News

Leading estate agency Connells Group has further extended its incident management contract with FMG. The company, the UK’s largest property services providers, has partnered with FMG since 2008 for the provision of incident management services for its fleet of company cars and pool cars for estate agents.

The partnership ensures estate agents have all the driver and vehicle support they need should they be involved in a vehicle incident when driving for work. One call to FMG activates a fast and efficient response which includes incident reporting, repair management, replacement vehicle hire and total loss management.

Emma Turness, Group Fleet Manager at Connells Group commented “I can’t over-emphasise the importance of having a safe and reliable fleet in business today. Connells Group has a reputation for award-winning service and keeping our promises to our customers is central to this. Over the years FMG have proven to be a supportive and reliable partner to our large UK-wide driver population, developing their knowledge of our operation to continually add more value.”

FMG’s flexible incident management architecture is configurable to meet the needs of every individual fleet, and a bespoke structure created for Connells allows reporting on sub-divisions and analysis of like for like performance.

Emma continued, “Fleet safety is a key focus which can be tricky to monitor when pool cars have multiple users. Through FMG’s bespoke reports our fleet team can easily identify those drivers where safety intervention and training is required whether online, classroom-based or in-car, and also fosters a competitive team spirit with our driver safety leaderboard.”

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “This renewal is a major endorsement of the successful relationship our businesses have built up over many years of collaboration. Connells Groups fleet is unlike any other and naturally we have created a flexible incident management solution which fits their specific fleet needs, successfully manages total losses, which is a key metric for Connells, and provides a wealth of data and insight to support driver safety and incident prevention.”

How to Control the Total Cost of Claims article can be read here.

Operational Stability through future-proofing article can be read here.

FMG Incident Management Partner of Choice artcle can be read here.

The Forget Me Not–Charity Milestone article can be read here. 

Long-term Repair Capacity Boost at FMG article can be read here.

FMG raises over £50,000 for children’s charity article can be read here.

Paving the Way for Heightened Resilience article can be read here.

FMG is evolving its operational structure to reflect its recent growth and investment.

The restructure sees the promotion of two long-serving managers, Joe Day to the new role of Head of Claim Notification and Luke MacRae to Head of Downtime Management. Both roles will support the delivery of service excellence and process efficiency as the business optimises recent investment in automation to provide customers with greater choice and communication options.

Joe has managed FMG’s Third Party Claims Team for the past four years and now oversees the management of all new claim notifications up to the point of repair allocation, including third party intervention. Working alongside Joe, former Business Change Manager Luke takes responsibility for the operational delivery of vehicle repair from first allocation through to vehicle return. 

Together Joe and Luke have amassed 35 years’ experience at FMG.

John Keeton, Operations Director at FMG said, “I am delighted by the promotions of Joe and Luke to FMG’s senior leadership team. Their appointments are a pivotal step in updating our operational structure to support our continuous improvement strategy and our recent growth and investment. Together Joe and Luke bring an impressive wealth of business acumen, industry knowledge and strong customer relationships, as well as a crystal-clear commitment to providing a sustainable, robust and best in class claims management solution.” 

FMG’s new operating model acknowledges emerging trends in the accident management market and is designed to better support customers, drivers and policyholders in the high-value areas which matter most to them. To further support this evolution, FMG has invested heavily in automation to provide customers with greater autonomy and choice. Last year FMG launched FMG Indicate, an enhanced agnostic Risk Management solution and FMG Connect, a self-serve multi-channel communication platform. FMG’s ENOL solution is due for launch this summer.

John said, “We continually seek new and innovative ways to add more choice and value for customers and automations provide a convenient, speedy and efficient option, but we can’t and won’t automate every process. Some customers still prefer to speak to a real person and some claims require human expertise, initiative, problem-solving and empowered thinking. By restructuring our teams in this way we continue to invest in the areas that matter most to our customers; providing choice, clear communication and expert advice, however they prefer to engage with us.”

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Press Contact: 

Rachael Moss, Marketing Manager, FMG Rachael.moss@fmg.co.uk, 07789 223701          

Editor’s Notes:

FMG is the UK’s leading provider of comprehensive incident management and roadside solutions, delivering 24-hour vehicle and driver support to a portfolio of over 600,000 cars, LCVs and HGVs. Operating on behalf of private and public sector fleets, major UK insurers and brokers, leasing providers, Police Forces and National Highways, specialist services include incident management, roadside assistance and breakdown recovery, repair management, risk reduction and a range of legal services.

To read the article please click here 

Press release

 

AICL Insurance has appointed claims management specialist FMG to provide a comprehensive repair management solution for its motor insurance customers, encompassing the brands of Saga, RAC & The AA.

The UK-wide repair solution is underpinned by FMG’s expert in-house engineers to provide AICL customers with peace of mind that every repair is independently assessed against stringent quality standards and the latest repair techniques. The all-encompassing solution includes services such as Total Loss management, customer liaison and digital omni-channel customer updates.

When customers report a motor claim to AICL, FMG’s intelligent systems carefully triage the claim and trigger repair and resolution workflows accordingly, through cloud-based technology. Customers can view, manage and control aspects of their claim at any time they wish, using FMG Connect, FMG’s middleware self-serve online platform.

Kerrie Anderson, Claims Director at Saga Insurance said, “Outsourcing our repair management solution is a significant step-change for Saga. We believe the partnership will bring the ‘best of both’ to our customers; the trusted, personalised and intelligent service that the Saga brand has prided itself on for over 70 years, and the sleek and intuitive proactive claims journey that the FMG brand is synonymous with. 

“The FMG solution will allow us to focus on our core activities, whilst reaping the benefits of partnering with a first-class outsourced repair management business, all the time confident in the knowledge that our customers have access to FMG’s efficient, innovative and robust solutions, including their comprehensive range of digital and human engagement platforms to satisfy all preferences.”

FMG’s nationwide network of owned and managed vehicle repairers reduce vehicle off road (VOR) time to a minimum, with a range of high-quality repair options available including one-day, mobile and traditional bodyshop repair. Full connectivity and technological integration between FMG and its repairers provides all parties, including the customer, with a real-time view of all the relevant claims and repair information. All repairs are certified to the BS10125 standard with FMG’s in-house engineers monitoring repair methods, costs and downtime on each customer’s behalf.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG, said: “Securing this partnership with one of the UK’s most recognised and trusted brands is another significant achievement for FMG and another opportunity to deliver a customer solution based on our client’s own philosophy. Saga is recognised for its exceptional standards of service and we’re proud to seamlessly integrate our repair management solution to provide customers with the ultimate reassurance of a professional, proactive, premium-quality repair experience.

Central to our proposition is a strong, reliable and sustainable supply chain, which supports delivery of services to the highest standards. Our intuitive digital processes streamline and automate behind the scenes, and we’ve taken time to carefully understand where technology will deliver best value, recognise where people will and understand Saga’s customers’ preferences to ensure we provide the most robust support.”

 

 

 

 

FMG press release

16th November 2022

FMG extends partnership with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

 

FMG has extended its incident management contract with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

 

FMG has partnered with the company, one of the UK’s largest water suppliers, since 2007 for the provision of incident management services for its specialist fleet of vans and commercial vehicles.

 

When incidents occur, Welsh Water’s drivers call FMG to activate a fast and efficient repair management service which includes uninsured loss recovery and a total loss solution. FMG’s repairer network has been handpicked to accommodate Welsh Water’s fleet, which consists of a large range of commercial vehicles including water tankers and specialist water utility vehicles.

 

With driver safety a primary concern, Welsh Water turned to FMG’s Risk consultancy service for a tailored and robust driver risk management programme including driver licence checks, to bring automation, support and driver engagement to these critically important yet time consuming tasks.

 

Mark Johnson, Head of Transport at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water commented, “FMG work closely with us to engage our drivers and promote our safe driving culture throughout the business, with Dave Parry leading an interactive and informative driver safety workshop at our recent staff conference which brought home some key learnings to our drivers in a lighthearted and engaging way.”

 

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “We are proud to continue supporting the fantastic work Welsh Water do in providing an essential public service for so many businesses and households. Our flexible incident management solution fits the specific needs of their fleet and successfully recoups uninsured losses for this not-for-profit organisation. We share a longstanding partnership which has evolved to include intelligently connected systems and supportive integrated teams operating with a shared vision to earn the trust of customers with every interaction.”

  

 

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Press Contact:

Rachael Moss, Marketing Manager, FMG Rachael.moss@fmg.co.uk, 07789 223701   

    

Editor’s Notes:

FMG is the UK’s leading provider of comprehensive fleet incident management solutions to the fleet industry. Operating on behalf of major private and public sector fleets and leasing providers, FMG is

committed to reducing the total cost of fleet incidents whilst minimising vehicle downtime and delivering an unrivalled customer experience.

The connected journey article can be read here. 

1^st November 2022

 

Herd Hire selects FMG to support customer care promise

 

Herd Group has selected FMG for the provision of accident management services to support its contract hire and vehicle rental business.   

 

The company, which provides vans for corporate and business customers along with retail hire from 19 franchises across the UK, turned to FMG to support their exceptional customer service ethos’ with the provision of a 24/7 accident management solution for all Herd vehicle hire and Herd Connect customers.  This means that all customers involved in incidents can call FMG directly for round the clock incident support, including a ULR service to recoup uninsured losses following non-fault accidents.  

 

Nigel Schroder, CEO at Herd Hire said, “The Herd business is built around doing whatever it takes to make sure our customers are operational 24/7. We provide a versatile and scalable alternative to contract hire and leasing, and work with every customer to consider the specifics of their requirement – from wheelbase to decals, tow bars and internal racking requirements – we tailor-make a bespoke service that suits their needs exactly. It’s unfortunate when incidents occur in a hire van, but by partnering with FMG we can ensure every customer gets instant access to all the support they need and can remain mobile with minimal inconvenience.” 

 

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “As Fleet Managers face the most challenging economic times, it’s reassuring to see a key player like Herd Hire place so much emphasis on making vehicle hire as simple and flexible as possible. Herd Hire provide exceptional customer care and we are delighted to support them with an accident management solution which is every bit as flexible and customer-focussed as their own hire policy and has been proven to provide the greatest control over incident costs.” 

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Press Contact:

Rachael Moss, Marketing Manager, FMG Rachael.moss@fmg.co.uk, 07789 223701   

    

Editor’s Notes:

FMG is the UK’s leading provider of comprehensive fleet incident management solutions to the fleet industry. Operating on behalf of major private and public sector fleets and leasing providers, FMG is

committed to reducing the total cost of fleet incidents whilst minimising vehicle downtime and delivering an unrivalled customer experience.

MIM 56 - How do you raise awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within your company ethos, and how does this set you apart from others?  

(382 words)

Every workforce should reflect the customers, colleagues and communities it serves but far too often that isn’t the case, as entire cohorts are commonly underrepresented.

Yet the times they are a-changing and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is quickly becoming an essential element in corporate cultures for the future. And as Bob Dylan championed equality through his music, business leaders are finding new and innovative ways to bring DEI into greater focus.

At FMG it’s early days in our DEI journey. We’re proud of our diverse colleague base and we respect our moral obligation to create a fair and welcoming safe space for all colleagues to bring their authentic selves to work every day. By investing in DEI we’re intentionally creating an environment where colleagues feel valued and respected, where they seize opportunities and bring fresh and varying perspectives to any situation.

DEI is a matter of ethics, yet we predict the business benefits will also stack up, as better engagement and retention ultimately drives innovation and financial performance. For now, we’re building solid foundations:

1.       Strong backing from leadership teams will play a key role in bringing DEI to life quickly, by setting the tone for the organisation and aligning DEI priorities with business goals, to create deep-rooted solid foundations.

2.       Rethinking recruitment and advertising strategy and training will promote more routes into our careers for those from diverse backgrounds and under-represented groups. Broadening our talent pool in this way can unlock a potentially huge untapped resource.

3.       Enlisting companywide support will create a good understanding of the different cultures, preferences and priorities within our business. We’re recruiting an employee resource group (ERG) – the DEI Committee - with the objective to promote a culture of connection, belonging and support with every colleague touchpoint.

4.       By promoting action not words we’ll bring fun to the workplace whilst embedding DEI into our culture. Creating an events calendar to celebrate cultural events and important days, such as Pride, Black History Month, Easter and Holi is our deliberate act of welcoming and valuing diversity and a show of respect and appreciation of our many differences.

