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Can right decisions be made faster?
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There is nothing simple about any kind of management, including
fleet management, or everybody would be able to do it. Definitions of
management abound, but they generally offer a plan-monitor-control-change
cycle, or something akin to that. However you define management, it is a
complex business.
− Success requires confident command in multiple areas.
, Praxiom, 2014)
− The right decision is rarely simple.
Harvard Business School, 2013)
− The wrong decision can be very costly.
24/7 Wall Street, 2012)
Bad fleet decisions are rarely fatal, but usually harm the bottom line.
A bad decision is even worse if it takes a long time to reach. Getting to
the right answer can be done more quickly:
− Delegate research to somebody impartial and expert, internally or externally.
− Evaluate every option first time to avoid having to repeat the process.
− Eliminate built-in process delays wherever possible.
For product choices, decisions can be speeded by exploiting supplier
knowledge, if a range is comprehensive enough to minimise any vested
interest in pushing a particular product. The key driver for most decisions
will be increased bottom-line efficiency, but such calculations should
incorporate the cost of administration time. When assessing potential
suppliers, take note of the acquisition process. As a general rule, the faster
and simpler that a vendor makes it for you to become a customer, the better
the eventual customer service is likely to be.
Action point:
For any product decision, create a short-list of any
suppliers each capable of covering every option. Do this
even if it means considering only a single supplier capable
of offering impartial expert advice. Avoid compromise by
ensuring that a recommended product is a match for your
specific requirements, rather than the supplier’s needs.
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Best practice in fleet management - Issue 03
