Diverse thinking can unlock fleet benefits

Fleet professionals are encouraged to work more openly with their wider business in order to deliver a more diverse fleet strategy.

Speaking at Fleet and Mobility Live, Amanda Bullough, Siemens EMEA benefits lead, explained the importance of diverse thinking when devising a new fleet strategy.

She said: “Given the challenges we are all facing in fleet, whether that be safety, access to drivers, electrification, diversity in thinking and decision making is very important and getting your HR and benefits colleagues involved, if you don’t already, I would highly recommend.”

The technology company operates a fleet of 3,200 vehicles in the UK. With a target to become carbon neural by 2030, sustainability forms a key part of the company’s fleet strategy.

Siemens has different policies for essential users and perk drivers. The latter can choose cash or car, which can sometimes cause challenges from a sustainability perspective, according to Bullough,

She said: “Company car drivers select cars based on the tax regime and cash takers select cars that would be unviable as a company car – that is a challenge for us.

“We do have a large population of cash takers, who often take vehicles that are not conducive to a carbon neutral target. How do you put restrictions and rules around a cash allowance, which is pure benefit? That has never sat very easily with us, but it is something we will have to get comfortable with. It’s about directing people and helping people make the best decisions and not just taking cash because the vehicle they want is not available as a company car.”

Bullough also urges fleets not make bold ambitions to switch all their vehicles to EV without considering all the factors.

“The question shouldn’t be ‘should we introduce EVs’ but ‘how do we introduce EVs’ – that diversity of thinking opens up a whole new set of conversations. For those who aren’t as close to HR colleagues in the course of fleet management, I would expect them to come to the table with their view of what the future of mobility looks like,” she added.

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