Blog

April 2012
Double Dipping

Whilst heading down the M42 in torrential rain (the great drought of 2012, eh?) en route to this year’s CV Show, the news that we’ve all been dreading came blasting out of the radio – “Britain heads back into recession”.

So, after months – nay – years of fretting about the double dip boogie man rearing his ugly head – he’s finally put in an appearance. The thing is, the reality of the situation is nowhere near as scary as the anticipation. After the last recession, all businesses should have learnt crucial lessons about implementing ‘lean’ strategies to help reduce unnecessary cost. Hopefully, the savvier businesses out there will have continued embracing such efficiency initiatives during the better times and are therefore prepared to huddle down for another

April 2012
Driver training: the less considered considerations

Control, or rather obtaining and maintaining control, is a big issue for fleet operators. For many aspects of fleet management, this can be achieved through the adoption of enhanced management methods and a move towards process automation. But an element of fleet management that will never be totally controllable is the people operating fleet vehicles. No amount of data collation or policy guidelines introduced can compete with or remove the risk of human error. Yet drivers can play a massive role in not only the overall safety of the fleet but of its cost and environmental efficiency too.

For operators looking to implement driver training as a means of creating safer and streamlined fleets, there are numerous factors to consider which immediately spring to mind. These can range from in-house vs. external training providers and arranging appropriate cover for the drivers receiving training. But what are the less obvious considerations? And how should fleet operators look to monitor the impact of such initiatives?

Here are five top tips to help you implement effective driver training programmes:
• Plan ahead – if you’re about to introduce driver training, make sure your department’s prepared for any disruption it will cause to business as usual. If your fleet’s not running at 100 per cent efficiency, consider the benefits of embracing fleet management software to free up resource.
• Communicate – before implementing driver training, and the associated technology required to accurately monitor and manage it, consult with drivers, explain reasoning and listen to suggestions.
• Measure and report success – there’s little point implementing improvement initiatives if you’re unable to monitor and measure its impact. Prioritise data collation relating to driver behaviour and roll out technology to automate the analysis and reporting process.
• Fine tune ongoing training – use the data collated to engage with problem drivers when needed and set individual improvement objectives.
• Reward compliance – introduce incentive schemes to encourage adherence with driver behaviour policy and reward accordingly.

April 2012
Time to trim the fat?

With little sign that the state of the global economy is any nearer to a full recovery, the demand on businesses to identify areas of waste in a bid to reduce expenditure has never been more apparent. For fleet managers, this translates into a need to look at numerous operational areas, from fuel usage and asset procurement to stock control and vehicle allocation, to identify the areas of inefficiency and implement improvement measures. And here comes the problem (based on using traditional methods of fleet management): in order to analyse processes effectively, excessive time, resource and administration must be invested in order to identify the areas of the department failing to perform. This often acts as a barrier to assessing operational efficiencies, as fleet managers simply can’t afford to take the time out of day-to-day, business critical tasks to scrutinise fleet operations thoroughly.

So what’s the solution? The answer’s simple. By using fleet management software, fleet managers can take advantage of automated reporting against a series of user defined key performance indicators. Through doing this fleet managers can then monitor performance of any area of fleet management in real time, receive greater visibility of overall areas of unnecessary expenditure and take back control of fleet costs.
Yes, embracing fleet management software requires financial investment, but soldiering on without it in most cases represents the epitome of false economy. So if you’re struggling to achieve cost visibility over your fleet, and there’s a recognised need to trim the fat, get in touch and see how we can help.

February 2012
The end of the (leasing) world as we know it?

The budget announcement on March 21st is already a talking point for fleet managers concerned about the impact of anticipated fuel duty rises. But predicted amendments to the Government’s company car taxation plans are causing some experts to claim it will no longer be commercially viable for many businesses to offer such benefit schemes to employees. With one expert warning the expected plans will reduce the number of leased vehicles on Britain’s roads by around 40 per cent by 2015, it’s certainly cause for concern for leasing providers and fleet managers alike.

