Market knowledge and strong relationships with suppliers helped Wythenshawe Community Housing Group secure its new fleet.
Background
Willow Park Housing Trust and Parkway Green Housing Trust came together in 2013 to form Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG). The Group manages almost 14,000 homes in Wythenshawe, South Manchester and serves more than 20,000 residents.
The new organisation has built on the existing strengths of both companies and will enable the preservation of high quality community services and continued investment in the local area. Value for money is at the core of everything it does.
The challenge
Senior contract manager Mike Richmond was tasked with bringing together two vehicle fleets and coming up with an arrangement that would suit the Group going forward.
There were numerous factors to take into consideration, from fuel economy to environmental concerns, contributing to the reduction of the Group’s carbon footprint and the need to reduce the fleet from 141 to 115 vehicles.
The solution
The whole task became easier after Mike met with Procurement for Housing’s (PfH) top ranked supplier, Automotive Leasing; part of the LeasePlan group of companies, at PfH Live in 2015.
Following the event he was given an overview of what PfH could offer through its vehicle fleet management services framework.
Mike decided to go down the mini competition route and worked with PfH to define the specification and ensure the tender addressed areas such as accident management and quick response time for tyre replacements.
PfH then carried out an evaluation process – taking into account a price rise from one manufacturer along the way – and fed back recommendations to WCHG. The contract was subsequently awarded to Automotive Leasing for the provision of a Vauxhall fleet.
Mike Richmond at Whythenshawe Community Housing Group said:
“It was a very speedy process. I had lots of questions to ask about everything from environmental impact to MPG and the pros and cons of electric vehicles versus petrol and diesel. PfH were very responsive, based on their in-depth experience. They had the answers to all my questions at their fingertips, which made the process very efficient.”
“It was my first experience of dealing with PfH on such a large contract. They held my hand and gave me guidance which resulted in a very competitive price that was cheaper than our previous contracts. The whole experience was very positive and I’d definitely use them again.”
Collaboration was the key to a successful outcome, says PfH’s category buyer Jannine Wood.
“ This was very much a joint effort between Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and PfH. We worked very closely on developing the contract. The strong partnership between PfH and Automotive Leasing also enabled us to offer very competitive rental solutions to our customers like WCHG.”
Catherine Hiles, Account Director, Automotive Leasing said:
“ As PfH’s ‘top ranked supplier’ for Vehicle Fleet Management we were able to draw on the experience of working with other Housing Associations and the very real challenges facing the sector. We are delighted to be able to deliver a solution that meets with Wythenshawe Housing’s strategic fleet objectives .”
To find out more about the PfH Vehicle Framework and Automotive Leasing’s position as Top Ranked Supplier visit PfH Live! at Housing 2016, 28 June – 30 June, Manchester Central, Stand P62.
Case study reproduced with kind permission from Procurement for Housing (PfH)
