Expert Advice: How to Stay on Top of Fleet Vehicle Maintenance

The importance of Service, Maintenance and Repair (SMR) fleet management cannot be understated.

From increasing fleet use longevity to vastly improving long-term maintenance budgets, SMR management is now a central component of car rental fleet management operations and for good reason.

This is due to several factors:

● As fleet management, fuel, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), and insurance costs rise, having a fixed, understood, and verifiable maintenance package in place ensures sustainable, long-term fleet operations.

● This, in turn, ensures the provision of high-quality vehicles for customers and builds a trusted brand for OEMs to collaborate with.

● Over time, this enhances reputation, maintenance standards, vehicle lifespan and the overall workflow of fleet management.

The Significance of SMR Management in the Car Rental Business.

As any vehicle rental or car lease hire operator knows, reliability is key to success, and the security that comes from a world-beating car rental maintenance system is almost priceless for operators in the market.

The personnel, workflow and maintenance systems deployed to hold a fleet together - from sales and marketing to maintenance, repairing and insurance - require reliable and cost- effective functionality and effective Duty of Care.

So, to ensure fleet reliability and to ensure customers are satisfied with their vehicles at all times, operators are increasingly turning to SMR service providers.

An SMR can minimise operational failure and reduce instances of breakdown, missed vehicle availability and mismanaged fleet maintenance scheduling. Naturally, this has an immensely positive impact on cost control and operator reputation.

What are the Components of Effective SMR Management?

In our view, you can break down effective SMR management into several primary

components:

Components of Effective SMR Management

● Regular inspections - SMRs give vehicle fleet maintenance teams the means to enact strict routine fleet inspections to identify potential issues before they escalate.

● Preventative maintenance - this then allows maintenance teams to ensure

preventative maintenance scheduling.

● Prompt repairs and efficient workflows - preventative, systematic maintenance

strategies then minimise vehicle downtime through timely and efficient workflows.

● Data-driven decision making - finally, an SMR management system can be the basis

for the collection and analysis of fleet performance data and maintenance history,

optimising SMR processes and working to better predict fleet maintenance needs.

Cost Control and Efficiency

Proactive and timely fleet repair management is a cornerstone of any successful fleet management operation, and this is where an SMR makes itself most keenly felt.

An SMR management structure helps at both ends of the vehicle rental and lease management lifecycle - customers have increased access to vehicles, and fleet operators have faster, more efficient vehicle and maintenance turnaround.

This improves customer buy-in and brand trust (opening doors for more sales), reduces

emergency repairs or breakdowns, and extends the lifespan of vehicles, all of which

positively impact the bottom line.

Compliance with Safety and Legal Regulations

Another way SMRs help fleet operators navigate the modern world of car rental is via

adherence to legal requirements and regulatory oversight.

A well-curated and managed SMR service ensures any vehicle is properly - and legally -

maintained, that routine fixes and repairs are within statutory regulation and that operators are protected against poor maintenance work, or changes to legal frameworks within the maintenance lifecycle.

Implementing an SMR Management System

SMRs are service plans that take advantage of digital efficiencies where they can make a

massive impact.

Investing in an SMR system means investing in new tools and tech that benefit maintenance scheduling and fleet repair oversight.

These digital tools are multi-platform, available on tablets and smart devices and cloud- based, meaning every fleet management stakeholder - from mechanic to sales team member - has a birds-eye view of the health and availability of any given vehicle in a fleet.

These tools also provide the basis for other novel SMR management particulars, such as

access to Duty of Care and warranty documentation, real-time vehicle condition reporting, better financial forecasting and transaction platforms.

Collaborating with Qualified Service Providers

To make the most of modern, digital SMR system benefits we urge any lease or rental

operator to collaborate with an SMR Qualified Service Provider.

Relying on a reputable SMR provider gives operators the confidence that their services will be diligent, sustainable and competitively priced.

The best SMR providers in the market establish market-leading performance monitoring and establish a credible service level agreement that meets an operator's needs - this, in turn, improves fleet maintenance systems, fleet health and customer efficacy.

Coastr, Epyx, and the future of SMRs

Coastr and Epyx have teamed up to enable fleet and mobility operators to carry out service, maintenance and repair (SMR) management directly through Coastr's all-in-one Shared Mobility platform.

"With our 1link technology, Coastr customers can enjoy greatly enhanced visibility over the maintenance records of vehicles on hire, including scheduled servicing, repairs and other costs.

This transparency allows them to make data-driven decisions, optimising maintenance schedules and generally increasing fleet operational efficiency."

Marc Lees

Business Development Director, epyx

Our solution integrates with Epyx’s 1link Service Network, enabling customers to:

● Book, authorise and receive invoices online for vehicle service, maintenance and

repair, create a seamless, accessible platform that can help authorise maintenance with garages,

● Help consolidate HMRC-compliant invoices,

● Easily book in vehicles for maintenance,

● Efficiently import data and information from 1link to the Coastr ecosystem at the

touch of a button.

Our new partnership helps rental and lease operators who have limited or no access to

nationwide SMR providers, difficult reconciliation processes, opaque vehicle history or

simply too much paperwork and not enough time.

The bottom line

SMRs are key cornerstones of vehicle rental and lease fleet maintenance and repair. But, as we’ve discussed above, investment in an SMR system covers more than the hard work of keeping a fleet afloat - the best can and van maintenance software providers establish the basis for reputation improvement.

This sort of unique vehicle support offering maximises efficiency and customer safety, and in today’s hyper-competitive rental environment, this could make the difference between business success and failure. Implementing advanced car rental software enhances operational agility and customer satisfaction, ensuring a competitive edge in the market.

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Boost Your Car Rental Business Success with Effective Maintenance Management

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