Sutton Housing Partnership is an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) which was set up in 2006 to manage council housing stock on behalf of Sutton Council.
The team are responsible for social housing and take care of the grounds and maintenance of the buildings on behalf of the council. The partnership owns around 7500 – 8000 properties which are made up of a variety of stock from large estates down to small blocks of flats.
Lara Parsons is an Estate manager for the Partnership & is responsible for ensuring their fleet of vehicles is being used efficiently to support the maintenance and running of Sutton’s properties.
Our brief
Sutton Housing needed a system which would allow them to have real time access to the whereabouts of their vehicles which are driven by their team of caretakers & ground staff.
The fleet is made up of several different types of vehicles & assets;
- Small Vans
- Flatbed Tippers
- Ride on Mowers
- Road Sweepers
- Window Cleaning Vans
- Graffiti / Cleaning Vans
Their aim was to drive efficiencies within the partnership with welfare at the heart of their organisation. Money needs to be invested wisely to support their commitment to provide safe homes, whilst promoting successful communities.
Most vehicles are owned by the partnership so these need to be kept in good condition, the remaining vehicles, which are on a lease, need to be returned with as little repair costs as possible. Introducing a system which will allow management to monitor driver behaviour to support these aims was also a key requirement.
The Solution
Foresolutions have installed the Foretrack GPS Tracking SaaS system across the fleet of varying vehicle types. We have trained the management team and daily users how to access the system via both desktop & mobile applications so they can easily monitor the fleet and report on the desired metrics.
Result
The implementation of the Foretrack system allows the team of managers, static and mobile caretakers along with the ground staff to operate efficiently.
The ability to manage driver behaviour has been a real benefit to the partnership. This not only identifies where additional training may be required, it also reduces wear and tear on vehicles. The partnership is also pleased that branded vehicles are always seen to be driving sensibly, ensuring the safety of the public whilst protecting their image.
Management can often go a number of days, sometimes even weeks, without seeing their team face to face. Having the Foretrack system on their mobile phone means they can catch up with them when they are out and about onsite with ease.
The added benefit of security has proved to be very helpful, especially when recently a tree cutting van had been stolen. The team were able to quickly locate their missing vehicle. This saved not only a lot of time and operational difficulties for the team, but also the time of the police who could quickly & efficiently recover the vehicle.
Lara says:
“The system is fit for purpose, effective & efficient. The dashboard is user friendly and having access to all the information available on my mobile has made my job a whole lot easier. I would not hesitate to recommend the Foretack system or services of Foresolutions.”