Yet getting swept away in the doom and gloom will do nothing in terms of overcoming the new hurdles March 21st will undoubtedly bring. The budget announcement represents an opportunity for fleet managers to embrace innovation in the way they think and operate. Fuel is more expensive so start planning trips and loads more effectively – company car tax is rising so make plans to replace existing fleets with more environmentally friendly versions. Challenges will always exist in fleet management, and yes the Government should be making it easier to operate in order to sustain business growth, but, in the absence of a pocket pull of politicians, thinking outside of the box and adapting to change is the only way to maintain an effective and successful fleet business.

February 2012
Five top tips for effective fleet management

Fleet management is no straight forward task, yet there are a few small changes fleet operators can make that can return some big results. See the below top tips for running a more effective fleet, compiled by our team of fleet experts, and see if you can make a change for the better today. 1). Stay in control of your data It’s far too easy to lose control of the multiple streams of data that form the life blood of a fleet operation. From service and repairs scheduling to driver licence checking, if the data is not centralised and easy to access and interpret, there’s little point having it in the first place. 2). Select the right tool for the job ...or more specifically, the right vehicle for the trip! It sounds simple but the continued allocation of inappropriate vehicles can quickly create unnecessary cost and CO2. Don’t send an eighteen wheeler when a hatch back will do! 3). Know what you’re spending...and overspending Operating a successful and cost effective fleet in today’s economic climate means keeping on top of your spend and identifying areas of waste in order to implement cost saving initiatives. This can be easier said than done if you’re relying upon spreadsheets instead of fleet management software to monitor your expenditure. 4). Dot every I and cross every T When it comes to compliance, the fleet management function is rife with legislation to adhere to. From duty of care to vehicle inspections, without an appropriate fleet programme in place to provide alerts relating to pending compliance hazards and produce in depth reports at the click of a mouse, fleet operators risk the consequences of non compliance. 5). Keep tabs on your carbon footprint Being green isn’t just about saving the planet; it’s about cutting cost and increasing your appeal to customer and partner organisations too. Monitoring CO2 emissions and fuel consumption needn’t be a laborious task if a fleet management system is in place to do the leg work.

January 2012
Time for a greener approach?

Fleet management will always be a major contributor to an organisation’s overall carbon footprint. Whether a fleet is made up of company cars, heavy plant equipment or vans and buses – the amount of fuel consumed and miles travelled can seriously damage an organisation’s green credentials. Gone are the days where monitoring fuel consumption and driver mileage were only concerns for the accounts department, and the respective employees reclaiming their expenses, this year, fleet managers have never had more incentive to commit to not only monitoring carbon emissions but reducing and reporting on that reduction too.

With this in mind, the team here at Chevin, is busy developing new ways for our software to not only help organisations become greener but save money in the process too. From monitoring fuel spend, assessing trends in vehicle idling or developing functionality to help fleets manage the new London Low Emission Zone legislation – using Chevin’s fleet management software is the first step towards greener, leaner fleet management.

Ashley Sowerby, Managing Director, Chevein Fleet Solutions

January 2012
A New Resolution in Fleet Management

As we recover from the overindulgence of the festive season and embark upon what’s set to be another challenging year ahead for the fleet industry, trimming the fat and getting into better shape isn’t just on the agenda for our waist lines! In a recent survey of our customers, key challenges sited for the coming year included; working with reduced budgets, the rising price of fuel, the cost of maintaining ageing vehicles and demonstrating efficiencies savings to management.

So how can you rise to these challenges and run an efficient and streamlined fleet? One way to overcome the budget barrier is by investing in flexible and powerful fleet management technology, which is capable of providing holistic visibility over an entire fleet operation, identifying waste, alerting users to potential duty of care hazards and automating the results reporting process. FleetWave, the world’s first web based fleet management system, has recently undergone a major upgrade in terms of both functionality and usability and is the foundation of effective fleet management for hundreds of organisations around the world.

Financial investment in the face of tough economic conditions may seem like a risky move but the benefits of consolidating fleet data into one centralised system, which can integrate seamlessly with third party software including ERP and telematics, soon delivers a return on investment. So, to start the New Year as you mean to go on, give the Chevin team a call today for better fleet management tomorrow.

Wishing you a happy New Year and a prosperous twelve months of fleet management!

Ashley Sowerby

December 2011
A Happy Christmas from all at Chevin Fleet Solutions

As we approach the end of what has been another tough year for the fleet industry, we at Chevin would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers, friends and colleagues around the world a very merry Christmas. May 2012 be a prosperous year for fleet management.