The business case for DEI is stronger than ever and it’s important for businesses to recognise the key role they play in recovery, resilience and financial performance.

 

Andrew Chandler,

Sales Director,

FMG

23.08.2022

Tesco Underwriting appoints FMG as claims management provider

Tesco Underwriting has appointed claims management specialist FMG to provide integrated repair and mobility solutions for Tesco Bank Car Insurance customers.

The partnership began last month with FMG providing Tesco Underwriting policyholders with an all-encompassing vehicle repair management solution, underpinned by expert in-house engineering. Auxillis will fulfill replacement vehicle requirements as part of an integrated solution.

When policyholders report a motor claim, intelligent systems carefully triage the claim and trigger repair and mobility workflows accordingly. 

Dave Thompson, Claims Director at Tesco Underwriting said, “Following the decision last year to underwrite all our car (and home) insurance policies through Tesco Underwriting, we sought a well-established claims management partner who could consistently deliver great customer service to Tesco Bank Car Insurance customers.

 

“We know that making a claim can be a new experience for many. By partnering with FMG our customers can make a claim quickly and easily, and have any necessary repairs made to their car to ensure they get back on the road as soon as possible.” 

FMG’s nationwide network of owned and managed vehicle repairers reduce vehicle off road (VOR) time to a minimum, with a range of high-quality repair options available including one-day, mobile and traditional bodyshop repair. Image capture technology and the availability of eco-friendly parts further reduce delay. All repairs are certified to the BS10125 quality standard with FMG’s engineers monitoring repair methods, costs and downtime, while policyholders can stay on the road while their car is being repaired thanks to a seamless, first-class replacement vehicle solution provided by Auxillis.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG, said: “Securing this partnership with Tesco Underwriting is another significant achievement for FMG. We’re proud to bring our services together with Auxillis to provide policyholders with the ultimate reassurance of an all-encompassing claims solution and deliver upon Redde Northgate’s integrated mobility solutions platform.

 

“Through intelligent systems connectivity we integrate seamlessly with Tesco Underwriting, Auxillis for mobility and our wider repair network to ensure an efficient resolution to every claim with workflows running concurrently. We provide 24/7 access to real-time updates, management information and cost reserving, whilst maintaining the perfect touch of interaction with our claims handling experts to make certain we make a difference for every policyholder.

“The new relationship is great news for all parties, with a real and shared commitment to offering customers an excellent claims service underpinned by the rich history and strength of our combined businesses – a true winning formula.”

 

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 Press Contact: 

Donna Milligan, PR Executive, donna.milligan@fmg.co.uk, 07841 510735

 

Editor’s Notes:

FMG is the UK’s leading provider of comprehensive incident management and roadside solutions, delivering 24-hour vehicle and driver support to a portfolio of over 500,000 cars, LCVs and HGVs. Operating on behalf of private and public sector fleets, major UK insurers and brokers, leasing providers, Police Forces and National Highways, specialist services include incident management, roadside assistance and breakdown recovery, repair management, risk reduction and a range of legal services.

Tusker has extended its long-standing incident management partnership with FMG. The UK’s largest salary sacrifice provider will continue to partner with FMG for the provision of incident management services for its specialist salary sacrifice customers and drivers. FMG’s solution includes 24/7 driver support, repair management and ULR for over 19,000 vehicles, including more than 10,000 EV’s, as well as access to live data, repair updates and claims tracking through an online portal. Tusker chose to extend their agreement with FMG due to the high quality consumer orientated experience and strength of FMG’s repair network for all fuel types but most importantly for the electric vehicle capabilities. Tusker’s electric fleet is growing significantly with more than 75% of orders and over 50% of fleet being fully electric, which makes it essential that their repair network capabilities are market leading in this area. Kit Wisdom, Operations Director at Tusker said, “Salary Sacrifice has quickly become recognised as the easiest way to run a brand new car and cheapest way to drive an Electric car. Through our partnership with FMG we have made our customers’ lives even simpler by removing the hassle, time and admin associated with managing incidents. We love getting people into greener cars and as demand grows for EVs and hybrids, our partnership with FMG ensures that together we can provide all the support our customers need. “As our partnership enters its second decade, we continue to be delighted by FMG’s commitment to innovation and investment in new solutions to improve our customers’ experience and support their journey to electrification. Our partnership really does go ‘hand in glove’.” Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “With such strong growth in both the salary sacrifice and EV markets and a clear shift from asset management to mobility management, there has never been a greater requirement for flexible solutions configured to meet every customer’s unique requirement. Tusker has its finger firmly on the pulse of evolution within the mobility sector and we’re excited by the opportunity to further demonstrate our ability to deliver truly flexible solutions to meet the precise needs of salary sacrifice drivers of all fuel types. It’s clear that our two businesses share the same passion for providing excellent customer service and we look towards the next stage of our partnership with excitement.”

Wessex Fleet has extended its incident management partnership with FMG to continue the delivery of round the clock accident management services.

The bespoke solution includes 24/7/365 first notification of loss, roadside recovery and nationwide repair management for Wessex Fleet’s 1500 managed vehicles and expands out of hours to include breakdown support.

The service prioritises the safety of drivers, ensuring they are fully supported in every eventuality and can access all services including tyre and glass replacement with just one call to FMG at any time of day. Many components to the solution are further tailored to meet the differing needs of all Wessex Fleet’s partner clients.

Simon Naylor, Director at Wessex Fleet said, “When we first partnered with FMG our main objective was to protect driver safety, time and money on behalf of our partner clients by having expert vehicle and driver support available around the clock. FMG’s solution delivers all that and so much more. Key aspects of service are highly customised to perfectly meet our customers’ unique fleet requirements and the professional support provided is now a vital component in the reliable, effective and cost-efficient running of their fleets.”

FMG’s quality certified network of UK-wide vehicle repair and recovery operators endeavour to fix all stricken vehicles at the roadside, and when a roadside repair isn’t possible or safe, FMG arranges the recovery of the vehicle and driver, specific to each fleet’s requirements.

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “We are delighted to continue working closely with Wessex Fleet to ensure their drivers have access to all the support they need, when they need it. Our Wessex Fleet solution really showcases our ability and agility for configuring truly unique service combinations which genuinely make a difference to customers and their clients. We continually challenge ourselves to deliver more for customers – more added value, more efficiency and more intelligent and intuitive solutions. The result is a streamlined accident management service which befits the precise needs of every customer and makes life significantly less stressful for them.”

As the UK vehicle parc continues to evolve in terms of size and composition, vehicle technology continues to advance and with it the generation of more and more data… all of which pose new and additional challenges for fleet managers to continue to control costs, mitigate risk, improve safety standards and transition to new technologies across their entire supply chain.

At FMG the enhancement of their Risk proposition, to feature FMG Indicate, a new risk portal designed to aggregate multiple data sources to generate insight that drives relevant intervention actions to mitigate vehicle and driver risk, providing greater transparency on the return on investment, has been welcome news to their client base.

One of these clients, Safestyle, has been a customer of the business since 2011, utilising a number of services from the FMG portfolio, including telematics, driver behaviour solutions and accident management. They have recently migrated over to the new risk solution where they are looking to aggregate additional fleet data sources to enrich their existing insight and have already been praised by their broker and insurer for the way in which they manage their fleet and drivers.

Safestyle Head of Transport, Steve Lambert commented, ‘Our drivers use the FMG portal to review and assess their own driving behaviour and make positive changes to their driving habits based on the general awareness and understanding of the implications of the associated risks. The system provides the foundation for my team and I to manage our driver community more efficiently, as well as encouraging and embedding driver best practice. We’ve seen some great results with lower incident frequency and severity through empowering our driver community with the right tools and knowledge, with recent in-house data showing a 5% reduction in incident rates. A reduction in insurance premiums, by some 13%, along with lower excess value has been realised as a direct result, after our risk management was rated ‘impressive’ by both our broker and the insurer.’

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG, commented, ‘We have the expertise, experience and infrastructure required to provide clients and businesses with a comprehensive suite of solutions. We are proud of our seven-year relationship with Safestyle, with our fully integrated risk and incident management solution minimising incidents and mitigating claims costs. The addition of FMG Indicate into their portfolio will take the plethora of data available, consolidate that data and turn the insight into further risk reduction actions and results.

All of our risk products have features which greatly improve the fleet management experience and improve safety both on and off the road. There’s no greater testimonial to this than the words of our own clients.’

DRIVE Software Solutions, a leading provider of fleet management technology, today announces the launch of an integrated Accident Management solution. This functionality will allow fleet managers to fully support their drivers involved in accidents within shorter periods of time and at lower cost.
Developed in partnership with FMG, the UK's leading provider of Incident Management and Specialist Roadside Repair and Recovery services, this integrated solution gives businesses and drivers alike the confidence that accidents will be handled in a sensitive, timely and cost-efficient manner.

Specific services include:
• 24/7/365 operation for drivers involved in an accident
• Courtesy car, vehicle recovery and liability assessment
• First notice of loss management
• Repair management and downtime control
• Claims handling and uninsured loss recovery

In combination with FMG’s market leading experience, businesses will benefit also from ODO’s automated integration, ensuring all information and data regarding any accident will be visible to the fleet manager through the ODO fleet management dashboard. This consequent reduction in the use of multiple sources of data and information, provides significant time and cost savings.

Described as the ‘evolution engine’ at the heart of the industry’s revolutions, ODO delivers three key benefits to businesses looking to optimise their fleet, namely:
• Peace of mind; ODO enables vehicles and drivers to remain compliant whilst also making it easy to deliver on duty of care responsibilities (including, but not limited to driver health and vehicle safety) and giving confidence that any fraudulent activity is identified;
• Lower fleet costs: functionality that prevents end of lease surprises and reduced fuel and maintenance costs.
• Time saving; a driver app that empowers users to self-serve and manage vehicles efficiently, with proactive prompts to identify and prioritise issues, key tasks, and reporting.

Leyton Jordan, National Sales Manager – Fleet, FMG commented: “We’re delighted to enter into this exciting partnership with ODO. Businesses and their leasing brokers need to be confident that accidents are managed in a timely and cost-effective manner, with bespoke features to suit the differing needs of every fleet. The integration with ODO provides drivers and fleet managers with an industry leading fleet management platform together with the confidence that they are covered in every eventuality should an incident occur.”

Robert Gorby, Chief Commercial Officer for DRIVE Software Solutions, said: “When accidents happen, it’s critical that the driver has someone to turn to for immediate support. At the same time, the fleet manager has a partner which provides support for the administration requirements which come with an accident. This solution delivers on both fronts. Combined with the broader ODO compliance management functionality, it will be a game changer for business fleet management”.

For more information, please visit www.ododrive.com or contact either Robert Gorby on 07861 234984 / robert@ododrive.com or Scott Fulton at scott@fulton-associates.com / 07788 144993

FMG’s extensive experience in UK-wide Roadside Repair and Recovery Services will be further complemented by the acquisition of GRG Public Resources Ltd, to continue to provide clients across the UK with the benefits of geographic and product coverage.

FMG, the UK’s leading Incident Management and Roadside Services Specialist, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD), the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle, is pleased to announce that on 25 March 2022 the Group completed the acquisition of GRG Public Resources Limited ('GRG'), a specialist in the provision of 24 hour, year round call handling for vehicle removal and emergency boarding of premises for the blue-light industry.

The acquisition provides a platform for FMG to expand and evolve existing services into the blue-light arena, with GRG being synonymous with the effective and efficient handling of police and fire services contracts. GRG will enhance the breadth and customer proposition of the Huddersfield based business, operating in complementary market conditions and bringing a further depth of knowledge and expertise through the addition of GRG operatives and skilled personnel.


Commenting on the acquisition, Claire Owens, FMG Managing Director, said:

"We continue to work hard to position FMG at the forefront of the industries in which we operate; providing first-class sustainable solutions for our clients and customers. We are delighted to complete the acquisition of GRG, placing us as a real front-runner in this market as our customers' needs evolve. The acquisition ensures we remain robust for the long-term, with the addition of VRO’s, the continued ability for fast and complete geographic coverage, the harnessing of first-class proprietary systems and importantly, the investment in skilled and experienced personnel to ensure our customers remain delighted with efficiency and knowledge-led solutions. I'd like to welcome the GRG team to FMG and the wider Redde Northgate family, and look forward to enhancing this important area of the business."

