTRIC AT F&MLAutomation is my buzzword Fleet software, mileage capture, apps and an integrated telematics-camera solution are among the tools Auto Windscreens group fleet manager Shaun Atton has adopted, helping to cut costs by more than £150,000. Sarah Tooze reports tyres to a national supplier with fixed rates. These changes saw Auto Windscreens claim the Fleet News Awards most improved fleet title this year. On the environmental front, Auto Wind- screens has become carbon-neutral thanks to carbon offsetting, while replacement cycles have been reduced from four to three years (cutting CO 2 by 5.4%). In addition, the commercial fleet will all be Euro 6 by the end of this month and hybrid and electric vehicles are being introduced to the car fleet. At the start of last year, Atton was also tasked with creating one fleet policy for all the businesses owned by Auto Windscreens parent company, the Markerstudy Group, (an additional 110 vehicles) and, as of October, he assumed responsibility for a five-strong facilities team, handling compliance and maintenance across 61 sites in the UK. Since the coronavirus lockdown, all 61 fitting hubs have been temporarily closed and all back office operations have been set up to work from home across the Auto Windscreens business. A mobile service is still being provided for customers who need it, with priority given to key workers such as the NHS, emergency services and critical sector fleets. Auto Windscreens and the Marketstudy Group have also teamed up with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to deliver essential food and medical supplies to around 1,000 vulnerable residents in the area (see Commercialfleet.org, April 8). AUTOMATION Atton has found the secret to juggling his fleet responsibilities is to automate where possible. When he took on the fleet role there were three administrators dealing with really mundane tasks, each with their own spreadsheet. Now they use Auto Windscreens core operating system, Field Service Manager (FSM), which has been adapted by IT to include a fleet management system. wo-and-half years ago Shaun Atton made what he considers his best career move. He switched from being a regional service manager at Auto Windscreens, looking after London and the east of the country, to becoming the businesss group fleet manager, responsible for 81 company cars and 360 vans. Fleet was initially just a project he was asked by the operations director to look at the fleet department from an operational point of view to streamline processes but Atton says he fell in love with it and chose not to return to his regional managers role. Some people might see that as a back- wards step or a sideways step but its not; its the best career move Ive made so far, Atton says. I love it, its so fast-paced. Every week there is something different happening. Atton has worked for Auto Windscreens for 17 years, initially as an apprentice glass repair and replacement technician, progressing to fitting centre manager, area manager and then regional manager, before taking on the fleet. That career path has proved invaluable. Having the experience of the operations has really helped me in the role, he says. Although I knew very little about fleet I knew a lot about the operation and what the demands were on the road for our staff, that helps me in the decisions I make. Atton learnt about fleet by speaking to other fleet managers and suppliers and reading white papers, industry publications and masses of information on the internet. It was a steep learning curve just dealing with all the information and putting it into use, he says. He has now made sweeping changes to the fleet operation, including implementing a new work-related road risk programme, replacing spreadsheets with a bespoke fleet manage- ment system, changing fuel card provider, switching from pool cars to daily rental, changing leasing provider and moving from using independent garages for MOTs and 32 April 23 2020 ■ fleetnews.co.uk SPOTLIGHT: AUTO WINDSCREENS T FSM handles all elements of Auto Wind- screens vehicle repairs and replacement work from jobs booking and parts ordering to technician work schedules and job completion. The system now holds lease schedule information, MOT expiry dates, service intervals and records, mileages and vehicle handover forms. The system has allowed the fleet team to automate alerts to drivers and line managers when MOT and servicing is due and provides details of what to do next. Service and maintenance can be planned around the technicians shift patterns. Drivers use FSM on their tablets to perform vehicle checks and if an issue is highlighted it automatically creates an alert for the fleet team to act on. The system also pulls in telematics data and is accessible to operations managers across the business. Telematics works in conjunction with VisionTracks 3G connected camera solution. VisionTrack is part of our Markerstudy Group, Atton says. It partnered with Webfleet and we were the first fleet to have the integration so the telematics speaks to the camera. If we have an alert on the camera it pulls it into Webfleet and puts it all onto one dashboard. And Webfleet feeds into our fleet management system, weve managed to get an open API so everything is combined. Automation is my buzzword. Prior to introducing telematics, a trial was held with six technicians at Auto Wind- screens Leicester fitting hub. This provided vital feedback and helped get driver buy-in. Atton also hosted forums and conference calls, and went to sites to explain why tele- matics was being introduced. The system provides in-vehicle feedback, beeping when drivers brake or accelerate too harshly, for example. It flashes up on the display 20 seconds after an event to say what it beeped for so if you were harsh braking to get out of a sticky situation it gives you 20 seconds so its a minimal distraction, Atton says. 33 WINNER WHEN YOU GET FEEDBACK (AFTER TRAINING) DRIVERS HAVE PICKED UP ON THINGS FROM IT, SO IT IS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT