“We have a lot of data from vehicles but it’s useless unless it is used in practical applications that will have value for the customer, for example making the driver experience better and cost-saving initiatives,” he says.

“Those two areas will drive how we take the data forward.”

Telematics and investment in IT will also support ALD’s plans to grow its fleet management services.

“Historically we’ve been looking more at funding, but with investment in second-generation IT we will have the option in fleet management,” Dawson says.

Guiding this strategy is the trend towards outsourcing core fleet functions.

The Fleet200 analysis of the UK’s biggest fleets produced by Fleet News indicates that two-fifths of fleets are using an external fleet management company, often in conjunction with a leasing funder. ALD is aiming to capitalise on this demand for fleet management itself.

“More fleets are looking at full outsource solutions rather than partial and support service requirements are growing. We have to be capable of delivering this,” Dawson says.

“The customer involvement in the service offering process is becoming more minimal other than mapping out the initial decisions and we see this trend growing.”

However, outsourcing doesn’t necessarily eliminate the need for a fleet manager.

Dawson is a firm believer that a fleet requires a key contact that can liaise with its supplier base and he does not see many companies handing over total responsibility to a leasing or fleet management provider.

“Outsourcing eases the pressure to allow fleet managers to focus on policy or risk or CO2, especially with all the legislation changes,” he explains. “Their role has changed and increased in complexity.”

Innovations to reduce fuel costs

ALD was the first leasing company to develop its own telematics system and it is now installed in more than 30,000 company vehicles.

Development consultant Rhys Harrhy has played a leading role in the ProFleet2 system since its launch in 2004.

His latest
initiative is on fuel ratings, helping fleets to reduce expenditure through a number of software enhancements.

Every time the car is filled, the system records the literage and distance travelled to give the actual mpg.

Any result below 60% of the official combined figure is flagged red; anything above 80% is green.

Fleets can then see the type of journeys undertaken, which enables them to make decisions on future vehicle choice.