When it comes to the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), automotive fleet managers have two areas to consider: Fixed costs (vehicle purchase, insurance, tax, etc) and operating costs. The latter, which includes fleet maintenance and repairs, can be very variable and not as easy to predict. However, with the right system, managing fleet operating costs need not be a daunting task;  ForWare Fleets can help you not only manage these costs, but potentially make savings and informed decisions on future fleet spend. Let’s find out how.

ForWare helps you to optimise your fleet maintenance spend.

Generally speaking, vehicle maintenance costs increase with age. While fleet managers can’t stop the onward march of time, there are steps that they can take to mitigate its effects. Scheduled maintenance and VHCs are a big part of this, and by following manufacturer service guidelines, you can prevent major failures (and repair costs) down the road. That might seem like an overwhelming task to keep on top of, but ForWare makes this easier by sending notifications as and when a service or VHC becomes due, and recording all service data for future reference.

The quality of parts and sundries used in servicing can also help keep service costs down across the life of a vehicle, for using manufacturer-approved parts will not only keep your warranty intact, but also decrease the risk of major failures due to spurious materials being used—avoid being penny-wise, pound-foolish, as the saying goes. ForWare can help match you to an authorised service agent so you can be assured of a top-quality service.

ForWare helps you to analyse your fleet cost data.

As we have just discussed, maintenance plays a big role in a fleet’s Total Cost of Ownership. Apart from helping to control such costs before they happen, ForWare can also help you to analyse past maintenance costs with a view to seeing where improvements can be made. For instance, is there a particular failure trend associated with a particular vehicle? If type X seems to need a lot of clutch repairs, for example, then perhaps that’s something to bear in mind when it comes to making a decision on fleet renewal (and thus, potentially saving your business on excessive maintenance costs going forward),

Analysing a vehicle’s service history can help you identify human factors, too, in some cases. For instance, let’s say you have a fleet of 10 type Y SUVs. 9 out of 10 of them have a fairly uneventful service history, but there’s one particular vehicle that is constantly visiting the workshop for new brake pads. It might be time to have a check-in with its driver with regard to their braking style, especially if its sister vehicles don’t seem to have the same issue.

ForWare enables you to get a clear picture of your fleet costs.

There’s no denying it, keeping an eye on costs across an entire fleet can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be, however. ForWare features integrated billing, which means you can have all your invoices for a given month consolidated into one, regardless of how many vehicles and garages are involved. This really helps to give fleet managers clarity and transparency while reducing admin overheads—no longer do you or your staff need to spend ages digging out, analyzing, and cross-referencing individual invoices. ForWare brings it all to your fingertips in one document. Likewise, ForWare makes it easy to access vehicle service history as and when you need it; gone are the days of digging through dusty boxes of service documents. 

By making your service history and costs readily accessible and digestible, ForWare helps you make informed decisions when it comes to managing current and future fleet management costs.

If you would like to see how ForWare can help you manage (and reduce) the Total Cost of Ownership for your fleet, call Alan Maher today for a free demonstration on 021-4845550 or email alan@forware.io.