by Ashley Sowerby, managing director, Chevin Fleet Solutions

There can’t have been many years that seem as unpredictable at their outset as 2017 does. Will we see much progress in leaving the EU or will the process drag on – and to what effect? Will new air quality plans impact on company vehicles? Will fundamental company car and van tax rules change?

By the time you read this, the answers to some of these questions might have become more obvious. But possibly not. Events could have considerable impact – or they might simply dissipate.

As a fleet manager, how do you prepare for such an uncertain outlook? The answer is both simple and complex: thoroughly.

This is a time to look at your operations and question whether they are as good as they could be. Are your costs under control? Are you running the right kinds of vehicles? Is your risk management policy really reducing accident rates?

One thing that continually raises its head when I see such questions being asked is how often different answers apply for different organisations. This is not a one-size-fits-all-industry. The solutions you find will probably need to be closely personalised to your requirements.

It’s also worth being prepared to adapt or change your approach in line with market developments.

The industry’s need for flexibility is something we have built into our fleet management software products, making them as adaptable as possible to meet the needs of organisations of different sizes, compositions and operational needs.

This is especially relevant in key areas such as workflow management, emission reduction, compliance and risk management – where we are continually working on new products and updates alongside industry developments to help clients meet and exceed their KPIs. Your identified priorities might be completely different to another organisation. 

However, one advantage of working in fleet here is that an answer is almost certainly available, either from service providers like ourselves or our highly-professional industry bodies. 

So whatever 2017 brings, help should be at hand. Here’s wishing you a very happy one.