Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

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"We needed a leading edge solution to replace a number of disparate ‘function’ based systems that were restricting the effectiveness of the whole transport operation."

Pete Johnson, Transport Services Manager

The Challenge

In 2005, Wakefield Council recognised that their existing Fleet system was unable to cope with the increasing demands of the transport operation and that it was restricting the overall effectiveness of their operations.

They needed to upgrade to a more sophisticated solution to bring the vehicles, workshop and plant activities into one system and to offer on-line access for the users.

Peter Johnson needed a system that could control the vehicle fleet, not only from a maintenance and repair aspect, but also to provide comprehensive transport service management.

“We needed a system that could cover all transport related matters as a total solution for our end users. In our case the end user consisted of three fleets; Wakefield District Council’s fleet, Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation and West Yorkshire Police LGVs. The system also needed to cope with the diverse charging methods, ranging from fixed monthly charges to pay-as-you-go plans.”

“We were looking for the best of breed solution to encompass everything we did at Transport Services. We were also seeking something that was forward thinking and which could integrate with existing systems, grow in tandem with the business and be capable of responding to our future requirements.

The Council released a tender for a new ‘asset centric’ solution that would not only meet the immediate requirements, but also have the capability to integrate further with other council services as future technology advanced.

The Change

The new solution was specified with input from all departments including consultation with the transport clients.

Key objectives for the replacement solution were to:

• Introduce a centralised web-based system that would bring about major improvements in terms of efficiency and cost savings
• Improve the overall efficiency of the Transport Services
• Achieve cost savings without compromising the quality of the operation or service it provides to both its internal and external customers
• Implement key measurement criteria in order to effectively measure improvements in efficiency and cost savings
• Ensure that the service is compliant with all existing and new health and safety regulations; road transport and health and safety legislation both internally and externally
• Improve vehicle turnaround
• Comply with e-government
• Ensuring best value through the European Journal tender process

The Solution

The OJEU tender process selected Maximus UK (now Trapeze) as the preferred supplier.

“This decision was based upon the provider not only offering a leading edge solution but understanding the complex challenges faced in the integration of a number of different systems and databases - encapsulating them under one umbrella system. The provider had a proven track record within the Public Sector in fleet solution design to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve the quality of services.” said Tom Shipp, Project Manager.

The Results

Implementation of the system with integration to the fuel management system has led to a number of measurable achievements:

Service

• Vehicle turnaround time improved by 3% (£81k) in the 1st year of implementation
• Less downtime resulted in a reduced need for replacement vehicles, saving a further £10,000
• Clean data capture meaning that fuel site stocks are accurate and the potential for shrinkage is reduced
• The ability to analyse and control vehicle utilisation
• The ability to identify inefficient vehicle or driver performance
• Reduced complaints to near zero level (Five years ago they were almost daily)
• Remote access via Customer Portal to central Asset Management Systems

People

• Delivered benefits to office and administrative staff including:
  • Simple to use navigation through a standard Web Browser
  • Complete Desktop Integration with 3rd Party Applications (Word, Excel, etc)
  • Bespoke Digital Dashboards developed to deliver real-time KPI information by function or role
  • Automatice delivery of scheduled standard and managerial reports

Compliance

• Full compliance with health and safety regulations
• Expansion to the Fleet Enforcement Section improving enforcement standards throughout the authority and accommodating forthcoming EU regulations
• KPIs generated automatically to assist in management of council prosecutions for speeding, vehicle turnaround, driver performance and more

The Future

On-board data capture devices that transmit data to the central system are being deployed to fleet vehicles. This allows monitoring of operational use of the vehicles and their current working status.

The use of smart card technology will allow instantaneous recognition of driver capabilities and identification.

The Government is actively seeking opportunities for local authorities to introduce greater initiatives of collaborative working across the public service network. A local strategic partnership exists within Wakefield and comprises of the council, NHS and other public services such as police, probation and voluntary services to tackle some of the issues facing the district through shared services.

The Trapeze Fleet system provides Wakefield Transport Services with a technology platform on which to expand their ability to exploit technology for the benefit of the citizens and staff of Wakefield.