New bid to kickstart electronic trading schemes

06/06/1997

CAR manufacturers, the leasing industry and dealers are poised to join forces to kick-start the electronic trading revolution in the fleet industry. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is looking to work alongside the Retail Motor Industry to facilitate the more widespread use of EDI systems between fleet clients and suppliers.

The issue was discussed at length during a meeting involving the 'big four' vehicle manufacturers, leasing companies and motor retailers hosted by the BVRLA. All parties agreed closer co-operation was needed to ensure that systems such as OASIS and TransLease met the needs of fleets. EDI-based systems will save the industry tens of millions of pounds in administrative costs once universally adopted - which could happen before the turn of the century according to some leading players.

From shaky beginnings in the early 90s, the momentum behind EDI has grown rapidly over the last 12 months, culminating in PHH Vehicle Management Service's decision to implement AT&T's TransLease system last month. And, in a separate development, Vauxhall announced it was to establish its own branded version of the TransLease system throughout its dealers. Since then, a third player has emerged on the scene in the form of Smart Choice, which intends to use the internet as the transaction highway.