Business News

Mon May 24

Things You Need To Know About Grey Fleet Management

Written by NewsCo

The term used for vehicles that don't belong to a company but are, however, used for business travel. It may include such vehicles that are bought via employee ownership schemes, privately rented vehicles, or those that are owned by employees. When driven for business, frequently in return for a cash allowance or the cost of fuel, such vehicles are considered to be "grey fleet" and thus fall under the umbrella responsibility of the employer.

Since grey fleet vehicles aren't in ownership of the company, the fleet managers are faced with a complicated set of issues when it comes to dealing with the safety of the fleet. For starters, employees may have already established their service policies and insurance, but their vehicles aren't covered under these policies for company travel.

Everything You Need To Know In Regards To Fleet Management

Fleet management is the term used for managing the fleet and all of the asset details from start to finish. This allows businesses to reduce their costs and improve their efficiency and it also ensures compliance across the fleet.

Managing the commercial vehicle pool can be quite a challenge. Add this challenge to the external influences and fleet managers have little control over such things as legislation, the uncertainty of the market, and costs. It can quickly become challenging.

What's The Purpose Of Fleet Management?

If your business is using such vehicles for commercial reasons, you'll want some kind of professional fleet data management. The goal of the operation will be controlling the lifecycle of commercial vehicles as well as the reduced associated risk and improving the efficiency. This will help to increase productivity and ensure compliance with legislation. Employee vehicles that are used for work should also be included in the process.

Legal Obligation

Employers must ensure that vehicles that are used for company business regardless of who owns them, are safe and appropriate for such use. This includes tax and insurance.

All In The Detail

Business insurance isn't normally included with a car insurance policy unless it is specifically requested. It's the driver's responsibility to have the proper insurance policy, the employer needs to check out the certificate of insurance and ensure that all of the business miles are covered.

Time To Enforce

Grey fleet mileage reimbursement rates are frequently higher than that of alternative modes of mileage claims and travel. At best, their estimate or worse, exaggerated.

Environmental Impact

Grey fleet vehicles are typically older than those of a company-owned fleet. Grey fleet can often contribute to the bulk of the transport CO2 emissions in many organisations. By tackling grey fleet vehicles, it can greatly reduce organisations carbon footprints and it can contribute toward reaching their CO2 target.

Change Perception

It's important to consider alternative methods to grey fleet business travel such as phone or video conferencing, car rentals, car leasing, car clubs, fleet management, or public transportation. It's important to encourage employees to consider such alternatives and not to assume that driving is always the answer.

Manage The Vehicles As If They Were Company Owned

Documenting and storing the data for vehicles is tantamount to the management of the grey fleet. This includes the registration details, the age of the vehicle, and proper insurance. Storing the data and helping to have regular vehicle checks will help to keep the audit trail open and the entire fleet compliant. This is the first step in resolving the issues that are grey fleet-related.

Mon May 24

5 Tips To Improve Material Handling Efficiency

Written by NewsCo

For any successful business, it's essential to prioritize efficiency. It's common for most people to expect workers to be reliable, but what intelligent businessmen won't tell you is that a dependable system is just as important.

Material handling and logistics are one of the biggest industries in the world, and it just keeps growing. As e-commerce and logistics increase in necessity, it's expected that material handling also improves. In doing so, productivity can increase, and so will profits.

What Is Material Handling?

Think of every product you bought, consumed, or have in your home. These things came from the supply chain, where goods were manufactured, packed, transported, tracked, shipped, and more. There are so many steps to material handling, and each product can go through so many steps before it can arrive at your door.

While the products go through material handling, people, machines, and programs all come into play. When you order something online, it's usually stocked in a warehouse where workers organize and record stocks. They also handle and receive orders so they can prepare them to be shipped out. With so many steps, it can be challenging to optimize since it can get tangled up and confusing.

Why Is The Efficiency Of Material Handling Important?

Because of how easily the process can become confusing, it's essential to optimize it. Efficiency is all about making the workflow quicker and easier, which means that any interruptions or mistakes should be avoided. Any delays or errors equates to losses and even disgruntled clients, customers, and employees.

How Can Material Handling Be Made More Efficient?

Material handling is all about finding solutions to increase profits. If you want to get your business as efficient as possible, try out these steps.

1. Getting The Best Equipment

Manual material handling is an important aspect, but there is more possibility for error. This is why getting the best equipment to store and move them around is necessary. The best equipment can help avoid human mistakes, such as dropping them and possibly breaking them in the process. But it's not just for avoiding the losses; high-tech equipment like Robotunits can help improve the process that can increase profits. These materials can ensure smoother transportation for materials, organized and efficient workstations for employees, and safe storage. It's far easier to go through the motions of material handling than doing things manually, which is slow and risky.

2. Documenting The Workflow

The workflow is like a web of systems that have to run smoothly to ensure that each second isn't wasted. Documenting workflow might seem unnecessary to some, but it's invaluable to any business owner who wants to be successful. Through documentation, it's possible to study where the system strives and where it struggles. And only by seeing it with documented evidence will it allow managers to troubleshoot and plan the processes better.

3. Studying And Updating The Layout

When it comes to manufacturing and warehousing, the layout is a huge factor. As you might notice, an area that is too cramped will make it difficult for workers to do their tasks. Manufacturers will need the elbow room, and warehouses need the extra space to move machinery and avoid bumping into shelves. The layout also ensures that the flow going in and out of the warehouse is quick and uninterrupted. A swift and efficient process will mean more finished tasks and more profits. However, remember that the layout is not only about stocking as many goods as possible. It's also about the safety of the area for both your business and the employees.

4. Maintain Your Facilities

Facilities and equipment are all part of the workflow. If they aren't maintained and cared for, they will malfunction, which will slow down the process. It's worse if the facilities are damaged to the point that they're unrepairable. It wouldn't just cause difficulties for workers, but also delays and losses.

5. Know Your Warehouse Limitations

Filling each building will have a specific range of percentages. Maintaining this range will ensure that the facilities perform excellently. Going over that range is only going to make it challenging to maintain the performance of the workflow. To illustrate this, imagine a busy warehouse with too many shelves. If each shelf is placed too close to each other to make room for more shelves, it will be inevitable for workers to bump into each other. It will also cause a narrow clearing for machinery like forklifts to go through the lanes and make turns. Because of this, workers will have to work slower because they have to be more careful not to knock shelves over. Therefore, it's wiser not to overcrowd any area with materials because it's just going to interrupt the flow.

Conclusion

There are so many ways you can run your business better, but it doesn't have to be an elaborate scheme. Sometimes, the most straightforward answers are the most effective ones. Trying new ways to handle materials is a great way to make an immediate change, but it can also be about studying and troubleshooting issues in the system.