West Midlands Ambulance Service Transform Fleet Management with FleetWave

Industry: Emergency Services

Fleet Size: 1,200 +

Asset Count: 7,000 +

Region: West Midlands, UK

Customer Since: 1997

Products Used: FleetWave, FleetWave Technician App

Background

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has been using FleetWave for decades now, integrating the software into their operations to manage their extensive fleet and medical assets.

The WMAS fleet consists of over 1,200 vehicles, alongside nearly 7,000 medical assets, all managed within FleetWave. As an emergency service, their fleet department is considered mission critical. Tony Page, Head of Fleet and Facilities Management, shared insight into the system’s impact:

“Obviously we’re an emergency service and the fleet department is viewed as mission critical to the organisation, and therefore the fleet system supports that mission critical activity.”

By streamlining asset management and supporting essential maintenance processes, FleetWave helps WMAS ensure their fleet is always prepared for the demands of emergency service work.

Challenges

Before implementing FleetWave, West Midlands Ambulance Service faced significant challenges in managing their fleet and assets effectively. The lack of a unified system created inefficiencies and inconsistencies, as different tools and methods were being used across the organisation.

“The problems that we had before FleetWave were caused by having lots of satellite systems, spreadsheets doing different functions and paperwork doing parts of the process,” explains Tony.

This fragmented approach made it difficult to maintain accurate and up-to-date information, leading to time-consuming processes and potential gaps in communication. The reliance on spreadsheets and manual paperwork increased the risk of errors and created a lack of transparency across the various departments involved in fleet and asset management.

The transition to FleetWave marked a turning point for the organisation, as it brought all these disparate systems and processes into one centralised platform:

“And then moving into FleetWave sort of pulled it all together into to one system that everyone was working in.”

This shift not only improved efficiency but also enhanced collaboration and visibility, enabling WMAS to manage their mission-critical operations with greater precision and reliability.

Our Solution

The implementation of FleetWave provided West Midlands Ambulance Service with a centralised system that addressed their operational challenges by consolidating multiple processes into a single platform. Tony shared:  “So I guess the way that FleetWave has helped us overcome those challenges is getting everybody working in the one system. So there’s one version of the truth across the fleet support team and wider parts of the organisation that access FleetWave.”

Since transitioning to FleetWave, the system has become integral to WMAS’s operations. Tony states: “We use FleetWave to manage our assets, vehicles, medical equipment; we maintain everything inside FleetWave. We use the parts management side of the system. We manage new equipment into fleet through FleetWave, and we decommission old assets out of the fleet in FleetWave.”

By providing a unified and transparent platform, FleetWave ensures that the entire organisation operates with a single, accurate source of information. This streamlined approach not only boosts efficiency but also enhances collaboration and accountability across teams.

Impact

FleetWave has brought transformative benefits to West Midlands Ambulance Service, enhancing efficiency and decision-making. A key advantage is the ability to view assets in real-time, ensuring smooth operations and compliance.

“So the benefits for us of the fleet system are real time view of where our assets are. The compliance part of the fleet system is almost a given; you would expect it to do that—to keep you legally compliant or let you know when things are due,” “I think the added benefits inside FleetWave are the reporting function, the access to the data, being able to look at outer trend data and make informed decisions.” says Tony.

The introduction of the FleetWave Technician App has been a “gamechanger”. Workshop staff now complete work digitally using iPads, streamlining the entire process:

“It’s taken away all the paperwork, so everything now is digital from the start of the process to end of process.” This digital transformation has eliminated inefficiencies, ensuring WMAS operates with precision to meet its critical responsibilities.

Tony also highlighted another benefit of working with us has been the support provided through our ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions. Tony shared: “It’s quite easy to get stuck into a ‘We’re using FleetWave, we know what good looks like in our organisation,’ but there’s a lot of knowledge inside Chevin and it is really useful to tap into that, so those sessions are invaluable.” This access to expert advice ensures WMAS can fully leverage FleetWave’s capabilities and stay ahead in managing their mission-critical operations.

Conclusion

West Midlands Ambulance Service has built a strong, long-standing relationship with Chevin, which has been a key part of their success with FleetWave. Tony Page highlights the ongoing support and trust the organisation has experienced:

“So, would I recommend Chevin? We’ve been dealing with Chevin for a long time, as an organisation we’ve had a long relationship and we’ve been dealing with people within Chevin for all of that period of time. And we’ve always enjoyed a really good relationship and felt supported. So I’d have no hesitation in recommending Chevin and FleetWave to other customers.”

This positive experience with both the system and the support team reinforces the value FleetWave brings to WMAS and makes it a trusted solution for other organisations looking to optimise their fleet and asset management.