Fleets must embrace mobility mindset, says Goodwood Corporate Mobility

Fleet decision-makers wanting to embrace the corporate mobility mindset should focus on three key areas of travel provision, says Goodwood Corporate Mobility.

These are:

• Vehicles on demand, as opposed to on standby
• Vehicle availability, based on need and practicality
• Vehicle alternatives, as the best way for an employee to make a journey is not always by driving a vehicle allocated to them for a multi-year fixed term.

Tony Donnelly, chief executive of Goodwood Corporate Mobility, said: “A corporate mobility manager provides options and delivers essential business travel, in whatever form is predicted as the best solution.

“They will provide employees with options. They will check to see if any other business traveller was undertaking the same journey and arrange a car share; it could be that use of a ride-hailing service made more practical and financial sense; or they would arrange to have the most economical car delivered to the driver and collected at journey’s end.

“A corporate mobility manager’s value comes from handling the strategy and the administration element of business travel by consolidating all expenses in one place.

“That way employers’ can control and measure all aspects of corporate mobility policy and strategy.”

He added: “True corporate mobility challenges the evaluation of fleet resources, the options and alternatives that should be considered and where businesses should be looking for sensible, but practical, guidance.

“Doing that facilitates and analyses how vehicle usage and efficiency can become more precise.

“Almost a quarter of a century ago, 36 and 48-month vehicle replacement cycles and leasing contracts proliferated regardless of business need.

“Little thought was given by businesses to the most cost-efficient need - when it was needed and for exactly how long.

“That has changed in the new world of corporate mobility and that should be the focus for all businesses.”

Earlier this year, ICFM outlined why the role of a fleet manager is morphing into a mobility manager, in response to unprecedented change in the sector, while a BVRLA report urged the Government to support flexible, pay-as-you-go forms of motoring.

Fleet News is holding a Fleet Mobility Conference on November 5, at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London, to provide unique insight into the trends, developments and challenges that affect the way businesses move their people, goods and services around the UK.

The event will help delegates:

• Understand and hear solutions for urban mobility challenges and learnings from other regions: examples of what cities are doing to introduce new forms of travel and transport.
• Find out how Mobility as a Service can revolutionise consumer and business attitudes to vehicle ownership and usage and how this affects your customer’s attitudes.
• Hear how the latest research projects are looking at how connected and autonomous vehicles will make road transport safer, smoother and more accessible to all.

For more details on the event, click here