A recent survey of 40 senior fleet managers from a range of corporate, government and not-for-profit organisations has revealed that 80% have experienced ‘negative consequences’ whilst relying upon traditional, out-dated methods of fleet management.

The survey, carried out by fleet management software provider Chevin Fleet Solutions, was conducted earlier this year.

The most common consequence cited as a result of reliance upon spreadsheets and stand-alone systems to manage fleets was inaccurate or lost data.

Missed inspections and missed services and repairs came in at joint second, with incorrect vehicle/asset allocation the next most common.

Employee duty of care was also referenced as an area where many fleet managers had experienced failings as a consequence of inappropriate fleet management methods.

Ashley Sowerby, managing director of Chevin Fleet Solutions, said: “The findings from our survey should represent a genuine concern for organisations still relying upon a network of spreadsheets and disjointed systems to manage their fleets.

“With the amount of fleet-related data businesses are required to capture, and the consequences of failing to do so accurately - accompanied with the economy continuing to pressurise fleets into reducing manual resource – embracing enhanced methods of data management and process automation is a must for any savvy fleet manager worth his salt.”