A FLEET management breakthrough is being claimed by debis Car Fleet Management following a deal struck with B Braun Medical on its mixed badge 125-vehicle user-chooser fleet. The contract gives debis responsibility for the management, servicing and maintenance of the entire company car fleet, including the co-ordination of existing suppliers.

And the DaimlerChrysler-owned leasing and fleet management company claims the contract is not a typical outsourcing arrangement, but a 'strategic liaison', with the debis Customer Service Centre team handling a range of issues from quotations to vehicle ordering and maintenance authorisation to foreign travel arrangements.

Hans Hux, chief executive of B Braun Medical, said: 'Debis has given us the solution for our vehicle fleet that we have always wanted. We take the management decisions, they implement them and we review them. This has led to greater satisfaction for our company drivers and at no additional cost to ourselves.'

New vehicles coming on stream are under 24-month contract hire agreements with debis, and marques include Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Vauxhall and Volkswagen, allocated in four bandings across company management and sales personnel.