Benchmark your way to a more efficient fleet

Covid-19 has left many UK businesses exposed to greater risk on the roads, and with reduced ability to cut operating costs as they fight their way back to recovery, a new survey has revealed.

The survey marks the launch of a Department for Transport-backed Benchmarking partnership programme between Driving for Better Business (DfBB), Roadsafe and Fleet News. Based on gap analysis from DfBB’s Online Risk Assessment tool, the initiative pinpoints where companies are failing to meet critical operating standards and allows them to track improvements – and their performance – against other organisations.

Findings and advice from the programme will be published each month in Fleet News, helping fleets to identify the areas of operation they need to prioritise for improvement.

The survey sets the scene at the start of the process, uncovering some of the issues fleets are facing and their views about prospects in the face of Covid-19. One thing is certain: businesses must adjust quickly to the current environment.

The poll of 300 organisations, ranging from SME business owners to board directors at large companies, shows many are missing important opportunities to minimise operational costs and improve efficiencies. Grabbing these opportunities will be vital in order to give themselves the best chance of survival, and the ability to thrive as soon as conditions allow.

Organisations small and large anticipate a major, permanent shift in the way business is conducted in the light of the worldwide pandemic.

Examining experiences over the past six months, the survey reveals that SMEs and large businesses anticipate ‘significant increases’ in working from home and commuting by road as employees continue to be wary of travelling by public transport.