ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 56
OPI N I O N
FLEET
The efficiency step
we’re avoiding
→ Inez Berkhof-Hollander is EMEA managing director at TreviPay
C
ommercial vehicles are
smarter and more connected,
but repair and maintenance
remain fragmented. As we
prepare for big changes
like electrification, this
fragmentation could become
an increasing problem.
The good news is there
is a relatively straightforward way to
reduce administrative friction, creating a
potential new route to increased uptime,
greater sector productivity and stronger
customer loyalty.
Avoid unnecessary stress
For all the technology going into the way
we manage commercial vehicles, there is
one part of the ecosystem that remains
stubbornly old-fashioned: the back office.
When a truck or van needs a repair,
the processes can still involve multiple
POs, credit checks, invoice approvals
and payment arrangements, handled
manually across multiple systems.
A commercial vehicle sitting in a
workshop is not generating revenue,
and every extra hour off the road lowers
overall profitability.
For fleet managers, the problem
is compounded by the increasing
complexity of fleets. Heavy-truck
and van operators may use multiple
manufacturers to strengthen purchasing
power, and fleets can combine vehicles
for different applications.
Choice is great, but each brand brings
its own dealer network, with different
credit arrangements, payment terms and
administrative processes.
Before repair work can begin, the fleet
operator may have to establish whether
the dealer will extend credit, confirm
the PO, ensure the contracted pricing is
applied and navigate invoicing.
Once the repair is completed, the
process starts again. For accounts
payable teams, this can mean a stream
of invoices from different dealers, while
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q4 2026
fleet managers waste time approving
invoices and dealing with disputes,
particularly when information is missing
or prices do not match expectations.
The obvious place to optimise is
the back office. Ironically, fleets may
have sophisticated fleet-management,
procurement and ERP systems, while
manufacturers and dealers operate their
own platforms. If those systems do not
communicate effectively, people become
the integration layer.
There is no reason why purchase
orders, credit, pricing, invoicing and
payment can’t be treated as connected
elements of a single transaction.
Consolidated invoicing is a perfect
example. Instead of receiving and
processing individual invoices from
every dealer, transactions could be
brought together by brand and delivered
electronically into existing workflows.
Credit can similarly be managed
across a dealer network rather than
at each location, while pricing and PO
requirements can be validated before
invoices are issued.
Earning their keep
Electrification is changing the economics
of aftersales. Traditional vehicles
generate significant revenue through
parts and servicing, while EVs have
fewer moving parts and potentially lower
maintenance requirements.
This disrupts where and how money is
made, putting commercial pressure on
manufacturers to adapt and innovate.
Administrative simplicity is more than
an efficiency measure; it can be a core
part of a new customer proposition.
The industry has invested in making
vehicles and workshops more efficient.
The next step is to apply this thinking to
everything around those valuable pieces
of automotive technology, stripping out
the administrative noise that stands
between a vehicle entering a workshop
and getting back on the road.