December 2011
Big Brother or a Big Issue?

The National Transportation Safety Board’s recent recommendation to implement a zero tolerance approach to the use of portable devices in vehicles across the United States has been received with mixed reviews this week. One side of the fence welcomes the anticipated increase in road safety as a result of decreased driver distractions. The other claims, if enforced, the law would take us one step closer to living in a Big Brother society.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, the one thing that’s undeniable is the role portable devices can play in optimizing fleet management processes, as part of an integrated fleet management system. Without mobile devices, remote mechanics would be unable to update work orders on the status of a remote vehicle repair; logistics personnel unable to confirm completion of a delivery and fleet managers unable to track the location of drivers through GPS.

It’s my opinion that these recommendations will have little impact on fleet management, as the majority of fleet industry professionals take a safe and responsible approach to using portable devices. And for those few who don’t, let’s hope any penalties that result will act as a deterrent.

December 2011
It's Award Season For Chevin!

Forget Hollywood, forget the Oscars, the dinner jackets at Chevin have never had more action in such a short space of time. It started with the International Fleet Supplier of the Year award at the annual Fleet Europe Awards in Madrid at the beginning of November, then there was the Innovation Award at the 2011 Fleet Expo Awards in Amsterdam a few weeks’ ago.... and that’s not all...Chevin’s also been shortlisted for a Midlands Business Award in the UK too! And it’s all in honour of our majorly upgraded FleetWave fleet management software, lunched to the fleet world earlier this year. To see what all the fuss is about check out our product page or contact the sales team to arrange a demo. And for pointers on award receiving technique, check out this video of seasoned award collecting expert, Chevin MD, Ashley Sowerby!

March 2011
Fleet Forum in Geneva 2011

Chevin Fleet Solutions recently participated in and co-sponsored the Fleet Forum in Geneva.

Founded in 2003 as a joint initiative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and World Vision International (WVI), the Fleet Forum is an interagency association of more than 40 members, including NGOs, international organisations, the UN, academic institutions, donors and corporate partners.

The Fleet Forum has been conceived as a collaborating body, which by drawing upon the expertise and input of multi-sectoral stakeholders, is able to stimulate the building of humanitarian transport capacity to positively impact the delivery of aid & development programmes. Engaging with the commercial sector as a part of their corporate social responsibility strategies, the Fleet Forum acts as a neutral interface to draw on private sector resources to achieve its humanitarian transport objectives.

December 2010
Chevin supporting Australian Surf Life Saving Club

During my trip to Australia I visited the Nippers teams of North Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club, whom Chevin are proud to support through sponsorship.

On the day of my visit, North Curl Curl were competing in a carnival at Queenscliff (a few kilometres north of Sydney Harbour entrance)

What are Nippers?

Junior Activities Life Saving is commonly known as "Nippers" and is made up of infants, primary and secondary school aged children, in the Under 6 to the Under 14 age group.

The aim of the North Curl Curl SLSC is to develop and educate Junior Activities Members, as required by the Surf Life Saving Australia 'Surf ED' program, and to promote progression and integration into the senior ranks of the club.

Competition is also available to those who wish, at interclub and State level throughout the season. Nippers are held each Sunday Morning throughout the summer season within the club.

November 2010
Australian end of year review

I'm back in Australia for a couple of weeks to review operations and set-out our strategic plans for 2011.

2010 has been an excellent year of growth for Chevin globally, but in particular our Australian operation has achieved considerable success both domestically and on the export front, with recent orders including clients from New Zealand and Indonesia.

Despite very tough economic conditions as a result of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) Chevin have managed to achieve strong results and continued growth.

November 2010
Fleet Forum event a great success

Just back from the first ever annual Fleet Forum which Chevin sponsored. The event, held at Pride Park Stadium in Derby, was a great success.

The aim of the event was to provide industry leaders with the ideal platform to share insights with peers and discuss the challenges they face, in a non-competitive environment.

"In challenging economic times it is vital to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in whatever industry you are in. Through this event we wanted to give fleet managers the opportunity to do that, as well as network with their counterparts from a variety of sectors. Some important issues surrounding policy and legislation, improving performance, increasing efficiencies, reducing environmental impact, technology, and duty of care were all covered during the event."

