An ongoing challenge for fleet managers is achieving recognition from senior management and colleagues of the importance of the fleet and the complexity of its management.
Without that recognition the necessary support and resources may not be provided. As we well know if the wheels don’t roll, the roads don’t get graded, product isn’t delivered, rubbish isn’t collected, paramedics don’t arrive and so on.
The importance of fleet seems to be at odds with the trend seen in some organisations to diminish fleet resourcing. We see senior staff leave and not be replaced, fleet management get tacked onto other roles, and a lack of investment in professional development. I’m not saying this occurs everywhere – in some organisations the fleet manager is part of the senior management team with a direct line to the CEO. So why do some fleets get great support and flourish while others seem to be in a continued decline?
Perhaps, in part, it is how the fleet manager communicates. Fleet managers by nature are practical, can-do people who just get the job done. They do it without fanfare and without fuss. This means others around the organisation don’t necessarily know of the challenges faced or the achievement attained – it seems easy.
Fleet managers need to communicate their plans and their achievements. At a minimum, there should be an annual fleet business plan that describes how the fleet department supports organisational objectives, identifies key challenges ahead, describes what the department is going to do and how that achievement will be measured. Progress against the plan should be routinely reported up and out. Reporting should be monthly to the fleet manager's supervisor, quarterly to senior management and six-monthly or annually to top management. There should be structured communications with colleagues and other stakeholders as well. Routine emails, service review meeting etc can all support a greater understanding of the importance of fleet management.
We can’t expect support and resourcing if others don’t know about our challenges and achievements, and we can’t expect them to know if we don’t tell them.
Robert Wilson Manager, IPWEA FLEET