Vehicle availability, efficiency and quality in fleet management: a case study of eThekwini Municipality.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate and make recommendations on how to maintain a balance between vehicle availability, efficiency and quality. The objectives of the study were achieved by conducting a literature review on fleet management and acquiring primary data by interviewing eight participants of the fleet management unit of the EThekwini Municipality. The demand for transport is determined by the transportation requirements and needs of transport for the organisation. This demand then informs what type of vehicles, size and capacity that an organisation should acquire. Then the organisation needs to manage and balance this demand by ensuring that there is always sufficient supply or vehicle availability in order to meet the transport requirements or the demand. The critical factors that affect vehicle availability, efficiency and quality in the municipality were identified as, technical skills deficit, shortage of staff, age of fleet, workshop scheduling, fleet size and overall management of workshops. The limitations that were encountered was availability of staff for interviews, as these were in depth interviews the interviewing takes time from the participants’ hours of work. The recommendations made to the management of the unit are: To develop an intensive on the job and formal training program for addressing skills deficit and staff shortage that were determined as the critical factors that are affecting vehicle availability, efficiency and quality; Review fleet replacement programme in order to reduce older vehicles that are in the fleet; Review the maintenance and vehicle service program and scheduling of vehicles, in order to regulate the workload that goes through the workshops and Strengthen relationships with the SCM Unit with regards to procurement of spares and Contract Management.