Delegates from across the fleet industry attended the event, bringing together representatives from public, private, and third sector organisations, such as; The Red Cross, Go Plant, Slimming World, Shell, The World Food Programme, and the NHS, among others; to discuss fleet management best practice and listen to informative key-note speeches.

There were four key note speakers throughout the day, punctuated by un-conference sessions which offered delegates an informal space for fleet-based discussions. Key note speakers included Chevin US senior VP Ron Katz, AECOM principle consultant, Scott Hardy, UK top five transport lawyer, Anton Balkitis, and Chevin project manager Steve Llewellyn.

"I feel the event was a real success, and hope that the delegates found it informative and useful. We will soon start planning for the Fleet Forum 2011!"

November 2010
A fleeting history: Where the story began

During two decades in the fleet industry, managing director of Chevin Fleet Solutions, Ashley Sowerby, has pioneered the world’s first web-based asset management application and helped hundreds of fleet operations weather two deep recessions. In three instalments, Ashley tells Fleet News how technology has revolutionised the industry.

The Fleet Fundamentals

There is one thing that hasn’t changed since I’ve been working in the industry, and that is that a fleet is still a fleet. Whether it’s comprised of executive cars, construction equipment, HGVs, or even lawnmowers, an organisation relies on its fleet, whatever its size or type.

Whilst the fundamentals of fleets have remained in-tact, the emergence of fleet management technology has revolutionised their relationship with an organisation. Fleet management solutions have enabled fleets to be fully integrated within operations, revealing their potential as highly powerful assets rather than a mere bolt-on or necessary drain on the bottom line.

In the early 90s, the company car was seen as a cheap way to reward employees - giving birth to the company fleet as we know it today. Drivers were taxed based on the business mileage they achieved, which acted as an incentive to clock-up more miles as the taxable benefit charge reduced at 2,500 miles and again at 18,000 miles. This is a far cry from the current tax system which promotes more efficient vehicles and no longer rewards high mileage drivers.

Into the Unknown

When I started out in the fleet management business, the technology was understandably nowhere near as sophisticated as it is now. Indeed, one of my first jobs after leaving college was as a software developer at a transport and logistics company that had developed a text-based programme purely to manage fleet costs.

For a while, technology struggled to infiltrate the fleet sector in any major way. The handful of big players in the fleet technology space focused on the corporate entities with large-scale fleets and neglected those with fewer assets, more complex operations and smaller budgets. As a result, paper-based fleet management - rife with human error - remained a method favoured by the majority for longer than necessary.

It didn’t help that fleet management systems were considered an alien concept, unknown territory with an equally unknown ability to deliver a return on the investment. Technology was still in its infancy, as were PCs and a little thing called the Internet. This, accompanied with the vast expense of IT equipment and infrastructure, meant most organisations had to share a single machine. And for those lucky enough to have access to more than one computer, fleet management systems had to be laboriously loaded on to each desktop individually. The same went for system upgrades and trouble shooting making technology more of a headache than a help. Thankfully networks now exist, so fleet management applications can be downloaded as quickly and as simply as any other application.

Only the Beginning

Before the cost implications of running an inefficient fleet were properly identified, the management was usually an additional responsibility of a secretary or administrator. Yet, when times got tough and the economy began to suffer, companies were forced to look at areas of waste, cut costs and streamline processes. All of a sudden, the time, finance and resource saving potential of having more control of a company fleet was given a bit more thought and traditional processes analysed in great detail. Fleet management was no longer simply a case of ensuring the CEO’s car was serviced on time but a vision of providing a business with a holistic view over every conceivable ingredient in the fleet mix - from fuel consumption and scheduled repairs to insurance information and procurement. And with this new appreciation of fleet management came the demand for a fleet manager - and a system capable of managing the wealth of fleet data.

When technology advanced, and became more affordable, it met this market demand for clearer visibility and for the first time fleets of all shapes and sizes were able to bring together into a unified system a range of fleet-generated data.

This dramatically reduced administrative burden and financial cost. This ability to view accurate and up-to-date data meant that organisations were able for the first time to quickly identify inefficiencies and improve fleet performance.

