Bridging the Gap Between HQ and the Field Presenters Adlore Chaudier Ph.D., Mercury Associates Gary Hatfield, Mercury Associates

 The challenge of change  What are the differences between HQ Fleet Management and Field Fleet Management?  What do they have in common?  How can we “Bridge the Gap” to improve communication and align goals and objectives?

Common reasons for failure to change include: – Poor communication – Lack of support from top management – Too many initiatives at one time – Lack of focus – Lack of guidance – Lack of training – Unclear rationale for change – Lack of understanding of the urgency of change – Inadequate employee involvement – Complacency (resistance to change because of prior practices)

FMR states that you are responsible for: – “... accounting and reporting procedures... [that] will ensure accurate recording of inventory, cost, and operational data needed to manage and control motor vehicles, and will satisfy reporting requirements.”

To manage and control, you need: – Accounting and reporting tools and methods—do you have a FMIS, do you have performance standards (metrics), do you have processes for field reporting, do you use data for fleet management decision-making – Accurate inventory data—is your owned inventory correct, VINs correct, data fields correct, information input standardized – Accurate cost data—fuel (in-house & commercial), maintenance (in-house & commercial), repair, up-fitting expenditures, added wear & tear expenses, accident expenses – Accurate operational data—date put in service, miles, hours, direct and indirect costs

Fleet Management means: you capture, analyze and use data for decision-making for all aspects of your fleet program Management means some degree of actual control over: – Who gets vehicles – How many vehicles – What type of vehicles – Replacement plan and replacement of vehicles – Reassignment of vehicles

Fleet Management means knowing the true cost of the fleet and managing that cost Agencies with large, decentralized fleets of owned vehicles and equipment and organizational layers have decentralized fleet management and disaggregated financial data Few Federal organizations with owned vehicles and equipment can provide a detailed fleet budget or fleet expenditure report

 Equipment ownership and operation (non-FAST reportable)  Personnel (management & analysts at all levels, mechanics)  Costs of facilities (maintenance shops)  Software  Training  Upfitting (e.g., labor and equipment for law enforcement)  Excess vehicles (no acquisition cost but transport)  POV reimbursement or daily/short-term rental

Administration focuses on: – Preparation of periodic reports; – Assisting user groups with entering data into GSA Automotive; – Assisting with purchase or lease of vehicles and equipment; – Assisting with disposal of vehicles; – Checking charge-card expenditures; – Checking fuel charges; – Obtaining and disposing of tags; – Aggregating data for reporting; – Entering FAST data.

Vehicle Assignment Vehicle Acquisition Vehicle Operation Vehicle Utilization Mechanic Supervision Registration Renewal Enforcing Policy Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Vehicle Replacement Outsourcing Alternative Fuels Accident Management Parts Procurement & Supply Fuel Procurement & Supply Dispatching Mission & Authority Facility Management Motor Pool Management Vehicle Disposal Operator/Driver Training EFFECTIVE FLEET MANAGEMENT

Headquarters  Comply with EPACT, Exec Orders, Agency and DOE Scorecards, etc.  Reduce Fleet Size  Alternative Fuels  FAST (what the field submits)  Home to Work  Policies  Laws and regulations Field Keep Drivers Happy Keep Vehicles Running Get New Vehicles Requirements v “Desirements” Accidents Vendors Tags Fuel FAST Tracking data in disparate programs Other jobs as assigned

 HQ and Field share many of the same frustrations ◦ FAST: but from different ends of the process ◦ Information Systems: but from different ends of the process ◦ Do More with Less

 Property, financial, maintenance or personnel divisions at HQ typically drive information system solutions  Fleet is comparatively small within agency administrations/budgets and has been a tail that cannot wag the dog  Many large agencies continue to struggle to implement a centralized FMIS that meets fleet management needs for owned fleet vehicles (and motorized equipment)  FAST reporting has become an end in itself rather than a tool for management of the fleet

Knowledge, experience, grade level, responsible department/division vary. Almost all (96%) lack formal training in fleet management. Local supervisors lack money or don’t see value in fleet training. Different individuals in different divisions may manage vehicles and equipment. The vehicle Fleet Manager typically is responsible for FAST reporting. Fleet is often a part-time duty. Administrators with responsibilities but little authority rather than managers with authority

 Management of light-duty owned vehicles may be separated from management of light-duty GSA Fleet vehicles.  Fleet Manager may be unaware of maintenance management system and its use.  Equipment Manager may be unfamiliar with FAST reporting requirements and GSA Fleet.  Ability to ensure compliance with fleet-related laws, regulations, and directives hindered by decentralized fleet management approach.

 HQ does not establish data-gathering, calculation, and reporting standards (need a FAST Handbook)  No FMIS in place to standardize data-gathering and reporting  Insufficient information gathered by the field FAST reporter  Unaware of FAST reports available on GSA Reports Carryout  No standard processes established for field data-gathering and reporting  No standard performance measures  Unaware of the FAST Data Quality Consistency Report or how to read and apply the data tables and charts  Increased data demands but no increase in personnel  Everyone is too busy as data moves up the hierarchy

Improve Communications – Traditional Training: Face-to-face – Alternative Training: Web-recorded, WebEx – Alternative Communication: Teleconference, WebEx – Web site: All things fleet in one place – Standard suit of electronic tools Repair vs replace Lease vs own Other – Standard guidance Operating procedures FAST Handbook Fleet report template

 At HQ level: ◦ Get out of the office and into the field ◦ Form alliance(s) with Sustainability Officer, I.G., Finance ◦ Set attainable goals and timelines ◦ Establish policy, including action-options for under-utilized vehicles (motor pool, rotation, etc.) ◦ Establish standard operating procedures so everyone captures the same data in the same way and reports in a standard format ◦ Establish robust vehicle justification tool/protocol ◦ Create training program for field staff – Communicate! ◦ Establish metrics that tell a story (fleet age current vs replacement plan vs actual, plan as % of budget, actual as % of budget, downtime, backlog by model year)

At Bureau/Field level: – Form alliance(s) with Sustainability Officer, Risk, Safety – Engage user groups: Avoid being the fleet police by creating a vehicle acquisition and allocation team – Ensure data accuracy: Follow standard operating procedures to capture and report data – Establish a fleet baseline (TE) – Associate vehicles with metrics beyond utilization: hours, trips, passengers, incidents of accidents or crime – Track incidents of unscheduled maintenance and repair – Track fleet availability rate (leased vs. owned) – Determine GHG and petroleum consumption penalty by retaining questionable vehicles – Have users develop plan of use (justification) prior to procuring new/replacement vehicles

Establish a comprehensive fleet policy and procedure document – Encourages planning and goal setting – Details effective problem-solving strategies – Provides supervisors with standard guidelines – Promotes teamwork; reduces squabbling – Reduces management and driver downtime – Reduces crisis communication – Contributes to employee and organization success – Reduces supervisor and employee anxiety – Improves control over costs and operations – Standardizes processes in multiple locations – Reduces confusion, questions, errors

Implement a fleet management information system to provide key benefits: – Improved central management of the fleet; – Timely response to reporting requirements or special data calls; – Current and electronically available inventory data; – Current, complete, and electronically available maintenance and fuel costs; – Availability of data essential to development of a comprehensive replacement plan; – A standard method for replacement planning; – Tracking and reporting of fleet performance measures; – Reduction of manual data capturing and calculation.

MERCURY ASSOCIATES, INC. “Specializing in the science of fleet management.” For more information, contact: Adlore Chaudier Ph.D. Senior Fleet Management Consultant (cell) Gary Hatfield Director, Public Fleet Consulting Services (cell)