Further information on GRG can be found at www.grgprl.com

FMG has had a major contract extended for a further 2 years to allow them to continue managing incidents for business mobility solutions specialist Alphabet. FMG has provided a full range of incident management services to Alphabet customers since 2005, and the renewal is a major endorsement of the successful relationship the businesses have built up over two decades of collaboration.

The contract includes provision for 24/7 incident reporting, repair and downtime management and uninsured loss recovery (ULR) for Alphabet’s leasing customers, with a key focus on realising cost efficiencies throughout the incident management process.

FMG specialise in getting vehicles back on the road quickly with stringent downtime management to reduce the overall cost of incidents. Every step of the incident management process is driven by Ingenium, FMG’s in-house technology platform, which intelligently triages every incident into automated workflows. Other time-saving features include a full range of flexible repair options including same-day mobile repair and mobile estimates, and an online repair tracking system, with expert engineers monitoring costs, timescales and repair quality.

Clive Buhagiar, Alphabet’s Head of Operational Services said: “Alphabet and FMG are a strong partnership with a clear strategy; we take time to understand what customers need to keep them on the move, then deliver it every day to the highest standard. During two decades of partnership, FMG have provided our customers with fully configurable solutions, better control of incident costs and downtime and superior visibility of fleet data. With so much change going on in the industry around electrification, digitalisation and mobility as a service, Alphabet and FMG have aligned strategies and evolved together, implementing new processes and new technology to ensure the customer journey remains simple and seamless whilst meeting changing needs.”

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “Alphabet has an enviable reputation for excellence in everything they do, and we are proud to continue to play our part in that success with the provision


of high quality flexible solutions that make their customer’ lives easier. As mobility solutions change faster than ever before, we can rely upon our combined expertise within the vehicle market and

deep-rooted understanding of Alphabet’s customers to further build upon the considerable successes of this relationship.”

Incident management and specialist roadside recovery expert FMG is celebrating 10 years of working in partnership with Equine Rescue Service, the UK-wide equestrian transport recovery specialist.

During the decade-long partnership FMG has supported Equine Rescue in securing the welfare of its members and their horses following vehicle breakdowns involving horseboxes, trailers or towing vehicles. FMG’s bespoke 24/7/365 roadside mechanical breakdown and recovery service covers over 20,000 members travelling with horses, ranging from Olympic equestrian medallists to first-time riders.

Debbie Macmorran, Managing Director at Equine Rescue Service said, “An unexpected breakdown when travelling with horses is incredibly stressful for both the animal and the driver, yet through our partnership with FMG we can provide our members with the ultimate peace of mind that with just one call, expert help is quickly at hand. With operational systems integration, a nationwide network of agents and an in-depth understanding of our customer’s unique needs, we can be certain members are cared for at the highest standard and will be back on the road promptly; the feedback we continually receive from members validates this.”

Jim Dawson, Head of Rapid Response at FMG, said: “We are proud to celebrate this significant milestone in our long-standing relationship with Equine Rescue. Together we share a joint commitment to getting thousands of members back on the road every year with a bespoke service which bends and flexes to meet every customer’s distinct and individual needs. We have immersed ourselves in the equine world and honed our solution accordingly. This is collaboration in its truest form, and we take pride in delivering the highest standards of customer service at a very stressful time for all concerned.”

Auxillis, FMG and FMG Repair Services – Redde Northgate group companies, have collectively been awarded a top honour at Admiral Group’s ‘Manager Awards 2021’. The three businesses received the ‘Supplier of the Year Award’ having demonstrated their commitment in working together to ensure Admiral are getting the very best in service provisions for their customers.
The awards took place in an online virtual ceremony on Tuesday 8th February and saw employees from all areas of Admiral’s business, as well as partner companies, in attendance. Awards were presented for key contributions to the business throughout the year and in recognition of excellence.
Rob Harper, Head of Claims Business Support - Admiral Group Plc, said: “Congratulations to all three companies for winning our prestigious Supplier of the Year Award. Our long-standing relationship with Auxillis has played a key role in our service provision for a number of years. The addition of services from FMG, along with FMG Repair Services during the last couple of years has enhanced our motor insurance offering further. Importantly, the accolade is testament to their shared passion and ambition in helping to enhance the services we are able to offer customers, ultimately making lives easier following an incident.”
Harvey Stead, Group Managing Director, said: “It’s hugely rewarding to be recognised by Admiral for our breadth of support in the supply of services that continue to meet and exceed customer expectations. The Auxillis relationship spans over 20-years and sees us continue to provide first-class replacement vehicle solutions and non-fault vehicle repair services. We’ve grown our supply remit with Admiral significantly through the newer relationships with FMG, which sees us deliver specialist roadside support as part of Admiral’s accident breakdown recovery provision, and with FMG Repair Services, which sees us guarantee capability and capacity for all automotive repair solutions. Throughout the growth in our partnership, we’ve continued to delight our client and their customers, and delivered on the service ethos that the Admiral reputation is built upon”.
“This award is one of the most prestigious awards we could hope to win – demonstrating the seamless ways of working we have adopted to bring our services together. With the honour going to all three companies, it’s pleasing Admiral also recognise the integral work they each deliver in supporting the partnership. In a year that was tough for us and the wider industry as some service objectives were stretched to the limits in the pandemic backdrop, this is a fantastic accolade which we accept with pride and delight, and one which our wider team will be honoured to share.”

Claims management expert FMG has strengthened its new business team with the promotion of former Business Development Manager Matthew Lees to the new role of National Sales Manager - Insurance Solutions.

Matt takes responsibility for developing all new insurance based business opportunities to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory within the sector, promoting FMG’s outsourced claims management solutions to insurers, brokers, MGA’s and self-insured fleet operators.

Matt joined FMG ten years ago and has a wealth of knowledge and a thorough understanding of all operational aspects of claims management and claims cost mitigation.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “As FMG increasingly becomes recognised as the partner of choice across the motor insurance market, we have evolved the structure of our Sales team to create this distinct focus on further growth within the insurance sector.

Matt’s promotion recognises the significant contribution he has already made in the delivery of our market leading claims management solution and brings a renewed focus and energy as we broaden our reach across the insurer space. With Matt’s extensive industry knowledge, he will play a leading role in driving market engagement and bringing to life bespoke claims management solutions which perfectly complement the specific core competencies of new business prospects.”

Matt’s promotion follows another year of organic growth for FMG, who deliver a comprehensive range of claims management services, individually or combined to create a full end-to-end solution.

6th November 2006 - Tiger Woods was the world’s number 1 golfer, Tony Blair was Prime Minister and I was on the cusp of an exciting new career.
After 12 years learning my trade with Aviva, the opportunity to build and drive a brand new motor proposition from scratch at FMG was an opportunity I was ready to grab with both hands.

The FMG I joined 15 years ago had one private owner, 200 employees and a rock-solid business case for Project Nucleus, a bold (for it’s time) process automation project. Fifteen years in terms of technology is basically a light-year. Back then we were smashing tv screens whilst ten pin bowling on the new Wii console, Twitter was starting to tweet, and Facebook’s new social platform had just launched. Widespread working from home and the wearing of face masks weren’t on anyone’s agenda.

As we laid the foundations for FMG’s Insurance Services Department, little did we know just how much the world around us would soon be rocking and rolling to the sound of careering political and economic forces. Britain’s reputation as the whiplash capital of the world would soon be the least of the insurance world’s worries – as the financial crash of 2007, banking bailouts, a double-dip recession and new coalition government altered every business’ trajectory. The world seemed full of surprises, even Pluto got expelled from the planetary club.

But the storm settled, and the intervening years have brought recovery, innovation, justice and reform. Rapidly advancing technology has changed our habits and expectations permanently. When Apple launched their first iPhone, the smart phone revolution began, putting communication, entertainment and more in the palm of our hands. We’ve since welcomed Uber, Click & Collect and Instagram into our lives with open arms. The technological genius of autonomous vehicles and risk reduction technology has changed the way we drive, and repair, our cars, making road travel safer than ever before.

The ambitious Project Nucleus resulted in Ingenium, FMG’s bespoke claims technology which has automated processes, eliminated admin tasks, and improved speed and accuracy whilst liberating the human element to add genuine value. And the human element under my remit is now a dedicated department of over 200 insurance trained experts who advise, support and negotiate on a full range of Insurance Services on behalf of insurers, brokers, leasing providers, MGAs and direct fleet customers.

Still, we must continually identify innovative ways to add more value, to deliver truly bespoke and technically brilliant services. The pace of technological change required to remain fit for purpose and meet the evolving digital experience customers expect requires a continuous cycle of investment and innovation. Believe me, Ingenium has seen many a #transformationtuesday!

Like any business, the last 15 years hasn’t all been plain sailing, yet the more we have adapted to truly embrace change, even in the most disruptive of times (look no further than the last 20 months), the more we have yielded. Boldly innovating to seize opportunities, steering our own destiny and navigating the turning tides, with the outcome being a more compelling, enduring and sustainable business. The results speak for themselves. We’ve come a long way. I’ve come a long way.

Evolution has touched all areas of my life since that move to FMG 15 years ago. I’ve become a dad, a dog-owner and this year, a director. However, I’m still playing golf and I still support Barnsley FC, which still brings regular disappointment. Some things don’t change.

FMG has launched its new Risk Solution, aimed at mitigating road risk and reducing the severity of vehicle incidents.
Risk Management has been an integral part of the FMG client proposition since its infancy some 35 years ago. In 2012, a dedicated team was established to support clients in highlighting and mitigating road risks and today that team supports a large client base across the country. To meet the ever-changing demands of the sector, and to support the reductions in road risk, the Huddersfield based business set-out to understand the biggest challenge faced by this market.
The findings were stark. There was simply ‘too much data’, from disparate data sources in varying data formats which hampered the ability to draw any meaningful conclusions, let alone improve safety and drive value. The response is the launch of an enhanced FMG Risk Solution, featuring FMG Indicate.

1. What is the new Risk Solution?
The new solution was created in consultation with our customers, who told us they require the ability to harness data to power decision making and drive a greater return on investment.
FMG’s Risk Solutions brings together fully configurable services to assess and manage the risk of a fleet or a driving community. The approach is based upon the execution of a 3A’s framework – the risk is assessed, the data is analysed, and actionable insight is generated from the consolidation and normalisation of multiple data sources. Combining risk advisory services and insights with leading technology and tools, the solution is prime to deliver risk prevention and mitigation.
Generation of data insights via FMG Indicate drives the decision-making process and lies at the core of the solution.

2. What are the services?
FMG provide a full spectrum of risk management services, across all vehicle dynamics – grey fleet, cars, LCVs, HGVs and alternative fuel vehicles, with the provision of a full range of risk features from a diverse panel of partners. The agnostic approach offers clients greater flexibility and choice, with services ranging from a fully outsourced white-labelled fleet-wide risk solution to individual driver training.
The cornerstone of the new enhanced Risk Solution is FMG Indicate, a risk management portal that has been designed and developed in conjunction with market leading data insight partner, TDS Ultra Ltd. FMG Indicate collects the data created (whether that data is from one of their panel or a client’s existing supplier), and aggregates, normalises and simplifies it to provide a single view of the risk of the fleet or driver community. The typical data sources could include: telematics, fuel card, accident management, leasing company and risk data, to name a few, with the resulting output being a single interpretable view with clear indication of actionable improvements to enhance risk profiles, thus making return on investment more transparent.

3. What are the benefits?
FMG’s Risk Solution seamlessly utilises the capability of multiple strategic partnerships that are centrally managed by a dedicated FMG team to provide a market leading choice of services. The team are focused on providing the relevant solution, fulfilled by the relevant partner to meet client’s objectives.


Customers benefit from a better understanding of the risks they are exposed to and are provided with a simple, interpretable view with clear indications for any actions that can be taken to continue to effectively mitigate their risk profile, with the solution adding value through cost savings, improved safety and engagement of the driver community.
FMG’s dedicated Risk Solutions team can support the creation of a perfect solution, tailored to unique fleet objectives and to the benefits that matter most for any new or existing clients.

