Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is seen by many experts as the future, but for ACFO, the UK’s premier fleet decision-makers’ organisation, it is very much the present, which is why its fourth members’ webinar will focus on ‘Mobility Today’.
In the long-term, ACFO believes that employees should be provided with individual Mobility Cards by their employers that could be used to access all forms of travel, fed from an app that could plan and charge costs accordingly.
However, as MaaS becomes increasingly ‘the norm’ a new breed of corporate mobility managers must analyse the cost of each mile travelled and let technology dictate how a journey is actually made.
What’s more, some businesses are already on the ‘total cost of mobility’ journey with the integration of fleet and travel operations, and those leading that charge will provide an insight during the webinar on the actions they have taken and the challenges faced – both internal and external.
The webinar on Friday, 21 September at 12 noon will be hosted by ACFO digital chairman Julie Summerell and digital secretary James Pestell.
Ms Summerell said: “The world of corporate and employee travel is changing rapidly and so is the way that employers want to reward staff. There is much ‘chat’ about employee mobility management, but there is also uncertainty as to what it means and how it can be achieved by employers.
“Change is being underpinned by the growing ability of technology to provide various services. As technology improves, ACFO believes more companies will become adopters, but the challenge is how the journey from fleet management to mobility management is undertaken, which expert speakers will outline during the webinar.”
The webinar is being sponsored by business mobility and fleet leasing specialist Alphabet (GB) Ltd and is being hosted by well-known energy drink supplier Red Bull from its London offices.
Key speakers are:
- David Oliver, ACFO member and procurement manager at Red Bull, who is leading the company’s move to integrate fleet and travel management with the business operating 220 company vehicles and there being 36 ‘grey fleet’ units. He will highlight the company’s progress to date and its short and long-term ambitions, the internal and external challenges faced and the support, or lack of, received from suppliers.
- John Pryor, ACFO chairman and fleet and travel manager at High Street fashion retailer Arcadia Group, is focused on knowing the total cost of a journey not simply the headline cost of a rail ticket, flight or a car’s pence per mile figure. He views MaaS as being achievable in three stages, which he will explain: the integration of all fleet and travel data, the identification and implementation of the most user-friendly technology and online systems from the perspective of both employers and employees, and ensuring that suppliers can fully support the mobility journey.
- David Bushnell, principal consultant at Alphabet (GB) Ltd, will outline the growth of mobility consultancy and explain the availability of technology and the changing skill-set required of suppliers’ employees as they focus on delivering mobility solutions rather than simply vehicle leasing and management.
The webinar will conclude with Mr Pryor providing an update on ACFO initiatives and future events.
Webinar registration is via the ACFO website at www.acfo.org or at http://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=3913937228461315. The webinar will also be available as a download from the ‘members’ area’ of the website. Members unable to join the webinar may submit mobility-related questions for answering prior to or post the event via email to [email protected].
Ms Summerell concluded: “We have been delighted at the involvement of members in the webinars held to date, particularly the quantity and quality of questions submitted during the event to the expert speakers, and we hope that continues.”
