In a special case study, Dutch digital print management company Océ highlights the problems facing global fleets when they aim to control costs.

Faced with managing 6,500 vehicles across 23 different countries in association with 18 different leasing companies, Océ started the process of setting up a global fleet policy in 2000. Now the company’s fleet bosses have explained the process they went through in a bid to help other fleet managers in a similar predicament.

Global operations manager Carol Mayer said: “Given the complexity of the project we wanted to work with one fleet management company – one that was able to work with us on developing as well as implementing our fleet policy on a global and local scale.”

The company opted for LeasePlan and sees the move as the first step in establishing an effective governance structure involving all of Océ’s operating companies.

Global sourcing manager Anita de Groot-Hanegraaf said: “We realised early on that to be successful we had to establish buy-in on various levels within our business organisation including HR, our local operating companies and the Océ board of directors.

“This project made a significant change in how we work with suppliers. Instead of each subsidiary doing its own thing, we were centralising our fleet strategy and managing it strategically.”

The company now plans to move the policy to the next level, having already made financial savings of 10% on global fleet costs by streamlining its European fleet.

Explaining the key to a successful pan-European fleet operation, Ms de Groot-Hanegraaf said: “Local fulfilment and commitment are what make a global contract work. We retain overall control through our global fleet policy, but our subsidiaries are given the freedom and flexibility within the framework to make changes if required, for example due to taxation or legislative issues.”