Digitisation through COVID-19
Recently Webfleet Solutions surveyed fleet decision makers across Europe to understand how the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the digitization of their fleet-related activities.
The findings cover the period from March 2020 to August 2021 when the survey was conducted.
Digitisation since COVID-19:
- 74% of fleets adopted more digital solutions since COVID-19
- 97% agreed that doing so helped their business deal with COVID-19
Digitisation is a key driver of fleet efficiency and safety:
Time on the road is valuable. The biggest reason for fleets to digitise was to improve efficiency (51%). The other two top reasons were minimising physical contact (48%) and improving safety standards (41%), reflecting how fleet managers have taken precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The top three digital solutions adopted during the period were electronic signature (57%), digital documents (53%) and mobile apps (52%). This reinforces the reasons to digitise, as each solution safeguards fleets against COVID-19 and helps make them more efficient.
Top 3 Reasons Fleets adopted more digital solutions since Covid-19:
- Increase efficiency – 51%
- Minimise physical contact – 48%
- Improve safety standards – 41%
Top 3 Solutions adopted since COVID-19:
- Electronic Signature – 57%
- Digital Documents – 53%
- Mobile Apps – 52%
Digitisation can directly address the impacts of COVID-19:
We asked fleet managers to share the top three ways COVID-19 impacted fleets. Fuel costs increased for 59% of fleets. 58% of fleet managers also reported increased stress levels of their drivers. The number of customers increased for 57% of fleets.
This correlates to the value that fleet managers believe can come from digitisation. The leading benefit was increased customer satisfaction (82%). Coming in second place was improving driver wellbeing (74%) while reducing vehicle costs was the third-biggest advantage (68%).
Fleets should not let cost hold them back from investing in digital solutions:
More than a quarter (26%) of the fleets we surveyed didn’t adopt more digital solutions. Of that number, 30% cited cost as the main reason holding them back. 28% said they already use enough digital solutions, while 24% didn’t have enough time or resources to implement a fleet management solution.
Although the initial cost of a solution matters, it’s also important to consider the potential savings. More than a third (34%) of fleet managers said that they adopted more digital solutions to save money in the long run. Webfleet Solutions helps fleets cut fuel wastage, lower maintenance costs and stay productive. Although cost is the biggest barrier to adopting digital fleet management solutions, WEBFLEET gives a return on investment in six to nine months on average.
Smaller fleets have a lot to gain from digital solutions:
According to the survey, only 59% of fleets with 1-10 vehicles adopted new digital solutions since COVID-19. Larger fleets of 51+ vehicles were more likely to invest in digitisation (81%+).
But that doesn’t mean digitisation isn’t right for smaller fleets. Webfleet Solutions offers customisable solutions for every fleet size. Our solutions for small and medium-sized businesses can boost efficiency, cut costs, support drivers and improve vehicle performance.
Speak with us to see what digitisation might be available for your business.