Fundamentally fleets can either be a costly drain on the finances, or one of the most powerful assets an organisation has. And with the internet advancing at an unstoppable pace, the potential of fleets was soon to be fully realised.

July 2010
UN organisation turns to Chevin

The World Food Programme (WFP), a UN organisation, is extending its long-term relationship with Chevin Fleet Solutions and implementing the supplier’s web-based fleet management system across all of the 82 countries that it operates in.

The FleetWave system will be rolled out in Uganda during July 2010 and internationally across the whole organisation by the end of the year. The move is intended to promote consistent working practice on a global scale, provide HQ with a clear visibility over processes, improve efficiencies and ultimately enable the WFP to meet its humanitarian objectives.

Traditionally, the organisation has relied upon a paper-based fleet management process, with countries such as Sudan and Afghanistan being covered by RoadBase, Chevin’s desktop fleet management application designed for smaller or less complex fleets.

After meeting with the WFP in Rome during November 2009, Chevin Fleet Solutions immediately began developing the FleetWave system, and says that it has achieved a short turn-around time and successfully engineered the software to the specific requirements of the WFP. This includes the addition of a "specific trips" module, which means that FleetWave will now enable fleet logistics teams in each country’s office to input data such as vehicle routing, journey duration and fuel consumption. There's also a "way bills" module that gives fleet and logistics managers access to an audit trail of when and where deliveries have been successfully dropped off, providing full chain of custody records for all aid donations.

Jean Francois Milhaud, ODTL / FSU / Fleet Manager at the WFP HQ in Rome, said: 'I am delighted to be extending our relationship with Chevin. They have adapted the FleetWave system to our specific needs, allowing us to utilise each fleet to its full potential, making the organisation as a whole more efficient and helping us to reduce cost whilst achieving our aim of providing food and other aid to those in need.'

Following initial implementation of the new system, the WFP and Chevin will meet to discuss further possible enhancements to the system. Options include French translation for use in the WFP’s many French speaking countries, an offline version of the system that can be updated remotely where internet access is unavailable and then automatically replicated into the live system upon return, interfaces to tracking systems, and a currency exchange rate module.

Chevin Fleet Solutions will also be providing second-line technical support to the World Food Programme. Karan Ridgard, operations director of Chevin Fleet Solutions, commented: 'It has been a pleasure working with the WFP to deliver them with this FleetWave system. We want to ensure that they receive all possible technical support, guaranteeing that any problems are solved as quickly and efficiently as possible and further improving the service of the WFP.'

July 2010
Web-based fleet management aids the hungry

July 16, 2010
UN organisation the World Food Programme (WFP) will implement web based Fleet Management software from Chevin Fleet Solutions across 82 countries.

The roll out will deliver improved visibility of fleet requirements, streamline efficiencies and reduce cost, allowing the humanitarian agency to better provide its vital service to those most in need.

FleetWave, the web-based application designed by asset management consultancy and software house Chevin Fleet Solutions, will be rolled out in Uganda during July 2010 and internationally across the whole organisation by the end of the year.

"Traditionally, we have relied on a paper-based fleet management process, with countries such as Sudan and Afghanistan being covered by RoadBase, Chevin’s desktop fleet management application designed for smaller or less complex fleets," says WFP Fleet Manager Jean Francois Milhaud from the organisations headquarters in Rome.

After meeting with the WFP in Rome during November 2009, Chevin Fleet Solutions developed the solution successfully engineering the software to the WFP’s specific requirements.

"The addition of a ‘specific trips’ module means that FleetWave will now enable fleet logistics teams in each country’s office to input data such as vehicle routing, journey duration and fuel consumption," Milhaud adds.

"A ‘way bills’ module gives fleet and logistics managers access to an audit trail of when and where deliveries have been successfully dropped off, providing full chain of custody records for all aid donations."

Milhaud, says the Un is delighted to be extending its relationship with Chevin.

The company has adapted the FleetWave allowing us to utilise each fleet to its full potential.

"This makes the organisation as a whole more efficient and helps us reduce cost while achieving our aim of providing food and other aid to those in need."

FleetWave will not only promote consistent working practices on a global scale, and open up communication channels to provide clearer visibility, but will give drivers, engineers and fleet managers access to real-time data anywhere in the world via a web connection.

