Lookers raise £150,000 for charities

Lookers colleagues have raised £150,000 for two charities from completing a 650-kilometre bike ride from Birmingham to Belfast.

The six-day cycle challenge, which saw 20 riders take to their bikes was carried out in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Setting off from Birmingham at Lookers Vauxhall Selly Oak on September 25, the first team of 10 Lookers colleagues travelled to Ambleside, Cumbria, taking in towns and cities along the way, including Stafford, Crewe and Preston – in addition to stopping off at Lookers Group headquarters in Altrincham.

A second team of riders took the baton at Ambleside before taking on the second leg of the challenge through Carlisle, Dumfries and Ayr, with the cyclists finally crossing the finish line in Belfast at the headquarters of its Charles Hurst dealership on September 30.

Duncan McPhee, chief operating officer at Lookers, said: “We are committed to supporting communities right across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland and to raise £150,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Papyrus for the important work they do. It’s been our privilege to support them in their challenges as part of an experience few of us will ever forget.”

Novuna moves to new office premises in Newbury

Novuna Vehicle Solutions has moved to new premises in Newbury, Berkshire.

The company said the collaborative environment features desk areas, collaboration areas and conference and training facilities catering for more than 200 Novuna employees.

The timber used in the office construction is from sustainable sources via Travis Perkins, Novuna said, while the new premises feature carbon neutral carpets, LED lighting, PIR Sensors and timer controls.

Novuna said it has also recycled or reused elements of furniture and IT infrastructure from previous offices.

Outside, the parking area includes 18 brand new 22kW AC chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) to help electrify its car and van fleet by 2030.

Jon Lawes, managing director, at Novuna Vehicle Solutions said: “This is an exciting new era for Novuna Vehicle Solutions, and I’m so pleased that our working environment now matches that ambition. The new office space embraces our values on sustainability and collaboration, and has a very personal feel, which reflects the way we work at Novuna.

“I am excited to be moving over to The Sector in Newbury and hope this fantastic new space will benefit our colleagues, and in turn, the customers that we provide for.”

Geotab recognised as top commercial telematics vendor

Geotab has been recognised as the top commercial telematics vendor by ABI Research, achieving its position with a total score of 86.

The independent criteria framework developed by ABI Research was used to assess the 11 largest and most strategic vendors according to two main categories: innovation and implementation.

For its innovation score, ABI Research identified Geotab’s EV capabilities, referencing its support of over 250 EV makes and models, its full suite of sustainable solutions and its recently launched Fleet Electrification Knowledge Center.

ABI Research also considered Geotab’s open platform approach, the Geotab Marketplace, GO9+ and the launch of Geotab’s new business unit, Geotab Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), as key contributors.

To determine Geotab’s implementation score, ABI Research identified Geotab’s continued growth, including its partner network, portfolio of data-driven solutions and subscriber count, which recently surpassed 3m connected vehicles.

“For the third time Geotab comes out on top and leads in implementation,” said Alex McQueen, research analyst, supply chain management and logistics at ABI Research.

“Geotab has held its industry-leading average growth rate and now commands the leading position in global commercial telematics with over 3 million connected vehicles.”

CBVC Vehicle Management invests in feedback tool

CBVC Vehicle Management is investing in the automotive experience feedback tool from APD Global Research.

The platform, known as the APD Voice.360CX, monitors the driver journey and experience, providing feedback that loops back into a continuous improvement process, the company said.

Using advanced sentiment analytics, the platform highlights areas of success and where service levels can be improved and provides CBVC Vehicle Management with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) which demonstrates how likely customers are to recommend the service.

Mike Manners, MD of CBVC Vehicle Management, said: “While we like to think that we already provide exceptional customer service, it’s important to ensure we maintain and continually improve our standards.

“By independently auditing the experience of our valued customers we can focus on any areas where we can enhance our process. Without doubt, Voice.360 will support our drive to deliver the best possible customer service levels.”

AO Logistics receives RoSPA Silver award

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has awarded AO Logistics a Silver Award for its efforts to ensure staff get home safely to their families at the end of each working day.

When evaluating potential award recipients, RoSPA assesses each organisations culture, loss mitigation and accident prevention with those receiving an award being recognised as leaders in health and safety practice.

David Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, said: “Our people are at the forefront of everything we do, so we always strive to make sure our operations have all the correct practices in place to keep them safe at work.”

This is the third time AO Logistics has been recognised with the award.

Commercial insurance broker use QR tech for fleet management risk

Champion Insurance Group Limited (Champion) have launched their own Motor Claim Notification Portal which utilises QR code technology.

Developed in partnership with digital transformation specialists Bright Spark Broker Tech, Champion’s ‘iWitness’ portal enables drivers to report motor fleet claims from the roadside by scanning a QR code with their smartphones.

The portal helps simplify the claim notification process for motor fleet insurance policyholders and its drivers resulting in more accurate and timely collection of vital accident information, the company said.

The technology can also help reduce the administrative burden placed on fleet managers in collecting claim information from drivers due to the automation of the tasks associated with a motor accident claim.

Dan Maloney, Champion’s MD, said: “Our portal has simplified the claims notification process from beginning to end and given that fleet managers are often dealing with hundreds of claims, relieves a significant strain on their resources.

“By offering this service to our clients we’re able to genuinely add value to their businesses but it also makes the process quicker and easier for us and the insurer. It benefits everyone.”