SHAUN ATTON, AUTO WINDSCREENS Vans have also been fitted with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), including collision mitigation with pedestrian detec- tion, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition, auto high beam and driver impairment monitoring. Atton has seen first-hand that the collision mitigation works thanks to camera footage. Any serious incidents are investigated by the drivers line manager. They will sit down with the driver and look at the video footage together, Atton says. Its not just to see who was at fault, we have a duty of care to make sure the driver is okay and to see if anything can be done differently to avoid it next time. All drivers are risk-assessed annually and have their licence checked with Applied Driving Techniques (ADT). This is followed with targeted training. For instance, if a driver has six points on their licence for speeding they complete a speed awareness module on their tablet. Drivers who are unfamiliar with a particular type of vehicle undergo on-the-road training with Auto Windscreens in-house regional training officers who have been trained by ADT to assess and train technicians. The officers also train high risk drivers based on telematics data or number of incidents. Our in-house trainers visit our technicians at least once a year for their core job so it made sense to tie driver training in, Atton says. Initially, when we tell a driver they are going to have someone sat next to them the response is I know how to drive but when you get the feedback afterwards they have picked up on things from it so it is having a positive impact. The top performing drivers are rewarded through Auto Windscreens talent recogni- tion programme and last year received High Street vouchers and were recognised in the companys newsletter. JUDGES COMMENTS: An exceptional use of data from a variety of sources has driven an effective fleet strategy from a thoroughly modern fleet manager. Auto Windscreens is always looking for innovation and fleet manager Shaun Atton has excellent relationships within the business and with key supplier partners. The judges praised the role of the fleet within the companys charity work. MOST IMPROVED FLEET OF THE YEAR WINNER: AUTO WINDSCREENS Shaun Atton, fleet manager, Auto Windscreens (left) collected the trophy from Neil McCrossan, sales and marketing director of Northgate Vehicle Hire, the award sponsors 34 April 23 2020 ■ fleetnews.co.uk SPOTLIGHT: AUTO WINDSCREENS As well as the in-house approach to training, Atton has brought accident manage- ment in-house utilising Zenith Marque, which is owned by Markerstudy. Overall, the changes to risk management have resulted in a 30.9% decrease in inci- dents since 2017, the claims ratio has fallen from 91% in 2018 to 58% last year and inci- dent costs have reduced by £50,277. Atton has also taken measures to improve control of grey fleet drivers who now all undergo licence checks with ADT as well as providing insurance, maintenance and MOT records. Grey fleet drivers have been given fuel cards which are linked to MileageCount, which automatically records, measures and manages mileage expenses. Auto Windscreens switched from using a pump price fuel card to a fixed price one with BP after a mapping exercise showed that BP locations matched with Auto Windscreens sites. The use of telematics, combined with fuel card data, has cut fuel costs by 5.4% a £93,441 saving last year. Technicians can use a card or the BPme app to pay. Atton says using the app rather than drivers paying at the kiosk reduces downtime and increases van security. Other measures Atton has taken to reduce downtime include using the What3words app, which allows technicians to pinpoint their location to three square metres for break- down providers and emergency services, and partnering with Fleet Tyre Network, a national company that finds the closest tyre and MOT supplier to Auto Windscreens drivers. The business holds stock of Auto Windscreens preferred tyre at its locations, reducing downtime. Prior to working with Fleet Tyre Network, Auto Windscreens had relationships with numerous independent suppliers with no uniform approach in place for drivers or ability to control costs. The new approach has reduced average tyre costs from £97 to £83. Atton also analysed utilisation of Auto Windscreens eight pool cars across the country and found they were being used just over 50% of the week. They were an admin- istration headache too as cars were returned with damage and needed cleaning, servicing and maintaining. He decided to switch to daily rental with Arnold Clark, almost halving costs to £13,980 per annum compare to pool car costs of £26,292 per annum. The majority of company cars and vans are leased through Arnold Clark, CVM and Rivervale with maintenance carried out in-house. Atton reviewed manufacturers and decided to remain with Ford for commercial Sponsored by35 fleetnews.co.uk ■ April 23 2020 ...Charities Auto Windscreens has chosen to support local charities by featuring their logos on its engineers vans. Weve got 20 areas and weve let the area managers and their group of technicians choose a charity for their area, Shaun Atton says. By the end of this year all vans will feature a logo. Some areas have chosen a charity with a particular story behind it, Atton says. For instance, the daughter of one our technicians has an incurable kidney disease so we are featuring the Kidney Care logo. Another area has chosen to promote Young Epilepsy as the five-year-old cousin of a supervisor, Ellie Ribbans (pictured below), suffers from severe epilepsy and the charity has provided vital support for her and her family (see Commercialfleet.org, February 28). Atton says that the initiatives helps raise awareness of charities and staff are actively encouraged to fundraise for their chosen organisation. ATTON ON.... ORGANISATION: Auto Windscreens GROUP FLEET MANAGER: Shaun Atton TIME IN ROLE: 30 months FLEET SIZE: 441 81 cars, 360 vans BRANDS ON FLEET: cars BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, koda, Volkswagen and Volvo; vans Ford. EVERYTHING ACROSS THE FLEET NOW GOES IN THE SAME PLACE SO IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE AREA MANAGER DOING VAN CHECKS SHAUN ATTON, AUTO WINDSCREENS which it trialled in London but it didnt work. The claimed range was not what it was actually doing and when it was running the telematics, the camera, the heating etc. the mileage was much less than we needed, Atton says. While it wasnt doing tasks because it was charging, we were losing revenue. The day came when the driver rang me during the winter. He sent me a link for some thermal self-charging underwear. I said whats that? He said I can plug it in over- night and its warm for me the next day. I said why do you need that?. He said Because I cant have the heating on in the van because Im not getting the range so we pulled it back. We still use it, our mechanic in head office uses it to do local journeys for repairs so it has got a benefit but not on that scale and thats why Im still not ready to put commer- cial vehicles out there yet. Rapid charging points are in place at 12 of Auto Windscreens sites, which are available for customer and staff use, and the business is reviewing which hotspots to install further points. Atton says the charging points and electri- fying the car fleet sits alongside carbon offsetting. Auto Windscreens has worked with BP Target Neutral since 2018, buying carbon credits issued by projects across the globe that are making measurable carbon reductions such as the protection of Zambias forests. As a result it has gained carbon neutral certification in 2018 and 2019. Staff are also encouraged to use BPs online calculator to offset their own emis- sions generated by flights, driving and other journeys. Atton acknowledges that there are critics of carbon offsetting schemes but it is a hard feat for a business of its size to be carbon neutral without offsetting and he points out that the business has introduced other environmentally-friendly measures. At its head office in Chesterfield, managers are encouraged to make their company car available during the day for members of their team to use for business journeys. Sometimes its a difficult conversation to have because its their car, theyve got their personal belongings in, but they appreciate it is saving their department from the cost of a rental car, Atton says. He is looking into whether managers with a company car in London might prefer a mobility allowance to use on public transport instead. Were always looking at what is coming next and what can we do differently, he says. vehicles as the Custom best suited the busi- nesss needs for load space for carrying its biggest windscreen and the vehicle is the right height for the canopies that technicians use for mobile work. A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING A new racking system has been introduced to meet demands for the latest tools and tooling technology and ensure health and safety compliance. We got a forum of technicians together, Atton says. We gave them two empty vans, two lots of van equipment and let them play around with it for two days and they came up with design so we got their buy-in. It was a small change but one that has gone down really well. The brief was a place for everything so everything across the fleet now goes in the same place so it makes it easier for the area manager doing van checks. All new vans also now feature a charity logo as part of a new corporate social responsi- bility project (see panel). The company car fleet has changed from an open choice, which was a nightmare to manage, to six brands: BMW, Ford, Mercedes- Benz, koda, Volkswagen and Volvo. We asked drivers what do you feel would suit your role out of these 40 vehicles?. And we based it on their feedback, Atton says. Drivers have a choice of SUVs, estates and hybrids and we will review it every six months and then annually to make sure were still meeting their requirements. There are currently 11 hybrids on the car fleet and Atton is looking at fully electric vehi- cles with a view to the entire car fleet being fully electric in five years time. The commercial fleet is more challenging as the vehicles do high mileages. Auto Windscreens has a Citroën Berlingo New owner brings tech market know-how to help Drive Software Solutions realise its full potential. Gareth Roberts reports Ex-Dragon Julie Meyer expects big things of Drive he new owner of Drive Software Solutions believes it has the potential to be one of the leading technology platforms in the industry. Its software currently facilitates the management of more than one million vehicles worldwide, but Viva Investment Partners (VIP) says the Hertfordshire-based business is perfectly placed to become more than just another fleet management offering. Instead, it is planning to help the company transform the market through its software-as-a- service (SaaS) platform serving the wider, developing mobility market. VIP bought the business in November for an undisclosed sum and announced Alastair Houston, the former MD of Sandicliffe Motor Contracts, as Drive Software Solutions new CEO. But, four months later, the board and senior management team were overhauled as VIP CEO, Julie Meyer, took charge as interim-CEO with a plan to build on its fleet management experience by bringing in expertise from the technology sector. NEW-LOOK BOARD Drive Software Solutions co-founder and former director Martin Drake, along with Houston, is among those who left the business in March, while new CEO David King will join the business later this month and Richard Parris becomes chairman designate of a new-look board. King, a former officer in the Royal Marines, has worked with technology companies in the UK, US and Sweden and has served on the management teams of multi-nationals, leading sales, marketing, services and product management. He has run data centre businesses, he has run telecoms businesses; hes a big hitter in some respects for a business