Achieving Culture Change through Technology
By John Lennox European Fleet Manager, G4S
With over 20 years experience in Transport and Logistics, ranging from Transport Policy Management and International Standards Development, to managing one of the UK’s largest fleets, John Lennox, Head of Fleet Management for G4S, reflects on some of the environmental challenges facing operators.
Throughout my career I’ve always been focused in improving efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint for businesses I have been involved with. It’s not just a company goal; it’s very much a personal one. Over my 20+ year career I’ve researched and helped to implement innovations for some big consumer brands and I’m proud to look back and see the difference it’s made to those businesses. The challenge at G4S, with one of the largest operational fleets in the UK, was to investigate how we could drive fuel efficiencies while at the same time influencing the drivers’ mindset with regard to road safety and CSR.
Over the past few years the business has invested in a number of niche solutions. Each of these does an excellent job in addressing specific issues. The introduction of photovoltaic panels, stop start technology, engine management controls and our first ever fully electric cash in transit (CIT) vehicle are just a few examples. But if your real objective is to change learned behaviours, you can’t assume that simply introducing technology will bring about some sort of miraculous change. There are no quick and easy fixes when it comes to finding solutions within a fleet environment – you are, after all, dealing with both the physical fleet assets and the human beings behind the wheel. Realising that changing driver and management behaviour was likely to be the most effective way to tackle fuel consumption led G4S to investigate Telematics.
The beauty of the Telematics system, and one of the reasons it has worked so well for us, is that the sensitivity of the technology can be scaled up over time. The positive feedback provided by the system has acted as a motivator for the crew behind the wheel. It is important
|128| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
to remember that Telematics only provides you with the information; managers have to understand and use that information positively to help affect change.
Essentially the data allows us to do three key things: monitor, manage and adjust, but with the driver fully engaged in the process. The system is set up to provide the driver with audiovisual indicators of how their driving is measuring up and the direct improvements they are making to their impact on the environment. So, while they may start off with several audible alarms in the vehicle and red and amber indicators, it’s amazing how soon we start to see a change for the better.
We’re seeing a distinct change in how our drivers think and act while behind the wheel. There is clear evidence that our drivers are becoming increasingly aware of how crucial their role is in enhancing the reputation of the business through their behaviour on the road. The data we can obtain now helps us with positive reinforcement techniques and we’re seeing the results on a weekly basis.
Interestingly, we’ve found that this new mindset extends to how drivers treat their vehicle and other road users. As a business we’ve worked hard to successfully introduce a 5S approach within our branch network and now we’re looking to build on that success and introduce this to our vehicles – slowly at first, but all of this just goes to reinforce the right mindset of efficiency, awareness and respect.
Key to the success of the Telematics programme has been a reliable baseline measurement of our carbon output. As a business G4S has a solid track record of collecting environmental data and this, combined with our CSR activities, has enabled us to become the only business of our type to achieve bronze status on the CR Index this year, as published in the Financial Times. We are also members of the Freight Transport Association’s
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192