Fleet key control technology pioneered by Chevin for its US customers is spreading to Europe and Australia thanks to an increase in pool car provision.

In 2013, Chevin developed a solution that allows a customer employee to request a pool car through its FleetWave system.

Once the query is approved by a manager, the software generates a code to retrieve the vehicle’s key from a secure cabinet.

The advantages are that the management of keys – often a difficult administrative issue for pool fleets – is made easy and trackable. The system has also been extended for use with other company assets such as laptops.

Ashley Sowerby, managing director, said: “Our key control technology was created for our US customers because of the popularity of pool fleets over there, and has been successfully adopted by several organisations.

“Now, as some of our European and Australian customers have introduced pool fleets as part of an increasing interest in flexible transport provision, we have had the first two adopt key control in these territories.”

Ashley added that as more European and Australian fleets were looking towards flexible transport provision, there was a need for Chevin’s technology to develop.

“We are starting to see some customers make use of car clubs, for example, or who are planning to adopt EV pool fleets.

“All of these present specific management challenges and we continually create new solutions.”