Chevin travelled to Uganda and Ghana recently in preparation for the launch, meeting with a selection of representatives from some of the 82 countries covered by the WFP for a train the trainer programme to deliver instruction on how to use the system.

Following initial implementation of the new system, the WFP and Chevin will meet to discuss further possible enhancements to the system.

Options include French translation for use in the WFP’s many French speaking countries, an offline version of the system that can be updated remotely where internet access is unavailable and then automatically replicated into the live system upon return, interfaces to tracking systems, and a currency exchange rate module.

Chevin Fleet Solutions has been working with the WFP for almost 10 years.

"It has been fantastic to be involved in such an exciting and worthy project and we will continue to discuss improvements, to ensure that FleetWave provides the WFP with the services it needs," says Managing Director Ashley Sowerby.

Chevin Fleet Solutions will also be providing second-line technical support to the World Food Programme.

"It has been a pleasure working with the WFP to deliver them with this FleetWave system," Sowerby adds.

"We want to ensure that they receive all possible technical support, guaranteeing that any problems are solved as quickly and efficiently as possible and further improving the service of the WFP."

May 2010
Chevin expands North American sales and client services team

In response to the steadily growing demand for its enterprise fleet management information systems, Chevin Fleet Solutions, the leading global provider of fleet management software has recently added Joe Morgan to its sales staff as National Account Manager.

Previously as Director of Marketing and Sales for GP Solutions, a global computerized maintenance management system provider, as well as National Account Executive for Maximus, a rival fleet management system provider, Joe Morgan has decades of success helping commercial and public sector organisations gain long-term efficiencies and savings through the use of technology.

'This recent expansion of our sales and client relationship team further strengthens Chevin’s ability to meet the ongoing needs of our customers' noted Ron Katz, Senior Vice President of North American Sales. 'Joe Morgan’s wide-ranging understanding of our client’s needs as well as his vast industry experience will significantly benefit our organisation and our clients.'

May 2010
Samaritan's Purse gain control...

...over fleet costs with FleetWave

Samaritan’s Purse has recently deployed Chevin Fleet Solutions’ web-based enterprise fleet management information system, FleetWave to gain control over their global fleet running costs while allowing real-time access of complete fleet operational and performance information across more than 20 countries around the world.

For more than 35 years, Samaritan’s Purse has provided emergency relief as well as community development and medical services in an effort to break the cycle of poverty for victims of war, famine, natural disasters and disease across the worlds’ most troubled regions.

Using Chevin’s web-based enterprise fleet management information system FleetWave, Samaritan’s Purse is now reaping the benefits of the most sophisticated and flexible fleet management system available. Samaritan’s Purse maintains a diverse fleet of more than 350 vehicles in more than 20 countries using internal maintenance facilities while maintaining driver and accident management oversight made necessary by stringent governance requirements, all the while monitoring and managing fleet utilisation and operational readiness in a multi-lingual and multi-currency environment.

FleetWave’s unique asset-centric and completely flexible architecture supports these complex fleet management needs while allowing Samaritan’s Purse to constantly view and administer comprehensive vehicle, assignment and preventive maintenance compliance. Leveraging complete vehicle details from acquisition through disposal as well as statutory driver licensing details; FleetWave has replaced Samaritan’s Purse disparate and non-integrated databases with a single integrated system that meets each offices 'in country' requirements while providing consolidating visibility and fleet management oversight with a single application utilized across the world.

As a true enterprise fleet management system, FleetWave provides Samaritan’s Purse with harmonized control of all fleet operating details and as a result, has dramatically streamlined vehicle oversight across their global organisation, allowing them to optimize vehicle inventory and support services resulting in continued fleet improvements and costs savings. 'Although their requirements were extremely diverse, Samaritan’s Purse fleet management needs could be easily accommodated with our flexible web-based solution,' said Ron Katz, Senior Vice President of North American Sales for Chevin. Additionally, 'with FleetWave’s uniquely adaptable capabilities, Samaritan’s Purse future needs and requirements have been seamlessly accommodated without the need for expensive and time consuming programming.' As with many of Chevin’s clients, ‘Samaritan’s Purse has realized a rapid return on their software investment and continues to reap tremendous fleet operating savings across their global fleet.'

April 2010
The portable device revolution:

Can technology support remote vehicle servicing processes?