Dave Parry, Commercial Director who has been leading the project over the last 18 months, commented, ‘A focus on continuous improvement ensures our services remain fit for purpose in an industry whereby change is a constant. We’d been in dialogue with many of our Risk Solution clients for some time regarding the challenges faced and those discussions were the catalyst for the initiation of this project.
During the client discovery phase, it became apparent that the current capability in the market was lacking, and that there was an opportunity to design, build and configure a solution that was truly focused on plugging a genuine gap in the market. The project allowed us to review our original solution and enhance each and every part, along with the addition of new tools to drive even greater value for clients, specific to their feedback on the difficulties faced to use insight to drive solid decision making to mitigate risk exposure.
We were careful to choose a partner who would support the development of a market leading unique solution - unique in the sense that it can aggregate multiple data streams despite the source or format. The partnership with TDS Ultra Ltd has been a huge success story of the project.
The whole project has been hugely exciting – working hand in glove with our clients to drive enhancements that will help them overcome real challenges in promoting fleet safety. Whether new or existing clients, we are confident that the new and enhanced Risk Solutions will help analyse and manage existing data more optimally and provide insight into how and where to invest both time and resource to generate the best return, reduce incidents and enhance driver safety.’

Incident management expert FMG has strengthened its new business team with the promotion of former Business Development Manager Leyton Jordan to the new role of National Sales Manager – Fleet.

He takes responsibility for developing all fleet new business opportunities to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory, promoting FMG’s outsourced incident management, repair and roadside recovery solutions within the fleet and mobility industry.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “We are delighted to announce Leyton’s promotion on the back of his consistently impressive contribution to the new business team. As we continue to promote our business as a supplier of choice across the fleet industry, Leyton’s established network, vast knowledge and expertise will be invaluable in driving FMG forward, particularly as fleet professionals seek new ways to adapt their operations post-Covid.

"Leyton has played an integral role in securing a number of high profile accounts for FMG and we are impressed by his energy, passion and drive to build trusting and effective relationships with new customers.”

Leyton’s promotion follows another year of strong growth for FMG, who deliver comprehensive end-to-end incident management services on behalf of major fleets, leasing providers, public sector organisations and insurers.

QBE, one of the world’s top 20 insurance companies, has extended its motor claims management contract with FMG.

The extended contract will see FMG continue to provide an outsourced motor claims management solution for QBE’s substantial portfolio of UK motor fleet customers. The solution includes 24/7/365 first notification of loss, UK-wide mobile and network repair management services and a comprehensive suite of third party claims management services.

QBE has partnered with FMG since 2014, promoting strong collaboration to find new and innovative ways to reduce and mitigate claims costs. The provision of a third party claims management solution has resulted in average savings of £1,729 per captured claim in the past year alone, with FMG’s approved repair network repairing QBE’s clients’ vehicles in nearly half the time taken by non-approved repairers, and with an average cost saving of £680 per repair.

Peter Cox, Claims Category Manager at QBE said: “These impressive cost-savings are testament to the result of aligned and effective collaboration, powered by the latest technology and innovative thinking. QBE places huge importance on working with industry-leading influential partners who reflect our own exacting standards and FMG clearly understand and consistently demonstrate our customer-first approach to service. Service levels are treated as being dynamic, meaning we work together to identify how we can improve rather than achieve to further enhance the customer experience, clearly evident in our customer satisfaction scores. Extending our contract with FMG ensures they will continue to play a crucial role in supporting QBE to exceed our customers’ expectations with delivery of a market leading claims management solution and reduced cost-exposure.”

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “We have excellent levels of engagement with QBE, having worked closely with QBE’s senior team, their brokers and customers to align our strategic goals. Prioritising innovation is the key to securing mutual growth and we have seized new opportunities to invest in our proposition and proactively support QBE’s ambitious digital claims agenda. Last year we invested heavily in API links, a digitalisation project to upgrade systems integration with QBE. This has changed the way we interact and exchange data with QBE, creating a faster, more robust and future-proof solution to drive the most efficient resolution of claims and vehicle repairs. We share a joined commitment to ensuring an efficient and seamless customer experience lies at the heart of everything we do”.

Incident Management expert FMG has joined the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) as a Supplier Member in a partnership that provides members of the MGAA with access to FMG’s fully outsourced claims services.

As a business that leads the way in the provision of high quality, outsourced claims management solutions to the insurance market, FMG already operate in partnership with MGAs, insurers, brokers, leasing providers and corporate fleets, tailoring efficient and seamless solutions to suit the specific needs of these clients.

Offering a comprehensive range of TPA services, including 24/7/365 first notification of loss, repair management, third party intervention & handling, loss recovery, total loss management, wide range of mobility solutions and insurance supported products ensures the ability to provide expertise, relevance and knowledge to subscribing MGAs.

Andrew Chandler, FMG Sales Director, said: “MGAs have been a key force in the insurance market for the past 10 years, this is a trend that we believe will only continue to grow. In becoming a Supplier Member, we are able to more broadly support the MGA market in providing the requisite knowledge, expertise and ongoing innovation required in market leading, fully outsourced claims services.

Our history of strong collaboration across all sectors of the Insurance industry demonstrates the level of commitment, expertise and professionalism we have become synonymous with in this space and we are excited by the opportunity to bring continued value to MGAs through our new membership status.”

For the past two years there has been an increased shift towards electrification as Government policies meet sustainability goals and new environmental regulations whilst the incentives heavily incentivise newer, cleaner vehicles as part of its 15-year Road to Zero strategy.

The UK vehicle parc has grown rapidly throughout this time. No longer considered a niche or just the car of choice of early adopters willing to pay a premium, a new wave of Electric Vehicles are available in more segments and at a lower price range than ever before. Battery production costs have fallen yet range improves, and the government’s ongoing investment in boosting the public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles has removed charge point anxiety on long journeys. EV’s are looking more attractive than ever as part of a modern mobility solution.

According to the SMMT, sales of BEVs rose from 7,704 in September 2019 to 21,903 in September 2020, a 184% increase, and electric vehicles now represent 7% of market share in the UK. This rapid growth in EVs has had an incidental effect on the repairer industry. We’ve been working closely and proactively with our network of repairers to prepare for this major market change for a number of years, investing time, resource and expertise to ensure we have the repair capacity and capability to maintain a high quality and sustainable vehicle repair supply which continually meets our customers’ evolving needs.
In the past year, FMG has repaired several thousand EVs with capacity for more - over 275 of our repairers having the most advanced machinery, tools, training and skill - to carry out high quality EV repair. Ongoing developments in manufacturing practices and vehicle technology have changed the nature of maintenance and repair, yet we remain a step ahead of market trends thanks to the strength, coverage and experience of our repair network.
The UK government has ambitiously set the stage for a huge rollout of infrastructure to support large-scale electric vehicle adoption and FMG has the depth of experience, expertly trained people and the right systems and infrastructure to confidently embrace this growing market and continually deliver an effortless driver and customer journey.

FMG has appointed Steve Ward to the role of Head of Client Relationships – Insurance Solutions. Steve has been a key member of the Account Management team since joining the business as Account Director 2 years ago, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his 22 years’ working within and across the Insurer space, with previous roles including National Sales Manager at Auto Windscreens and Business Development Director at EDAM Group. Steve will take up the new position with immediate effect.

The appointment follows a restructure of the Client Services Team over the last 12 months, aimed at providing greater support to Clients to enhance and enrich the overall experiences with the business. The refined structure provides a balanced framework to the differing markets the specialist incident management business services; Fleet Solutions, Insurer Solutions and Roadside Solutions, whilst demonstrating the ongoing investment in service excellence.

Commenting on the changes, Commercial Director Dave Parry said, ‘We recognise that the different markets we serve have different requirements, as such we have evolved the structure to have distinct teams for both Fleet Solutions and Insurer Solutions. (Our Roadside Solutions team already work in this format.) The teams work within a framework which utilises their market knowledge and expertise to support the client more readily. The appointment of one of our own rising stars to support this refined structure highlights the calibre of personnel we have attracted and continue to attract to our high-performing business, whilst recognising the significant contribution Steve has already made to the team.’

Dave Parry, continued, ‘The new structure harnesses the knowledge and experience of the Client Services team in a more optimised way, providing strong foundations for the provision of market leading account management. The team utilise data insight to drive efficiencies and improvements throughout the incident management process, ensuring effectiveness for our partners, their clients and ultimately the end customer.’

Commenting on his promotion, Steve Ward said, ‘I’m delighted to be promoted to the new role of Head of Client Relationships – Insurance Solutions. My promotion supports both continuity for our existing client base as well as bringing renewed focus and energy in the continuation of our significant growth in the insurer space. I look forward to continuing to work with many clients I work with today, building new relationships, and leading the Insurance Solutions team in our commitment to focus, drive and broaden our relationships across the insurer space’.

Leading global provider of mobility solutions, Ford Fleet Management, has selected FMG to provide specialist vehicle incident management solutions for its UK customers.

FMG have partnered with FFM, the one-stop shop for bespoke fleet management and leasing solutions, to integrate comprehensive 24/7 accident management services, ensuring drivers are kept safe and mobile in the event of vehicle incidents.

FMG’s flexible solution provides all the support drivers need with access to a full range of services including 24/7 incident reporting, vehicle recovery, repair and uptime management and a range of legal services including uninsured loss recovery and non-fault hire.

Stuart Williams, Head of Corporate Sales at FFM said, “At FFM we have a genuine interest in smart mobility services which complement customers evolving requirements, so we needed a flexible market-leading proposition to support every eventuality. Through our partnership with FMG we can promise the best driver support with a simple and straightforward solution which results in the best outcome for our customers.”

FMG has a long history of creating comprehensive solutions for fleet operators in all sectors. When incidents occur, FMG’s nationwide managed network of supply partners along with FMG Repair Services provide a range of flexible repair options to the BS10125 quality standard, including same-day mobile repair, to ensure vehicles are back on the road quickly.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “We are delighted to be the chosen partner of FFM, having the opportunity to support their drivers with a smart, flexible, market-leading solution which meets the needs of today and will evolve to fit the changing demands of tomorrow. We have the knowledge and expertise, people and data, systems and infrastructure to confidently navigate the ever-changing landscape to continually deliver an effortless driver and customer journey.”

FMG has been awarded a new contract to support Octopus Electric Vehicles in providing effortless EV solutions for its newly launched Salary Sacrifice scheme, Electric Dreams. The incident management experts will provide 24/7 driver care and an end-to-end incident management solution to Octopus drivers.

Through Electric Dreams, drivers can save 30-60% off their monthly car costs on salary sacrifice, with Octopus's first clients saving over £10,000 over a 3-year term, while also feeling good about doing right by the planet. Octopus has designed the scheme to be simple and zero-cost for an employer to set up, with brands like Huel and Purplebricks already making the benefit available to their staff.

Natalia Peralta Silverstone, Head of Propositions at Octopus Electric Vehicles, said: “Businesses and employees across the UK are searching for ways to do their bit for the environment. This scheme, along with the low Benefit-in-kind (BiK) tax rates, make electric cars an attractive option. By partnering with FMG, we can ensure a truly seamless and personal service for our customers when incidents occur.”

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “It’s a privilege to be chosen to partner with such a forward-thinking company and we are delighted to be in a strong position to support this transformation of the automotive sector. As many fleets find that their medium to long term EV-adoption plans have accelerated overnight, we have taken proactive steps to prepare for the incidental effect on vehicle repair. In recent years we have invested time, resource and expertise in EV manufacturer and bodyshop repairer relationships and supported our network’s transition to BS10125, the industry’s most credible quality standard in vehicle repair.”

Official government figures released by the Department for Transport in March 2021 show that nearly 11% of new cars sold in 2020 had a plug, compared with just over 3% in 2019. FMG is fully prepared for further dramatic volume increases, with over 300 of FMG’s repairers having the full capability - machinery, tools, training and skill - to carry out high quality EV repair.

Andrew continued, “The impact of the last 12 months on the automotive sector has been staggering and as more drivers switch to greener ways to get around, we are proud to play our part in protecting the future of high-quality modern vehicle repair.”

Claire Owens is a passionate, motivated, and impactful business leader who looks for opportunity within a challenge. Here she outlines what she hopes to achieve as Managing Director of FMG, as she plans to make her mark on the industry by simply focusing on the business and people of FMG.

Q: Your appointment as Managing Director came with the backdrop of the pandemic. How did you navigate the last 12 months whilst still driving the strategic vision of FMG?
A: For me, every day we are challenged in a new way. Covid-19 was quite simply another situation that we had to deal with, and as a business leader I had to adapt, because there’s only one thing in life that’s certain, and that’s change. I didn’t see Covid as a challenge, I looked at it as an opportunity. It was about seizing the moment, staying ahead, looking forward and using 2020 as a springboard to advance. Whether a crisis or a pandemic, or any change scenario in business, you’ve got to foster that energy to break down the barriers to enact a new way of working.