such as Drive and thats because we dont want Drive to be a small business, says Meyer. We want it to be a very profitable business that is a global leader in its field. Parris is an experienced public company chairman and CEO with a special interest in cybersecurity, green technology and fintech. As the founder of software company Intercede Group, he took the company public in 2001 and was one of the longest serving public company chairman on the London Stock Exchange prior to his exit in 2018. He is executive chairman of Sabien Group, a green technology company listed on the AIM market, and is CEO of Salt Cybersecurity, a subsidiary of an Australian cybersecurity business. He is a special adviser and founder shareholder with VIP. SPOTLIGHT: DRIVE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS T 36relationships, allowing SME fleets and their drivers to get the same level of service normally reserved for large corporates. There is multi-level access thanks to a drivers app, with vehicle inspections, trip data, mileage management and driver licence checking among the services available. Targeting the SME market through broker channels, allowing them to provide a full service sell rather than just the vehicles, the first adopters are now rolling out fleets. It had expected 50-vehicle companies to be the sweet spot for adoption, but one broker recently signed up to a 540-vehicle fleet showing the markets potential. Seeing the software for the first time, Gorby has been impressed. He explains that tech businesses usually either have a great piece of software behind the system and a poor interface or something that looks amazing but has nothing new when you scratch below the surface. Weve got the substance and the style, and often youll find a tech business has only one of those, he says. Development is done in-house, with Meyer describing the team as world class and the ODO product as Tesla meets Fitbit. Its a key reason for VIPs investment in the business and, with a wealth of apps built by third- party developers to be used on Drive, Meyer believes the company can carve itself a new role as a platform business. We enable other players in the industry with our platform, she explains. The challenge will be to continue to develop the API the application protocol interfaces that connect all those apps to Drive. Another challenge will be dealing with a market reeling from the effects of a coronavirus pandemic. However, West-Oliver believes that as people embrace a new digital era through the lockdown, Drive Software Solutions is ideally placed to help the industry adapt to a new way of working. He says: Some businesses will have to dramatically reshape how they go to market, how they manage their fleets and how their drivers interact. The (ODO) platform is about managing a changing marketplace in fleet management for both the end-user and for the supplier. Its more than just another fleet management offering, its a service enabler. Meyer, however, accepts there will be challenges ahead. Weve got a big mountain to climb, but this business has the platform today that can power much more of this industry, she says. Also new to the business is Robert Gorby, head of sales and marketing, with more than 20 years experience in commercial management at global technology companies including AVG, SDL, Guestline and Powwownow. Former sales and market director Simon West- Oliver, a fleet industry IT marketing expert with more than 30 years experience, has been named strategic partnerships director in the new senior management team. Meyer, a former Dragon on the BBC show Dragons Den, has a history of backing entrepreneurs, investing some £880 million over the past 20-plus years and selling businesses to the likes of Google. She now believes she has the right team in place to help the business grow and transform the market. We want to be one of the de-facto technology platforms in the industry, explains Meyer. There is a really strong cultural energy in the company right now, but its taken us four or five months to get there and not everybody made it. Robert, Richard and David have all gone through private equity transactions and they are all operating at a kind of quark speed in terms of their level of ambition to transform an industry and build a great business. The management team has also been incentivised with a 30% share in the equity of the firm. Thats a big options pool, says Meyer. Most of the time in the UK, management teams will have 10-15%. Everybody is an owner of this business. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Expertise gained in the creation of software to manage local government fleet requirements in the 1990s led to the creation of the initial Drive fleet management software product. Today, it has evolved to become a cloud-based, full function leasing fleet management platform, with Arval among its customer base, supporting vehicle management requirements worldwide. Quotations, vehicle acquisition, contract management, services and disposals are all conducted through the platform. What it gives them is efficiency, explains West- Oliver. It gives them a single tool to manage the business, with a minimum number of resources and connects to all major suppliers. ODO, meanwhile, is the companys SaaS solution that allows leasing brokers and franchised dealers to manage the administration, service delivery and compliance of SME customers. Launched in 2018, it exploits the functionality within Drive, leveraging the service supplier WE DONT WANT DRIVE TO BE A SMALL BUSINESS, WE WANT IT TO BE A GLOBAL LEADER IN ITS FIELD JULIE MEYER, DRIVE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Julie Meyer is acting CEO before Dave King takes up the role later this month COMPANY: Drive Software Solutions CEO (INTERIM): Julie Meyer CEO (INCOMING): David King STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR: Simon West-Oliver SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR: Robert Gorby KEY PRODUCTS: Drive and ODO 37fleetnews.co.uk ■ April 23 2020Next >