March 2010
Mass Office of Vehicle Management Goes Online with FleetWave

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of Vehicle Management chose Chevin’s web-based fleet management information system, FleetWave to manage the acquisition and management of its diverse fleet of more than 11,000 vehicles. The Office of Vehicle Management (OVM) is mandated by the State legislature to provide vehicles and related services to all departments and agencies across the State and provides comprehensive services that include:

• Vehicle Procurement
• Acquisition of Alternative Fuel Vehicles
• Maintenance of Fleet Repair Services
• Fuel Card Program and Services
• 1-800 "How am I Driving" Program
• Accident and Subrogation Services
• Tire and Glass Replacement
• Reservations and Daily Rentals

FleetWave’s uniquely flexible capabilities allow OVM to meet all these diverse requirements by replacing an inflexible and non-integrated system with a single "enterprise-wide" fleet management information system. With extensive experience working with and implementing flexible fleet management solutions for Federal and State agencies, Chevin and FleetWave were a natural choice for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as they look to enhance their fleet management and oversight capabilities.

As FleetWave delivers completely definable capabilities throughout, all of the OVM’s specific requirements were able to be met without the need for costly and time consuming development. With its industry leading web-based architecture, FleetWave can be easily deployed to remote agencies and departments around the State and can be quickly accessed by casual users with Internet Explorer from anytime or anywhere. Using FleetWave’s integrated functionality, state-wide communications for all fleet related policies and procedures can be easily accommodated, tracked and seamlessly consolidated on a monthly basis: dramatically streamlining labor intensive process.

'Public organisations like the Office of Vehicle Management face significant and constantly evolving challenges today. They need to maintain and offer a broad array of services while constantly improving oversight and cost control across an expansive geography,' said Ron Katz, Senior Vice President of North American Sales for Chevin. 'FleetWave is an ideal solution for dynamic public sector organisations looking to enhance management oversight and improve customer service. FleetWave’s web-based architecture provides a centralized solution with extremely comprehensive, yet flexible capabilities for efficiently managing fleet assets.'

February 2010
Chevin Australia relocates as company gears up for expansion

Due to continued growth and demand for its flexible fleet management information systems in Australia, the vehicle and asset management consultancy and software house, Chevin Fleet Solutions has relocated to larger, new offices on the outskirts of Sydney.

The relocation of offices from North Sydney to Chatswood also sets the stage for Chevin to expand its operations in a bid to emulate the success the global market leader has had in the UK and US.

Taking a crucial role in the drive for growth on the continent is managing director and founder of Chevin, Ashley Sowerby, who left the UK for Sydney in September last year: "The opening of our new office will help us better serve the growing customer base here in terms of both project management and implementation. It will also allow us to grow our team as we push hard into the market and respond to new business development opportunities," commented Mr. Sowerby.

The UK-based Company recognised the growth potential in the Australian Market so in July 2009 established its first Sydney office.

According to Mr Sowerby, the Company’s focus to date has been to develop strategic customer wins amongst sector leading businesses such as Abigroup Construction, NSW Rural Fire Service, Cadbury, Schweppes, Harley-Davidson Australia, Hitachi Construction Machines Australia, Blue Mountains City Council and RSL Care.

"Having gained an excellent track record with businesses operating at the top of their fields," continued Mr. Sowerby, "our challenge now is to continue to deliver on performance and flexibility with these customers, while pushing hard into the remainder of what is a considerable market."

The Company's two core products are FleetWave, the world's first web-based enterprise fleet management system, and RoadBASE, the most flexible and adaptable windows-based management solution. Both continue to offer world-class performance, flexibility and ROI, which in turn empowers businesses to achieve optimum management of their fleets in the long haul.

"We’ll be working towards a big push at AFMA's annual trade show in March, and are confident that not only do we have world-class products, we now have the right infrastructure and an experienced team in place to return excellent results for Chevin Australia in 2010," concluded Mr. Sowerby.

With offices in the UK, Ireland, USA and Australia, and a reseller network covering Africa and Asia, Chevin's expansion has been unrelenting over the last twenty years. Despite tough trading conditions, growth of its domestic and international customer-base across a diverse range of industries resulted in 2009 being another record breaker for the market-leading provider of dedicated fleet management systems.