Q: It is a great achievement and challenge to lead a business through a crisis such as Covid-19; what lessons have you learnt during this time and how has the pandemic influenced your approach to leadership?
A: I have an authentic leadership style, and that approach has taught me to build your foundations on trust. Ultimately, you can’t operate effectively without putting trust in your team. A ll businesses had to take a leap of faith during the first lockdown regarding home working; and one of the lessons I’ve learnt during that time is to trust our colleagues; trust that they care about the customer, and trust that they will do the right thing. I often take up roles that come with a challenge, and I am forever learning to adapt my personal working model to fit the situation. The pandemic certainly showed me that while making decisions through a commercial lens is great, sometimes decisions have to go above and beyond that lens when we’re dealing with peoples’ health, safety, and welfare. You need to adopt a people-first approach and set new ways of working that are sensitive to the needs of staff and customers alike.

Q: You have previously mentioned that you are leading FMG in the next stage of their evolution; what will you be focusing on as part of that evolution and what do you hope to accomplish through that development?
A: For me, it is about the three Cs. Customer, Capability, and Capacity. The customer is at the heart of what we do. We have seen a 12-point increase in our NPS score, and I am determined to remain outcome focused and continue improving that customer journey. For FMG, that customer satisfaction journey will always be key. I am aiming to enhance the capability of FMG to benefit the customer base. I see technology as an enabler to that. We listen closely to our insurer partners, and I can hear that we need a leaner, faster, and easier claims process, so my ambition for the business is to become an integrated partner, not to act as a firefighter, but to integrate and be that connection between our partners, policy holders, and drivers. Our focus on vehicle repair and capacity, is to integrate with the supply chain. My challenge is how do we integrate effectively with the supply chain in order to develop the client proposition, enhance the customer journey and the value for our partners.

Q: What do you hope to achieve as a leader for FMG, but also as a leader within the wider insurance industry?
A: I engage with impact. If I’m not making an impact and shaping the direction of travel of the business, then I’m not doing my job. I operate under the umbrella of transparency and trust; if I say I’m going to deliver it, believe me, I’m going to deliver it. In terms of the wider industry… I start with the business first. I’m employed by the business not the industry. I want to advance the business, the customer journey, and create value for the clients and our partners, and I think if I crack that, by proxy, I’ve made a mark on the industry. For me, focus on your business, your people, and the industry will follow.

Robin Lang promoted to Insurance Services Director

FMG has promoted its Head of Insurance Services, Robin Lang, to the newly formed role of Insurance Services Director, to solidify the claims management expert’s growth in the insurance sector.

This follows another year of organic growth for FMG, who deliver comprehensive end-to-end claims management services on behalf of major UK insurers and brokers.

Robin, who joined FMG from Aviva in 2006, has played a vital role in the company’s growth in the insurance sector and brings over thirty years’ experience and vast knowledge of the Motor Insurance Claims sector to the FMG board.

He leads the management of 200 specialists within FMG’s Insurance Services department, overseeing the operational delivery of Third Party Claims services, Loss Recovery, Insurance Broker Services and other bespoke Insurance solutions whilst also leading the longer-term strategic direction of the department.

Claire Owens, Managing Director at FMG said, “I am delighted to appoint Robin to the board at an incredibly important time for FMG. Robin’s promotion doesn’t just acknowledge his unwavering commitment and drive to succeed, it is also a clear demonstration of our long-term commitment to further investment and growth in the insurance sector. Robin has excelled in building, driving and enhancing every aspect of our insurer proposition and his first-class knowledge of the industry will be pivotal as we embark on the next stage of our strategic plan for insurer and broker clients.”

FMG provides motor claims policyholders with immediate access to driver and vehicle support including 24/7/365 first notification of loss, repair and downtime management, claims costs and settlement management, with instant online access to all claims information. They have a proven record in cost mitigation, claims leakage and delay from the claims life cycle.



Commenting on his new role, Robin said, “I’m pleased to be appointed to the FMG board and I am delighted with the new breadth and scope this brings to my role. FMG’s insurance proposition is built upon a solid foundation of experience, skill, knowledge and long-standing partnerships and I look forward to working with the board to identify new opportunities for growth and innovations which deliver outstanding service levels to new and existing insurer and broker clients.”

Author: Andrew Chandler

Whether capturing new growth or tightening your operational footprint, the benefits of integrating business operations, processes and technologies are plentiful. A single claims system allows the accuracy of a single point of control, the efficiency of single data entry, the confidence of data integrity and the insight by which you can make informed decisions to plan, execute and excel. By contrast, no matter how hard you try, a collection of disparate systems simply cannot provide a single source of truth.

A single claims system has the potential for delivering a raft of business benefits, but in isolation of complementary assets, doesn’t provide the whole answer. The pace of technological change required to remain fit for purpose, evolving expectations within a rapidly evolving digital world, the changing footprint of driver behaviour – from autonomous vehicles to the increased popularity of car-sharing schemes, all require greater investment than a single claims system; they demand alignment with financial investment, innovation and activities to drive an holistic approach with greater value and sustainability of business solutions.

Here at FMG we consider ourselves experts in designing and building truly bespoke and technically brilliant claims management services. Our end-to-end claims management service, powered by Ingenium, FMG’s intelligent and intuitive claims management platform, is streamlined to reduce delay and mitigate cost at every opportunity.

Customers require a bespoke claims solution to satiate their business requirements and Ingenium intuitively bends and flexes accordingly. The very first touch point, FNOL is driven by questions designed to gather precise management information, accurately triaging every claim and triggering tailored workflows accordingly. Ingenium pre-populates fields, automates processes and eliminates admin tasks, improving speed and accuracy at every stage.

Yet we must continually identify innovative ways to add more value. This summer we’ll launch Claim Web Access, Ingenium’s brand new multi-channel communication platform to provide greater ease of access to claims management services. The new web-based platform will change the way insurers, brokers and policyholders communicate with us, requesting or sharing claims information instantly by tablet, phone or desktop as well as telephone.

Fundamentally, our single claims system is a key entity, but it is one part of the service function. Instead a more holistic approach to the management of all assets, innovations and activities and the interdependencies between all these service functions is where the true value is cultivated, and where translation into customer satisfaction is seen.

Twelve months ago, I was celebrating being newly promoted to MD of FMG. Celebrations were short-lived as luck stubbornly refused to shine on anybody last year; we needed to create our own. 2020 became a year focussed on seizing new opportunities and investing in new innovations, new processes and new technologies to write our own narrative for the future.

We yielded our own success, experiencing such strong growth that we now manage more vehicles through our collective client base, than ever before. We’ve also seen sustained levels of business retention and customer engagement, leading to opportunities for deeper partnerships with a number of existing clients.

Fundamental to steadying our ship so quickly was viewing the boundaries and pushing through them - rapidly and effectively adapting our business processes, developing innovations and building resilience. Our people, as always, proved to be our greatest asset, personifying our deep-rooted business values which reflect the ethos our business is built upon; none-more-so than ‘excellence’ – challenging ourselves and others to be the best we can be. This allowed all aspects of service levels to be maintained, and ensure clients, customers and partners received unwavering service amid a wavering world.

Here we are today, International Women’s Day 2021, and as the sun shines tentatively on the changing world, I am proud to lead an intelligent, creative and inspirational team, one which worked side by side (virtually!) to navigate the storm.

At the heart of our business is a culture of inclusiveness, where excellence is rewarded and talent thrives, where reward and recognition are commensurate with talent and contribution, and where our diverse population receives support and empowerment to expand their aspirations and where every person’s achievement is fuelled by their own ambition.

This week, like any other, we’re proud to show the industry that brilliance has no bias. I’m delighted to lead FMG through the next stage of our evolution: there’s nothing like a crisis to accelerate your steepest learning curve!

FMG have partnered with ALD Automotive, one of the UK’s leading full-service fleet management and mobility providers, to integrate FMG’s comprehensive 24/7 accident management service into ALD Automotive’s commercial vehicle and company car leasing solution.

FMG’s customer-centric approach and 30-year experience in delivering accident management services, was a critical factor in ALD Automotive’s decision to partner with FMG. They required a partner who had the experience, capability and technology to meet the diverse and, in some instances, highly complex needs of their customers. FMG’s solution provides the support drivers need, covering every aspect of the post-incident process, such as first notification of loss, vehicle recovery, repair and downtime management, as well as mobility and a range of legal services including uninsured loss recovery and third-party intervention.

FMG specialise in getting vehicles back on the road quickly with stringent downtime management. Every step of the incident management process is driven by Ingenium, FMG’s in-house technology platform, which intelligently triages every incident into automated workflows. Other time-saving features include a full range of flexible repair options including same-day mobile repair, mobile estimates, image capture technology and an online repair tracking system.

Ian Turner, Sales Director at ALD Automotive said “We are focused on providing smarter and more effective ways to ensure our customers’ fleets stay operational. After a detailed review of the market and undertaking a comprehensive tender process, we selected FMG because of their proven ability to deliver an award winning, integrated customer-centric approach to accident management. We are confident our partnership with FMG will deliver immediate benefits to our corporate customers, as well as meeting their future needs.”

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “We are delighted by the opportunity to support ALD Automotive with a flexible, progressive solution that meets their customers’ current needs and will evolve to encompass their future challenges. Modern mobility and vehicle use is changing faster than ever before, but we have successfully navigated many economic and societal changes in our 33-year history. Alongside our depth of experience and expertly-trained people, we have the right data, systems and infrastructure to confidently embrace change and continually deliver an effortless driver and customer journey.”

This year’s global pandemic has proven to be both a distinct business risk and an amplifier of existing business trends, strengths, and weaknesses, presenting large businesses with a significant management dilemma – survive and endure or innovate and invest.

Focusing upon mere survival may seem the prudent approach as the economy slows. Capturing new growth is no longer a top priority and the focus shifts to short term issues, maintaining business continuity and tightening your operational footprint.

But there are risks to hunkering-down. Closing ranks and cutting costs can result in a reduction in value for customers, and businesses with a purely inward focus risk losing sight of the competition, investment in innovation suffers and businesses risk watching competitors gain market share.

Prioritising innovation today is the key to unlocking postpandemic growth. Challenging economic times create significant new opportunities - to create a better solution, invest in your customer proposition and be proactive in terms of differentiation. Yet seeing the opportunities emerging is not the same as being able to seize them.

Here at FMG, 2020 has been a year of development; new processes, new technologies, re-writing infrastructure and driving innovations. With the financial stability of our PLC parentage coupled with the autonomy and trust to act upon our own vision and insight, we have focused on opportunities and moved forward with optimism to create a wave of new innovations:
• A new and enhanced agnostic risk management solution - designed to prevent vehicle incidents from happening in the first place. Our new risk solution specialises in the aggregation and normalisation of journey data from multiple hardware sources.
• Investment in FMG Repair Services - the acquisition and vertical integration of Nationwide Accident Repair Services into our quality-certified network of vehicle repairers broadens our end to end repair capabilities.
• Development of a new omni-channel communication facility – ‘Claim Web Access’ will provide a self-service facility to allow insurers, brokers and policyholders instant access to claims information using a range of devices.

It remains prudent for businesses to think in the short and medium term whilst adjusting to the challenges this year has presented, but don’t let that stump the ability to adapt and innovate to futureproof, or you may wake up to find that the storm has passed but your ship’s pointing in the wrong direction.

For the past two years there has been an increased shift towards electrification as fleet managers meet sustainability goals and new environmental regulations whilst the Government heavily incentivises newer, cleaner vehicles as part of its 15-year Road to Zero strategy.

Demand for EVs within fleets has grown rapidly in 2020. No longer considered a niche or just the car of choice of early adopters willing to pay a premium, a new wave of Electric Vehicles (EV’s) are available in more segments and at a lower price range than ever before. Battery production costs have fallen yet range improves, and the government’s ongoing investment in boosting the public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles has removed charge point anxiety on long journeys. Add 0% BIK tax to the list of user benefits, and company car drivers are feeling more confident in the personal financial implications of their decision to take an EV.

The Coronavirus pandemic has only amplified the situation. New ways of working mean commuters no longer commute, public transport is out of favour and underutilised company cars sitting on driveways no longer feel like a great perk. EV’s are looking more attractive than ever as part of a modern mobility solution.

According to the SMMT, sales of BEVs rose from 7,704 in September 2019 to 21,903 in September 2020, a 184% increase, and electric vehicles now represent 7% of market share in the UK. So far this year, 66,611 pure-electric cars have been sold in the UK, up from 25,097 at the same point in 2019 – a 165% increase.

