DOCUMENT company Xerox included its pan-European fleet in a strategic review launched to identify commodity cost savings and significantly reduced its costs.

When Xerox started to study how it could harmonise fleet policy and consolidate its fleet, the company looked at manufacturers from both Europe and Japan. Today, its fleet drivers across Europe have a restricted choice policy with vehicles supplied by General Motors, Renault, Fiat Auto and Mercedes-Benz.

In terms of fleet management, it works with LeasePlan, GE, Avis, ING Lease, Sixt and Hertz Lease across Europe. Xerox business partner Brian Knight said the relationship with suppliers was fruitful with the company achieving significant savings through the consolidation of its European fleet and improving its overall management of this important asset and employee benefit.

Knight said the biggest challenge during the early days of consolidation was securing the backing of its 'internal customers', that is from Xerox management teams in the individual countries.

Knight stressed that the Xerox European Purchasing team, XPRESS, based in the United Kingdom, did not 'push' the European policy on to their European colleagues.

Instead, the company adopted an interactive approach and included Europe-wide managers, including human resources, local purchasing officers and user groups, in the consultation period.

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