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Breaking free
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Road transport industry big hitter Tim Davies has assembled a formidable team to launch iFleet, a new concept in fleet management solutions.
Words: Andy Satter/Images: Graham Richardson
WE'VE ALL done it gazed out of the window on days of trouble and thought about quitting in order to go and do our own thing.
Some of you might even have taken it a bit further and embellished ideas with a few pals down the boozer, while others will have gone the whole hog and developed a complete business plan for their new venture.
Of course, it's one thing to spy a gap in the market, but quite another to take those musings and jump from the corporate world into an area where you're relying on your own skills and convictions, particularly in the current economic climate, But that's what Tim Davies, the former Renault Trucks sales director, has done.
Davies has broke free of the corporate handcuffs to launch iFleet, a new business, which is focused on taking fleet management to new levels, He says: "We're adding intelligence, hence the 'i', to all areas of our business."
And from our experience of the man, that's the killer application, which he and iFleet brings to the party umpteen years of experience and knowledge from the fleet management sector, built from a career around all aspects of the industry in addition to Renault Trucks, Davies was also MD of Transolver.
And what's more, he's recruited three industry stalwarts Khalid Wazir, Tim Huggins and Ged Griffin to join the party, giving iFleet the armoury many would die for in order to go into battle in these turbulent times. "By taking the time to truly understand a customer's current and future business requirements," explains Davies, "and combining it with more than 100 years' industry experience, we can ensure operators get the right vehicle, with the right levels of support, at the right price."
Ready to go Luton has been chosen as iFleet's base, and while Davies had the idea for his business when he left Transolver in 2003, he's been researching the opportunity since then, making sure the proposition is robust.
It is now ready for business. "Whether it's the intelligent management systems we'll be using to control the business and drive customer value or the experience we, as directors, bring, we are absolutely focused on adding customer value," Davies explains.
Backed by private equity, iFleet has been investing in sophisticated management systems to run its business effectively, and has partnered with Jaama for vehicle management system. in Jaarna we have a partner who shares our passion; we're developing some innovative processes that will allow us, and our customers, real visibility of their assets," reveals Davies, who was reluctant to share further details for fear of giving the crown jewels to his competitors.
While we didn't get the lowdown on this intriguing area of development. Davies was more forthcoming with the suite of services iFleet will offer.
"There's a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the jargon used in this sector," says Davies, -and we've been surprised by the confusion surrounding the operational support packages available. We're trying to simplify the approach for operators by consulting them to discover their requirements and building the appropriate package.
"We want to make sure that the customer gets the correct service levels for their business, and in so doing fully understands all the options available to them."
The company's portfolio covers a whole of suite of fleet management products, bringing into play the experience of the team. "Whether its specification of the chassis, the body or the ancillary equipment, we will build the vehicle package with the clear intention to satisfy the customer's operational, location, usage and whole life cost expectation,Davies tells us.
-So, following on from this point. we will then manage the vehicle acquisition process. Some operators really like this part of the job, but for a growing number of commercial vehicle users, the vehicle selection and buying process is just a distraction that gets in the way of running the business. "More and more operators are looking to pass this complex and timeconsuming job to specialists."
Protection With the vehicle acquired and delivered to the operation, the next part of the iFleet solution cranks into life, with a range of products that look after the operational aspect of the vehicle. -Our roadside assistance package, iFleet Assist, is a fully managed 24/7 recovery system, which 'link and chase' to incident completion," Davies continues. -Vehicle repair and maintenance, covering the chassis, body and ancillary equipment are offered, likewise tyre management and relief vehicles."
Taking away the hassle of operators having to manage their vehicles is a recurring theme throughout the iFleet proposition. "We'll help operators get on with their core objective, while we ensure their vehicles are available to work in a safe, legal and profitable manner," Davies adds.
Other operational services include the account management of both the maintenance providers' and the customers' behaviour, to improve fleet efficiencies. Davies' company also plans to use telematics to offer a selection of products, which will increase customer choice and improve service levels, as well as offer timely information to users, offering assistance in the cost control of many areas including fuel economy.
The fleet management element of the iFlect offering covers a number of areas, particularly maintenance and scheduled event management, and online storage of relevant documentation.
"Protection of a customer's 0-licence has to be a core offering of our product," Davies continues, -and we've addressed the key areas where fleet management can have an impact on that.
"Running a fleet of commercial vehicles is both time-consuming and complex," Davies says. "By combining OUT experience with our software, we can manage more vehicles with less people, and deliver greater control."
The iFleet proposition is certainly compelling, and Davies and his team undoubtedly have the credentials to demonstrate real value for operators.
Of course, starting a business is risky, and Davies agrees, but argues: "There's also opportunity. Those who come through these difficult times will be the ones who focus on what value they give their customers: that's who we can help to thrive when the going gets tough." II • www.ifleetltd.co.uk