This rapid growth in EVs has had an incidental effect on the repairer industry. In the past year, FMG has repaired of over 1000 EVs with capacity for more. We have been taking proactive steps to prepare for this major market change for a number of years, investing time, resource and expertise in bodyshop repairer relationships and supporting their transition from PAS125 to BS10125, the industry’s most credible quality standard. This means over 275 of our repairers have the full capability - machinery, tools, training and skill - to carry out high quality EV repair.

Scott Bissett, Head of Network Management,
“We’ve been working closely and proactively with our network of repairers to ensure we have the repair capacity and capability to maintain a high quality and sustainable vehicle repair supply which continually meets our customers’ evolving needs. Ongoing developments in manufacturing practices and vehicle technology have changed the nature of maintenance and repair yet we remain a step ahead of market trends thanks to the strength, coverage and experience of our repairer network.
The UK government has ambitiously set the stage for a huge rollout of infrastructure to support large-scale electric vehicle adoption and FMG has the depth of experience, expertly trained people and the right systems and infrastructure to confidently embrace this growing market and continually deliver an effortless driver and customer journey.”

As the year is coming to a close, it’s a good time to look back on some of the highlights of what has been an eventful 2020 for most.
Here at FMG, the year brought change and challenge in equal measure to innovation and opportunity. The year started off with the announcement that I was to succeed Harvey Stead as Managing Director of FMG. Whilst I never imagined transitioning into the role at one of the most challenging times presented to businesses and individuals, it was clear that my priority was to successfully lead the business through the challenging times ahead; keeping our people safe, our customers mobile and our business operational.

Innovation has been a key feature throughout the year, beginning with the successful implementation of a newly created virtual service centre within two weeks of the pandemic hitting. Other highlights have been the blue-print and subsequent development of our new Traffic Officer App which supports our clients within the roadside and recovery arm of the business, and the further enhancement of our Ingenium software, with the development of new functionality such as direct integration with other fleet management and claims management systems.

We have continued to experience strong growth, with 75,551 new business vehicles implemented onto our management platform this year, meaning that we now incident manage more vehicles than ever before. We’ve seen sustained levels of business retention and our customers continue to be engaged with our service provision, leading to opportunities for deeper partnerships with a number of our existing clients.

As the Brexit situation lingers on, I believe we are all united in our frustrations and concerns as a post-Brexit trade deal remains in the balance. Whilst we continue to closely monitor developments in relation to negotiations and the likelihood of a trade deal with the European Union, if there is one thing this year has taught us, it’s that we’re well positioned to rapidly and effectively adapt our business processes to new environments, whilst maintaining service levels and business resilience. However, my hope remains for an outcome that allows the UK as a whole, to continue to prosper.

Looking ahead, the markets in which we operate continue to evolve, and we will continue to adapt our strategy to support change; we will continue to refine processes, invest in digital solutions, build upon our existing client relationships, source new business opportunities and remain steadfast in our commitment to drive a seamless service to our client base.

Whilst ‘you’re on mute!’ may encapsulate the year for many, with it already ear-marked as the most-used work-from-home catchphrase of 2020, the word ‘new’ encapsulates ours. New ways of working, new innovations, new clients, new Managing Director and new acquisition! If ‘new’ is our word of the year, it’s certainly our people who’ve yet again proven to be our asset of the year. Our vision, mission and values have shone through in recent months, which is testament to the contribution of our people. Whether a stalwart of the company or one of the 47 new starters who joined the business during the year, the unwavering efforts and dedication of all our people have had a significant impact on our performance throughout these challenging times and is something that I, and the Board are immensely proud of.

When Captain Tom ‘stepped-out’ to raise vital funds for the NHS, our people ‘stepped-up’, doing their own virtual take on the million-step challenge. This, along with ongoing charity donations from colleagues across the company has seen our local charity partners, Forget-Me-Not and The Kirkwood, along with the Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, gifted just under £10,000 this year. It’s certainly a time where we have embraced ‘we’re in it together’.

And on that note, from all of us at FMG, thank you for helping us continue to achieve new milestones in 2020, wishing you all the best this festive season and hoping 2021 sees positive change and recovery for all.

AutoRaise, the industry charity that works with the vehicle repair industry to address its skills crisis, has formed a new partnership with FMG.

AutoRaise recently engaged with the industry’s key insurers and work providers to gain financial and partnership support and FMG didn’t hesitate in getting behind a “Stepping Up” initiative to help support the charity through a challenging time.

“I’m so pleased to have the support of the FMG business, part of Redde Northgate Plc, during what has been a difficult time for our charity” comments Bob Linwood, AutoRaise CEO. “We have been in dialogue with Redde Northgate for a while and our call for emergency funding from the work provider sector was the catalyst for FMG’s involvement.

Andrew Chandler, FMG Sales Director, said: “As a business in the provision of repair services to the automotive industry, we are fully supportive of AutoRaise and the work that they do to maintain and improve standards of skill, knowledge and workmanship across the sector. AutoRaise’s mission goes hand in hand with the sustainability of the skillset required to meet the evolving repair methodology of modern-day vehicles. The work of AutoRaise will inch the industry ever closer to filling the gaps already seen today.

If every business with an interest in this sector considered what the next 5 years may bring, besides the likelihood of continued decline in those entering the repair industry - and those qualified, it would be shrewd to start to address this issue today, collectively rather than worrying tomorrow.”

It is envisaged that this new relationship will also extend to provide a closer working partnership between AutoRaise and the former Nationwide vehicle repair sites, now operated by FMG Repair Services. Bob added “We hope to support these sites and to involve their apprentices with the AutoRaise initiatives as we do with so many other apprentices across the UK”.

AutoRaise are still asking insurers and work providers to support the charity to help ensure there is a sustainable, trained workforce for the future of the vehicle repair industry. Please contact Jen Evans at jen.evans@autoraise.co.uk if you want to get involved.

Incident management expert FMG has launched its Christmas campaign early this year, presenting generous cash donations to its charity partners and launching a calendar of Christmas prize-winning activities for FMG staff.
Despite the year bringing challenges and uncertainty for most people, FMG employees have kept to their promise to give something back to their local community, raising £6000 in the last six months for two local charities. The donations will be shared between the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and Kirkwood Hospice, both located close to FMG’s head office in Huddersfield.

Claire Owens, Managing Director at FMG said, “We appreciate the huge strain all charities have been under this year, and for our two local partners, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice and Kirkwood Hospice, it’s our pleasure to be able to spread a little cheer as Christmas approaches. As a business who prides itself on giving something back to our local community, we are delighted by the passion and warmth our people demonstrate with their generous charity donations despite this year being a challenge to most. We genuinely care about the difference FMG makes to the local community”.

FMG has established strong links with the two charities over the past five years through its fundraising arm, FMGive, encouraging staff to get involved with a full range of fundraising activities. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside numerous wonderful, wacky and occasionally weird fundraising initiatives, every FMG employee was also invited to dedicate one fully-paid working day each year to volunteering support for these two local charities, which were chosen by employees.

Claire continued, “We’re proud to be loyal supporters of both charities but equally it’s important to remember that charity begins at home, and we certainly owe some festive thanks to our reliable and dedicated teams who have quickly embraced a new way of working this year in order to continually provide the vital care our customers need, when they need it most.”

FMG is giving employees the chance to win a whole host of fantastic festive fancies this month through their Christmas Cracker campaign. Prizes including Kindles, Amazon Echos, Fitbits, Beats headphones and vouchers can be won each day throughout December as part of its internal festive

engagement campaign. Employees are invited to take part in a whole range of daily fun festive-themed activities including a ‘light up your life’ Christmas lights competition and a celebration of random acts of festive kindness.

FMG employs over 550 staff, is currently recruiting for 25+ roles and is one of the largest private employers in the Huddersfield area.

As part of its commitment to ethically reducing the hidden cost of motor claims, incident management expert FMG has partnered with property insurance claims specialist The Building Repair Network to ensure the best outcome for those whose property is damaged in a motor incident.
And their data, collected over the past 12 months, highlights average savings of £2,400 per captured claim.
Property damage claims arising from motor incidents can typically include a large vehicle colliding with a house or shop front for example, and such repairs require structural and insurance expertise. By joining forces with The Building Repair Network, FMG gain access to qualified and experienced construction industry specialists to manage the property repair aspect of at-fault motor claims.
Robin Lang, Head of Insurance Services at FMG said, “There can be many facets to a motor claim and every single element must be handled and assessed by people who are highly qualified and experienced within the relevant field in order to get the best result for our customer and the innocent third party. By working with The Building Repair Network we can limit our customers’ losses whilst ensuring the property owner gets a fast high quality repair at no cost and minimal inconvenience to them.”
The Building Repair Network manages the property repair or works closely with the property owner’s chosen repairer, with onsite or desk-top inspections to ensure the correct repair is completed to a high standard and costs and timescales are fair and accurate.
Peter Smith, Director - Client Services at The Building Repair Network said, “Our business is truly unique and we are delighted to support FMG with our specialist skills and qualifications in the insurance and built environment sectors. Our early involvement in a claim is crucial to achieving the best outcome for all parties and FMG’s ability to quickly contact the third party perfectly complements this. Getting on site early leads to an early agreement of the true repair cost, providing customers with greater transparency and control over repair costs and timescales, in addition to maintaining brand protection for FMG’s clients.”
Robin Lang, FMG said, “We endeavour to remove the financial vulnerability for our customers following at-fault incidents and our partnership with The Building Repair Network unlocks cost-mitigating opportunities in a whole new, but related, sector.”

Turo has further enhanced its popular car-sharing service with the inclusion of a complete incident management solution provided by FMG. This ensures both drivers and vehicle owners receive all the support they need following breakdowns and vehicle accidents during car-share trips.

Turo, the US-based peer-to-peer marketplace and self-styled ‘Airbnb for cars’, enables car owners to earn money from their vehicle whilst it’s not in use by putting them in contact, via an app, with a network of potential customers looking to rent a car or van.

The partnership with FMG gives guest drivers immediate access to 24/7 driver support, roadside recovery and replacement vehicle services, whilst car owners benefit from a quality repair service with all costs, timescales and repair methods scrutinised by FMG’s inhouse automotive engineers. FMG’s flexible repair options, including same-day mobile repairs, ensures vehicles are back on the road quickly and earning money for their owners again.

Xavier Collins, UK Director of Turo said, “Our car sharing platform gives guests the freedom to find the perfect car for every occasion. Thanks to the bespoke solution FMG created for us, our guests and hosts can enjoy the ultimate peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that all the help and support they need is just a call away should the unexpected occur.”

Turo now has over 200k users in the UK, with FMG supporting this growth. This summer saw a huge spike in demand for car-sharing as drivers opted for individual trips rather than public ones, a trend we expect to continue.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “Car-sharing is rapidly becoming an integral part of modern mobility and we are pleased to demonstrate how every aspect of FMG’s proposition can be tailored to create the perfect solution for a whole new marketplace. With 34 years’ experience in handling incidents from start to finish, we are able to keep Turo’s guest drivers on the move whilst getting the host’s vehicle back on the road in the shortest time possible whilst reducing the financial impact of the incident.”

Arval, the leading vehicle leasing and fleet management company, has signed a long-term contract with FMG. The Huddersfield based incident management and specialist recovery business will provide end-to-end incident management services across 35,000 of Arval’s fleet, encompassing their ATC customer base.

FMG’s market leading fleet focused proposition was a driving factor in the award of the contract; a business with the expertise to control every aspect of the claims journey from FNOL through to repair completion. The solution is further enhanced through digitalisation in the claims journey, with software such as Image Capture Triage, reducing key to key times and improving the customer experience. Arval required a partner who had a proven track record in the mitigation of accident costs and a commitment to ensuring that customer’s vehicles are back on the road in the shortest possible timeframe.
Arval will have direct access to FMG’s award-winning Ingenium Suite, allowing for full transparency on every case, with continuous system driven repair updates and tracking to drivers. Crucial to Arval’s market review was working with a partner who could provide operational capabilities to essentially multi-select insource and outsourced operational requirements with Arval electing to appoint their own engineering team whilst using a web-based version of FMG’s management system Ingenium.

