Fleet management is an essential component of all company vehicle operations, and encompasses a broad range of deliverables. Services are often resourced in-house in the SME sector, and generally outsourced by larger corporate and government fleets. The cost of services has fallen though so outsourcing is now a viable option for smaller company-owned vehicles.
A critical element of the broader offering is the specialised field of accident management. This has recently gained prominence as a response to the increased obligations imposed by the Health & Safety at Work Act this year due to vehicles being captured as a “place of work”.
Historically, leasing firms developed some form of accident management resources for their own clients. Accident management requires specialised capabilities and infrastructure though, and a sound understanding of both the collision repair sector and insurance practices. As a result, independent specialists evolved to serve market demand, and now many leasing firms outsource to these experts.
Crash Management is a premium provider of accident management services in New Zealand, and having won the “Insurance Industry Award 2009 for Innovation of the Year,” is considered the market leader. Crash Management has been operating for almost 15 years, and now serves hundreds of SMEs, in addition to some of New Zealand's largest government and corporate fleets. The company also serves a range of alliance partners, including selected leasing firms, insurance brokers, car manufacturers, and specialist motor vehicle insurer Protecta.
We spoke to Crash Management MD Karen Knight for a behind-the-scenes look at accident management. Karen explained: "Crash Management transforms the end-to-end accident experience for customers. We work on behalf of our client to deliver a seamless 24/7 one-call solution that co-ordinates the claims/assessing/repair process. Our clients don't need to do anything but fill out a claim form, we manage everything else for them".
She said that service solutions are tailored to suit each client's business and operational requirements. The offering encompasses all logistics, including road-side emergency assistance, late-model courtesy car delivery, co-ordination of repair quotes or assessing, and full repair management. Crash Management's proposition is unique in that its core offering is free of charge.
There have been many changes in the accident management space this year, and Crash Management has developed its capability to deliver on client requests for driver safety-related service extensions. The broader offering is supported by alliances with other best-of-breed niche providers to deliver a more holistic approach to fleet health.
This encompasses a range of preventative services in addition to significant enhancements to the core Crash Management product.
Driver safety resources such as tailored rescue and repatriation protocols where vehicles are undriveable or incidents occur after-hours, or at distance from home base are now available. Its web-based operating system also supports instant alerts to designated client contacts for new incidents and escalations for injuries cases. Detailed incident related data is also collected so that accident causes and trends can be analysed including recidivist drivers. This allows remedial action to be taken based on the facts, including driver up-skilling or review of vehicle suitability for the environment and nature of the work.
Karen spent the first 20 years of her career in the panel beating trade, so not surprisingly, high technical standards of repair have always been a focus for Crash Management. This is facilitated by its contract supplier network of around 120 certified Structural Repair Centres throughout the country. This has ensured that collision damaged vehicles are repaired to manufacturers' specifications to safeguard the integrity and value of the asset. This aspect of Crash Management’s work is now more critical than ever so vehicles remain fit-for-purpose and protect on-going driver safety.
Outsourced accident management delivers significant time savings for drivers and management, and reduces vehicle time off the road while providing the seamless mobility that keeps business operating. A fully customised Crash Management programme is provided on a subscription basis for a surprisingly low price. It is both a cost-effective and responsible option for all fleet operators and an ideal outsource solution particularly in regard to fleet health & driver safety compliance.
Learn more at http://crashmanagement.nz/corporate-government-fleets/.
