For any modern organisation, fleet availability is a critical component of operational success. Whether managing a fleet of sales managers’ cars or a complex array of bespoke commercial vehicles, the impact of a vehicle being off the road is felt across the entire business.
Recognising this challenge, leading fleet management specialist IFM has introduced a refined approach to Downtime Management, designed to provide a seamless solution for both car and van fleets.
At the heart of IFM’s strategy is a transition from reactive repairs to a more structured, proactive system. Using their proprietary OSCAR fleet management platform, the IFM team monitors every vehicle’s status the moment it is off road. By benchmarking “downtime” as any instance where a vehicle is unavailable for more than 48 hours, the OSCAR system triggers a dedicated management process the moment a car or LCV moves beyond this time threshold.
“Our role is to act as a dedicated, outsourced fleet department for our clients,” says Shaun Redhead, Commercial Director of IFM. “Downtime represents a significant cost, but it is also a source of considerable stress for fleet managers. By providing a dedicated team to oversee each case, we ensure that every hour a vehicle is off the road is accounted for. We handle the communication with repairers and suppliers, allowing our clients to remain focused on their core business activities.”
While cars being off road cause challenges with driver mobility and cost-effective rental management, commercial vehicles present a unique set of requirements due to specialist conversions and racking. In both scenarios, the best solution is to avoid the car or van being off road in the first place and IFM’s Advanced Remote Connectivity (ARC) solution achieves that. By connecting each vehicle to ARC, the IFM team have a direct link from each vehicle’s onboard computer into the OSCAR fleet management system.
“Through ARC, we can see dashboard alerts and service countdowns before a driver even calls in,” continues Shaun.
“This allows us to be proactive. If we know a car or van is already booked into a workshop for a minor repair, we can use that opportunity to perform an upcoming service or tyre change at the same time. By bundling these tasks, we eliminate an entire future visit to the garage, effectively reclaiming lost time for the business.”
“Drivers are notoriously bad at reporting dashboard warning lights, which can often result in a breakdown when they have been ignored for long periods of time. Thanks to ARC, we are notified of those warnings enabling us to be proactive in getting repairs resolved quickly before they turn into something more serious.”
With a focus on transparency and data-led decision-making, IFM remains funder-agnostic, supporting clients who lease, own, or use a blend of both. By integrating expert human intervention with sophisticated technology, the specialist is helping UK businesses maintain a more resilient and efficient fleet.