Joel Lund, Service Delivery Director at Arval, commented, “We are very pleased to be returning to a partnership with FMG, they are a trusted name in the industry and their specialist knowledge and proven capability with fleets of all sizes will support the commitment to fully support drivers and limit costs and business impact to our customers. FMG’s market leading systems, process and crucially delegated authority and intervention criteria with insurers, means our clients VOR is further reduced whilst importantly protecting third party costs. Our tender exercise focused on innovation, customer experience and digitalisation to create a market leading proposition fit for purpose for Arval and our clients.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “We are delighted that Arval have chosen to return to a historic partnership, it allows us the opportunity to demonstrate the value of our expertise in the delivery of high-quality incident management solutions. Over recent years we have invested in the required flexibility and innovation to meet the evolving expectations of both clients and importantly their drivers. We look forward to supporting Arval’s clients using our in-house systems driven by our expert teams and supported through our UK-wide repair network. We are confident that we can bring value to Arval’s clients base through a solution that has been tailored to provide the best service to meet customer needs and expectations.”

FMG continues to invest in its core accident management proposition, supporting the evolving requirements of clients and the UK vehicle parc, which continues to evolve in size, scale and composition. In April the SMMT announced the UK vehicle parc had exceeded 40 million vehicles for the first time. More than 35 million cars and 5 million commercial vehicles were in use in the UK in 2019, representing a 1% year-on-year increase.

Commercial vehicles saw a significant increase, with light commercial vehicles seeing the largest percentage growth, rising 2.7% on the previous year to circa 4.5 million vehicles. This is a surge of over 25% in the last decade. Heavy goods vehicles grew by 0.4% to 607K – the largest number since 1990. Many of these vehicles are supporting the change in consumer behaviour with the increase in ‘just in time’, online shopping and home deliveries.

Today, FMG manage a staggering 140,000 commercial vehicles on behalf of over 500 clients. We repair 20,000 commercial vehicles each year through our dedicated network. We are experienced in the repair of light commercial vehicles, heavy good vehicles and specialist equipment. We understand the requirements of a working fleet are different to that of a car fleet and we have proven capability and credibility in the market.

We continue to further strengthen the commercial vehicle proposition, with a keen focus on minimising vehicle downtime and mitigating incidents for our client base. Over the past six months we have been busy piloting new repair solutions that will ensure roadworthy vehicles are kept mobile and a greater choice of repair methodology.

During the last 12 months, we asked our mobile repair partner to commission a specialist repair rig for LCVs. This has now been piloted with a wider roll-out plan in place throughout 2020. FMG specified the size of the rig, ensuring high-roof, long wheel-based transits can be accommodated. The design will also allow part coverage for larger HGVs depending on the area of damage.

During the pilot the rig was set up at a regional depot to ensure the one-day repair solution was maximised. During this period, 40% of the repairs utilised the rig, minimising downtime and replacement vehicle costs. We are looking forward to scaling the solution over the next few months, with the addition of more bespoke rigs to support the wider client base.

Additionally, we have further enhanced our parts provision to offer greater flexibility and choice to support downtime management. The provision of green and non-oem parts have been piloted, where appropriate, and the results have been positive. In terms of green parts, we have focused on bolt-on bumpers, panels and lights, but not included structural, mechanical or safety parts.

The results show 30% of repairs across the pilot fleets utilised a green part, delivering an average cost saving of £94.00 per repair, whilst also improving cycle time and mitigating associated costs, such as replacement vehicle hire. This service will be rolled out to the wider client base later in the year.

We are also looking to develop the service provision for fast-fit repairs; with parts procured via FMG liaising between the driver and their nearest fast-fit centre to coordinate the repair. Currently, repairs are predominantly wing-mirror related, with the capability to include bulb-cluster changes and number plate replacements. Additional services to include mobile solutions are presently under review.

In recent weeks, our team of solution analysts have developed a generic downtime management API that contains the vehicle life cycle data that can be consumed into client back office systems. The API creates greater transparency to ensure vehicle progress is understood by all parties.

We are looking forward to sharing more of our exciting commercial vehicle plans over the new few months.

FMG Press Release
27th May 2020
A Baptism of Fire for New FMG Managing Director
Huddersfield based incident management and specialist recovery business FMG, appointed new managing director Claire Owens in March at the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK.

Claire could not have envisaged her new role would coincide with an overwhelming economic environment and rapidly-evolving challenge to business - a true baptism of fire.

Her first priority amid the unfolding pandemic was the rapid migration to adopting digital technologies. FMG successfully moved over 95% of the business to home working within her first month at the helm, and in doing so continued to provide full continuity of service provisions to FMG clients and customers.

The appointment comes on the back of the most successful year in the business’s history. New business wins have been a key feature of the last 12 months, so too has the retention of clients.

During the pandemic the business went live with the new Highways England contract following a successful tender back in December. The refreshed scheme continues the partnership for several more years following the 10-year milestone achieved last year.

The business will report a growth in their fleet book just short of 30% during the last financial year, and with two new major contracts with large insurers along with innovation across their proposition including the launch of image capture and green parts, unique LCV developments, ability to build in APIs to support continued transparency with clients, the business has carved out a solid position in recent years.

Commenting on her appointment, Claire explained "I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead FMG in the next stage of our evolution. Given the very different backdrop, it’s fair to say the start of that evolution has focussed on innovation, flexibility, agility and safety and wellbeing. The acceleration of our digital capabilities has proved astonishing, so too has the positivity in which colleagues have embraced our new ways of working. Change is a constant, and I must accept where we’re at; my job today is firmly focussed on successfully leading the business through the seismic impact of Covid-19, ensuring the business continues to deliver the high level of service our partners expect and ensuring our business remains well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the new world.

Claire joined FMG in 2017 as Finance Director, prior to which she had held a number of senior Finance positions across multiple sectors, more recently with the multinational corporation, Sodexo. Claire succeeds Harvey Stead, who saw a recent promotion to the newly created role of Managing Director, Redde Limited. Stead joins the Redde-Northgate Management Board to take responsibility for the performance of a number of businesses within the newly formed Group, which still includes FMG.

Stead commented, ‘I’m really pleased that Claire has been appointed as my successor. The appointment reflects the influence Claire has had in accelerating business growth over the last three years and is in recognition of her key contribution. Claire’s appointment as Managing Director provides continuity for the business, our customers, supplier partners and our people. I am confident that Claire will intelligently and strategically lead FMG with the same calm, pragmatic and level-headedness she has continually demonstrated as a member of the FMG Board, and I wish her every success.”

However thorough a Fleet Manager is in ensuring that vehicles are properly managed and maintained, there will be from time to time roadside incidents that can cause major disruptions to both the operator and other road users. It is therefore good to know that experts are at hand to minimise the impact of these situations. Fleet Manager was delighted to catch up with Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG, who explains how the national recovery and incident management company offers solutions to this complex issue.

Q: Could you outline the main services that you offer the fleet industry?
Modern motor vehicles are safer than ever before yet as long as businesses rely on vehicles for their operation, incidents will happen. But that doesn’t mean the stress, cost and hassle associated with vehicle incidents are a given; there are numerous opportunities to mitigate and reduce these factors within the incident repair process.
FMG is an award-winning specialist in 24-hour incident management and roadside repair and recovery management services. We specialise in helping our customers involved in road traffic accidents and breakdowns by providing mobility, accident repair, vehicle recovery and uninsured loss recovery. We operate on behalf of blue-chip company fleets and well-known brands, most of the UK’s top ten vehicle leasing providers and the largest motor insurers and brokers. We are also the roadside recovery partner of choice for Highways England and several UK Police Forces. We manage over 500,000 vehicles of every diverse type and deal with a new incident every 3 minutes.

Q: Who are your key partners in delivering your services?
In order to deliver the best possible repair solutions for our fleet customers, we work in close partnership with our quality- assured UK-wide network of vehicle repairers. FMG’s repair network provides a range of high-quality repair options to reduce vehicle off road (VOR) times to an absolute minimum. Options include traditional bodyshop repair and a range of one-day repair options; SMART repair, mobile repair and the recent addition of Xpress Repairs one-day repair pods in key geographic locations.
Our repair partners are the essential link in delivering the high standards we promise to our customers and we are committed to supporting the sustainability of the UK repair network. In the past few years we have invested significant time, resource and expertise in our bodyshop repairer relationships. Establishing direct links to repairers through CAPS, ClaimWatch, AudaInvoice and bodyshops’ own communication systems, has enhanced real-time communication whilst reducing mutual admin costs, manual touchpoints and traditionally lengthy transactional processes, enabling bodyshops to become more operationally efficient. Not only does this reduce repair cycle times, it also allows FMG to proactively manage our fleet customers’ expectations by providing continual updates throughout the repair process.

Q: What are the main aspects of FMG that make it so widely trusted by many of the UK’s key organisations?
An unrivalled customer journey
We genuinely care about the difference we make to our customers and their drivers. From FNOL through to repair completion, we have worked closely with customers to determine the most integral customer touchpoints and then invested in adding further value. Recently we have enhanced driver communications with a new strategy which integrates video, email, text, telephone and brochures to keep drivers fully informed of ‘what happens next’ in the incident lifecycle.
Long-standing partnerships
Preserving the longevity of our customer and supplier relationships is core to our business strategy. FMG makes enormous ef- forts to understand what our customers really want and our meticulous implementation programme ensures we are correctly structured to demonstrate value throughout the customer lifecycle. We keep each customer’s future needs in mind and create system-based structures with added flexibility to accommodate changing needs.
Ethically reducing the total cost of incidents
FMG helps fleet operators save huge sums of money in incident bills by identifying and reducing costs within the incident pro- cess yet we do so in the fairest, most ethical way possible. We recognise that our vehicle repairer partners traditionally operate with tight margins and we refuse to squeeze them tighter. Instead, FMG has successfully found new and innovative ways to save £millions for customers by increasing our focus on third party cost mitigation, speed of reporting, alternative high-quality repair options and incident prevention. With 34 years’ insight and expertise, we have scrutinised every single cost and touch- point throughout the entire incident management process to ensure we challenge, mitigate and reduce costs at each and every opportunity.

Q: What are the main issues that fleet operators face when vehicles have been involved in an incident and how does FMG meet the challenges of those issues?
When an incident occurs, the fleet operator’s priorities are taking care of the driver, getting their fleet moving again and securing the best outcome to the incident – with as little hassle as possible.
At FMG, FNOL is a key opportunity to demonstrate outstanding care to drivers. When drivers report an incident, they want to engage with a real person who will listen, empathise and reassure whilst taking control of putting things right. Our FNOL experts are selected for their outstanding customer service skills and displaying the right attitudes and behaviours at an anxious time for the driver.
We provide tools to support fleet operators in making their drivers aware of the importance of their actions in the immediate aftermath of an incident. Providing it is safe to do so, drivers are urged to record incident details and third party contact details accurately and report the incident to FMG immediately. The timing of the First Notification of Loss is vitally important. Within the hour, a replacement vehicle is arranged and FMG’s fast-acting incident management specialists capture incident data, assess liability and contact the third party to offer vehicle repair and replacement services. Third party costs can provide the financial sting in the tail following at-fault incidents – whilst own-vehicle damage is limited to the value of the vehicle, third party costs can spiral uncontrollably if left unmanaged. Therefore such speed is fundamental in reducing the risk of the third party pursuing or being approached by potentially expensive hire car companies, credit repair services and personal injury businesses, as the costs of these services would be recovered from the at-fault party.

Q: Essential services fleet operators are particularly vulnerable to the impact of vehicle downtime. How does FMG help minimise that impact?
Getting the vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible following an incident is crucial to fleet operators, and a key factor in minimising repair and replacement vehicle costs. Our repair network provides a range of high-quality repair options, all designed to reduce vehicle off road (VOR) times to an absolute minimum. FMG’s in-house automotive engineers are on hand to verify the appropriate option is selected every time, all repair costs are reasonable and the repair duration is accurate.
Our commitment to minimising vehicle off road (VOR) time penetrates every process within our business. Downtime- reducing services include image capture and mobile estimates to keep driveable vehicles mobile prior to repair, parts pre- ordering, repairing rather than replacing parts and out-of-hours repair services. We have also earned a position of trust with delegated authority from major fleet insurers which further reduces repair delays.

