For an operator as large and diverse as HCT Group, fleet management software needs to be as flexible and robust as possible
HCT Group is very different from most bus service operators.
For a start it’s a social enterprise, and provides an array of transport-related services, from traditional London bus services to local special needs transport, school services, dial-a-ride and even fleets of vans delivering mobility scooters.
Then there is the added complexity that this London-grown organisation now provides local services in far-flung locations stretching from the Channel Islands in the south, Bristol in the west and Leeds in the north.
With almost 700 vehicles, HCT Group is actually one of the UK’s biggest operators. However, as Mike Swan Group Purchasing Manager, explains, it is the diversity of operations that sets HCT Group apart. “In our London operations alone the fleet is made up of 28 different types of vehicle; most operators only have a few vehicle types. With a mixed fleet like this, management of the fleet gets a lot more complicated.”
Vehicles not lost
With the regional operations having evolved over time in their own way, it doesn’t take long to realise that managing a business of this diversity must be a pretty tough challenge.
“At the outset everyone was doing their own thing and we knew we had to bring some structure to the organisation in order to provide consistent high quality services, irrespective of location or type of service,” says Mike.
“And to reap the rewards of being a large group – such as sharing resources and buying centrally – we needed better coordination and communication.”
To manage the fleet, HCT Group implemented Freeway Fleet Systems to manage the maintenance operations at the operators’ workshops. “We have seen very significant savings in terms of administration since implementing Freeway,” he says. “This is because we now have up-to-date corporate-wide visibility of the entire fleet including availability; vehicles are no longer ‘lost’.
“Everyone can simply go onto the system to check up on a vehicle and see details such as defects and inspection reports. Before we had to make numerous calls to find out what was going on – all that has stopped and it is so much easier now.”
Steve Perks, Group Engineering Director, adds: “Freeway is all about having clarity and knowing what is going on at any moment across the organisation and that really is a powerful management tool.”
Centralising
One of the first tasks for HCT Group was the centralisation of procurement in order to provide control over suppliers, ensuring best value and quality.
Freeway facilitates procurement with specified suppliers and parts, with local purchase ordering against corporate standards, with authorisation now possible via the managers’ smartphone. Freeway also has a useful analytics capability which can be used to view and compare fleet performance data across all territories.
Freeway manages everything from scheduled maintenance to defects and inspections, and the software allows each regional company to take control of costs and compliance, but in accordance with HCT Group standards and policies.
The multi-company approach enables the separate HCT Group companies to manage their own chart of accounts, stores, suppliers, workshops, staff, and vehicles. The system meanwhile allows the Group’s head office to see a complete picture of fleet maintenance work, including a list of all vehicles and equipment nationally.
“With HCT Group companies operating independently across the country, we wanted to ensure we had common fleet management procedures to ensure the highest standards across all operations, and implementing Freeway’s software has achieved that,” says Steve.
HCT Group is currently upgrading a number of key systems within the business and the system is providing the core asset register hub for all new systems. “Freeway is the start point for assets within our multiple companies,” says Mike. “A range of projects that are being implemented at present all feed from the core Freeway asset register.”
Integration
When vehicles are bought there is a further complication, as it isn’t just the Freeway system that needs updating.
So, Freeway has developed an integration capability that automatically ‘pushes’ appropriate data into those different systems. “There are four or five systems – such as scheduling and finance – that need this data,” says Mike. “This clever Freeway tool means that those systems are updated automatically, reducing the risk of data entry errors or missing data – in areas that can be crucial to operations.”
Patrick Tandy, MD of Freeway, says: “The HCT Group approach strikes a good balance between the advantages of centralising with the benefits of economies of scale and a national standard, while maintaining the flexibility of managing at a local level and responding to specific conditions.
“At Freeway we’ve learnt that there will never be ‘one’ way to manage, and our customers must have the flexibility to change the processes and approaches as required by changes in technology, commercial conditions and legislation.
“The balance between central and local activity will change over time and also within different functions in the Group. Stores may become more centralised, while routine maintenance management may be controlled more locally.
“Either way, Freeway provides the flexibility and structure to do this.”
