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How digitalisation is fixing the fleet repair gap

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As UK fleets navigate the pressures of rising repair costs and the electric vehicle transition, a new wave of digital transformation is reshaping aftersales operations. Imelda Labbé, newly appointed Supervisory Board member at Fixico and former senior executive at Volkswagen Group, Skoda, Opel, and GM Europe, shares her vision for how transparency, technology, and platform-based solutions can give UK fleet operators a much-needed edge.

Fixico Logo

“Digitalisation is the revolution. Bigger than the EV shift, because it changes the entire customer experience and operational backbone of the industry,” says Imelda.

The cost of inefficiency in UK aftersales

Aftersales operations in the UK have not kept pace with the rapid evolution of vehicle technology. While digital disruption has transformed industries like retail and travel, many repair journeys still rely on outdated, manual systems. For fleet operators and insurers, this means navigating a fragmented ecosystem of repairers, with limited transparency around cost, timelines, and service quality.

Fixico’s annual customer survey revealed that 32% of users didn’t know how repair lead times had changed over the last year—a clear indicator of the visibility gap.

“Repairs are still a trust-based business,” says Labbé. “Fleet operators lack clear insight into cost structures and turnaround times, resulting in inefficiencies and hesitation.”

How transparency can reduce costs and downtime

In the UK’s competitive fleet market, where labour costs are rising and pressure mounts to justify every expense, transparency is essential. Providing greater visibility into actual repair times, labour allocation, and cost breakdowns empowers customers to make smarter decisions and builds trust across the value chain.

This is particularly vital as OEM-branded repair shops face declining volumes and rising operational costs. By showcasing efficiency and throughput, rather than just price per hour, these workshops can differentiate themselves and maintain high-value partnerships.

Image: Fixico

EVs are charging ahead—but what about repairs?

Much of the national conversation focuses on building EV charging infrastructure, but EV repairs are a critical gap in the journey. UK fleets are quickly integrating EVs, yet few repair facilities are fully equipped or certified to handle their complex systems, such as high-voltage batteries.

Fixico addresses this by connecting operators with a network of EV-ready repairers which ensures safety, expertise, and speed aren’t compromised as the UK transitions to cleaner mobility.

Leveraging AI to simplify and speed up repairs

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept; it’s improving damage intake and repair allocation in the UK. Fixico uses AI to tag damage from vehicle images and generate repair orders, cutting time and administrative load from the repair process.

This intelligent allocation ensures each case is routed to a repairer best suited by expertise, availability, and performance which enhances quality while reducing errors and downtime.

Reducing delays with real-time scheduling and visibility

One of the most cited challenges among UK fleet managers is the lag between scheduling and executing repairs. A lack of visibility into case status further exacerbates downtime, making planning difficult and inefficient.

Image: Fixico

Fixico’s digital platform offers real-time status updates and smart scheduling, supported by a network of over 3,000 repairers across Europe. Whether it’s routine maintenance or complex claims, fleet managers can track and manage every step from one interface.

Adapting to evolving safety regulations

UK fleets are under mounting pressure to comply with increasingly stringent safety standards, and this challenge extends beyond compliance to the need for smarter, more proactive maintenance strategies. Fixico’s platform plays a key role by equipping fleet operators with centralised visibility into service history, wear patterns, and key compliance indicators across their entire vehicle portfolio.

With streamlined workflows, automated scheduling, and real-time data on maintenance status, the platform enables fleet managers to anticipate issues, take preventive action, and keep vehicles roadworthy. This digital control and traceability support a more data-driven approach to Repair, Maintenance & Tyres (RMT) management, helping fleets maintain compliance, reduce downtime, and improve overall operational resilience.

Building a future-ready aftersales infrastructure for the UK

For Imelda Labbé, the next era of aftersales is built on three pillars: transparency, technology, and trust. Platforms like Fixico are enabling this shift by offering tailored, data-rich solutions that address the real needs of UK fleets. From predictive repair planning and EV readiness to integrated claims handling and compliance reporting, Fixico is helping businesses thrive in a more complex, digital-first world.

Author: Charles Crosby, Network Manager UK, Fixico

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