Q: How does technology drive the services of FMG?
Our in-house developed software, Ingenium, drives all internal services and retains tight control over every process, cost and deadline. It allows us to track and report on every single transaction within the incident life cycle. All new claims are logged on Ingenium, which has built-in capability to tailor the incident reporting process with bespoke questions to meet the each fleet operator’s specific requirements.
Ingenium accurately triages the FNOL, triggering the correct workflow and identifying the most appropriate repair/recovery solution utilising the information captured, including location, vehicle type and damage sustained. The system also works with image capture software, enabling drivers to upload images of incident damage, to further support triage to the most appropriate repairer. This also enhances the efficiency of our in-house engineers, enabling fats and accurate video damage assessment and reducing demand for, and the associated delays of, mobile estimates and independent inspections.
Information gathered in Ingenium is available 24/7 for each fleet operator to view via our web-based portal, including repair tracking, vehicle images, loss recovery and all incident data.
Today, FMG is widely recognised as the standout specialist in the fleet field thanks to our proven ability to ethically minimise vehicle off-road times and reduce overall incident costs to an absolute minimum whilst providing unstinting support for drivers.
We’re committed to strengthening existing customer relationships, whilst using our size, scale and flexibility to ensure we evolve in line with the market’s changing demands and continually improve our service proposition.

For more information contact: marketing1@fmg.co.uk, call 0344 243 888 or visit: https://fmg.co.uk/

Wessex Fleet has prioritised driver safety by investing in a unique round the clock accident management service which expands out of hours to include breakdown support.

The bespoke solution, provided by incident management expert FMG, includes 24/7/365 first notification of loss, roadside recovery and nationwide repair management to Wessex Fleet’s 1500 managed vehicles. Within the solution, there are a multitude of tailored components to meet the various needs of all Wessex Fleet partner clients.

The service has enabled Wessex Fleet to significantly enhance the level of service provided to its fleet drivers, ensuring they are fully supported in every eventuality and can access all services including tyre and glass replacement, with just one call to FMG at any time of day.

Simon Naylor, Director at Wessex Fleet said, “We endeavour at all times to create an environment where the customer’s experience is at the heart of everything we do. Our main objective was to protect the safety of our drivers by having expert support available outside of normal working hours. The FMG team work efficiently, they care for our drivers’ welfare and see every task through to a successful conclusion.”

To deliver the out of hours service, FMG works in partnership with a UK-wide network of vehicle repair and recovery operators, fixing all types of stricken vehicles at the roadside. When a roadside repair isn’t possible or safe, FMG arranges the recovery of the vehicle and driver, specific to each fleet’s requirements.

Dave Parry, Commercial Director at FMG said, “With 33 years’ experience in the incident management arena, we know that vehicle incidents and breakdowns often happen at the least opportune times and we are pleased to support Wessex Fleet in ensuring their drivers have access to all the support they need, when they need it. Truly tailoring our range of services in this way is the backbone of our business and core to our success in precisely meeting every customer’s individual business requirements.”

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About Wessex Fleet: Established in 2004, Wiltshire-based Wessex Fleet is a National Fleet Management Company offering customers online fleet management solutions, vehicle leasing and

corporate vehicle rental, including Fleet and Grey Fleet Management, Vehicle Rental and Driver Licence checks.

About FMG: FMG has 33 years’ experience providing specialist vehicle recovery and incident management services on behalf of major UK insurers, private blue chip companies and leasing providers. When incidents occur, they deliver cutting-edge, 24-hour vehicle and driver support. Services include incident management, specialist roadside assistance & recovery, repair management, risk management, third party intervention services and driver behaviour telemetry solutions.

For more information:
Please contact Donna Milligan, PR Executive at FMG:
E: donna.milligan@fmg.co.uk
T: 0844 243 8888

Bibby appoints FMG to keep vehicles moving like clockwork

One of the UK’s largest commercial vehicle fleets, Bibby Distribution, has signed a three-year contract with FMG to maintain service delivery standards in the event of vehicle breakdowns across Bibby’s supply chain and distribution operations.

The deal will see FMG provide 24/7 specialist Roadside Repair and Recovery Management services to 1875 HGV’s, large commercial vehicles and trailers. Businesses across the UK rely on Bibby’s fleet for the provision of road transport logistics solutions, operating round the clock and delivering specialist transport requirements including bulk liquids and powder distribution.

FMG, the UK’s leading fleet incident management and roadside services specialist, works in partnership with a UK-wide network of vehicle repair and recovery operators, fixing all types of stricken vehicles at the roadside. When a roadside repair isn’t possible or safe, FMG arranges the recovery of the vehicle and driver and onward shipment of its loads, specific to each fleet’s requirements.

Adam Purshall, Head of Fleet and Procurement at Bibby Distribution said, “We invest heavily in the best HGVs to provide a reliable fleet that has optimum operational utilisation, so it makes sense to partner with a leading recovery specialist to ensure our vehicles are covered for every eventuality. By forming this strategic partnership with FMG, we gain access to an established and proven network for both recovery and roadside repair capabilities, for every vehicle type, and the advanced skills, equipment and professional accreditations to provide efficient and effective solutions to meet all our foreseeable needs.”

FMG resolves over 90,000 vehicle breakdowns every year, operating on behalf of major private and public sector fleets. The company is also the vehicle recovery partner for Highways England, recovering vehicles from 5000 miles of motorways and major A roads across Britain, and the recovery partner of choice for a number of UK Police Forces, managing the recovery of vehicles that have been abandoned, stolen or involved in crime, as well as police vehicles.

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “We look forward to supporting Bibby’s time-critical fleet and have worked closely together to ensure that recoveries can be co-ordinated as effectively and efficiently as possible. Whilst overcoming everyday breakdowns involving fleet cars, vans and commercial vehicles is the backbone of our business, we take every opportunity to identify efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities. We’ll analyse Bibby’s fleet data, identify improvements, and offer insight to deliver tangible, measurable cost-savings.”



About Bibby Distribution

Bibby Distribution has been providing logistics and supply chain services for over 30 years and is well placed as one of the UK’s top ten third-party logistics companies. Headquartered in Liverpool, Bibby Distribution has over 90 sites throughout the UK and operates in a range of industries, including Consumer, Paper & Packaging, Industrial and Food & Drink.

About FMG: FMG has 33 years’ experience providing specialist vehicle recovery and incident management services on behalf of major UK insurers, private blue-chip companies and leasing providers. When incidents occur, they deliver cutting-edge, 24-hour vehicle and driver support. Services include incident management, specialist roadside assistance & recovery, repair management, risk management, third party intervention services and driver behaviour telemetry solutions.

For more information:
Please contact Donna Milligan, PR Executive at FMG:
E: donna.milligan@fmg.co.uk
T: 0844 243 8888

Incident management expert FMG has announced a three-year contract with Rivervale Leasing.

The new contract supports the launch of Rivervale Leasing’s full accident management service. FMG will provide an end-to-end incident management solution which includes first notification of loss, repair management, third party intervention and uninsured loss recovery for Rivervale Leasing’s customers.

Established in 2001, Rivervale Leasing is the UK’s first car leasing dealership, supplying brand new vehicles across the UK. From its Brighton base, Rivervale Leasing is recognised as a one-stop-shop for leasing and maintenance needs for business and private customers.

Jaymie Stanbrook, Fleet manager at Rivervale Leasing, said, “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with FMG and further strengthening our customer offering. Part of our promise is to provide customers with a simple solution to an often complicated challenge, allowing them the time to concentrate on their core business. FMG are a trusted name in the industry and their specialist knowledge and proven capability with fleets of all sizes will help us deliver this promise.”

Andrew Chandler, Sales Director at FMG said, “Securing this partnership with Rivervale Leasing is another proud moment for FMG and a new opportunity to further demonstrate our proven expertise in delivering efficient and high quality incident management processes. Using our own in-house systems driven by our expert teams and our closely-managed network of repairers, we aim to reduce downtime and cost whilst delivering significant benefits to Rivervale Leasing and its customers.”

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s timely to reflect on the year that has passed. A year of ongoing economic uncertainty, with last weeks’ news at least stabilising the political field and with a ‘promise’ that Brexit will now be delivered by January 31st. In a year heightened with instability, it is pleasing to have delivered another year of double-digit growth here at FMG.

The year has seen an unrelenting commitment to outstanding customer service, balancing our size and scale with the flexibility and agility to ensure we continue to be an exceptional supplier to the fleet and insurer sectors.

The industry does not stand still, and neither do we. Greater expectations, a dynamic business environment and challenges unique to industry make the job of differentiating service more complex than ever before. There’s been a continued wave of demand for access to flexible, on-demand solutions; focus and investment on evolving our core competencies has been prevalent throughout the year to ensure we meet these demands with market-leading solutions.

New innovations are what shape and secure our future, and this year has seen the introduction of green parts to our repair process, the enhancement of our LCV repair proposition, and the addition of one-day repair solutions through strategically located repair pods.

As a business, securing significant new contracts has been supportive in helping us report doubledigit growth for the fifth consecutive year. These new deals evidence the strong brand we’ve built within the markets in which we operate and are the fruition of the dedication and expertise of our people, combined with our ongoing investment in innovation and excellence.

The retention of contracts is just as valuable to our portfolio, achieving 97% customer retention during the year feels like a genuine ‘seal of approval’ from our partners, and demonstrates the ongoing value we deliver.

The growth of new business and the renewal of existing business has in turn allowed us to grow and strengthen our workforce. Our people are a pillar of our business and welcoming our 500th colleague in June felt somewhat of a significant milestone in our 33-year history.

We have a lot to be proud of and have achieved a great deal this year. Looking ahead, we aim to maintain the momentum on the plans to grow across our channels, while future-proofing through improved digital and data developments. The outlook is bright, and I look forward to leading us into the next decade with a strong pipeline, the prospect of continued growth and providing the best standard of service for our customers.

I’d like to thank our suppliers, partners and customers for making it a year to remember, and of course our colleagues who are the foundations of everything we are able to do as a business, and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

What is it that we need, but hope to never use?
The answer? Insurance.

We all know the importance of being protected in the event of the unexpected occurring, that’s why we purchase insurance policies: to safeguard ourselves and be put back in the position we were in if things hadn’t gone wrong. At the same time, however, we hope to never make use of such policies. Should we need to, we want the experience to be as simple, straightforward and positive as possible.

In the case of motor insurance, when a vehicle is damaged, written-off or stolen, the initial report is the first step that takes place in the claim lifecycle. Whether an insurer or outsource provider, the First Notification of Loss (FNOL) is likely to be the first direct contact with a policyholder, and one of the most important processes in the claims resolution cycle. It is the highest value customer touch-point and remains a critical ‘moment of truth’ in the journey - presenting the single-best opportunity to deliver on the promise of a differentiated claim service.

This first touch point can significantly impact both the customer experience, and the costs associated with the incident.

Primarily with motor claims, when policyholders come to make a claim, they want to pick up the phone, engage with a real person, be listened to, empathised with and reassured; they want that individual at the other end of the phone to understand their situation and take control of putting things right.

As an outsource provider, we are perhaps more aware of all the nuances in the handling of the FNOL process. We work with a myriad of customers, all of whom want us to deliver a customer journey based on their philosophy, brand values and in-line with their committed levels of service. It’s important that the experience their customers have when liaising with a trusted partner seamlessly reflects the way they do business.

Our dedicated FNOL department is made up of a team of people with outstanding customer service skills; having the right individuals with the right attitudes and behaviors at the start of the journey is paramount. We know we can build on our peoples’ skills and expertise of the FNOL and system processes through our dedicated claims training and learning modules; we also look to instill behaviours in our people to show genuine care and empathy during what is, for most, an unknown and anxious situation.

In addition to having the right people at the start of our claims process, our focus is placed on two integral elements: speed, and accuracy of information recorded.

In terms of speed of reporting, this is an area which can provide the biggest advantage, yet all too often becomes the catalyst for claims inflation. Research has shown that the average cost of a claim when reported within 2 hours is £1,250 compared with over £5,000 when there is a delay (Source: Zurich Global Corporate UK). Delays in reporting the incident also drastically reduce the opportunity to capture and control the thirdparty costs.

While the timing of reporting an incident is critical, so too is the information gathered at the scene. Quality of information captured at FNOL is essential to the speed and success of the incident management process. Poor management of incidents leads to delayed validation, claims leakage, delays in authorising repairs, lengthy and protracted repairs and lengthy liability decisions.

The nature of our FNOL claims process enables the detailed capture of the incident circumstances, allowing us to allocate and progress the claim with minimal further effort from the policyholder.

Our in-house developed software, Ingenium, has built-in capability to guide customer service representatives through the loss reporting process. Our FNOL solution uses step by step questioning to guide the call, with the answers provided determining the next set of questions or options. The prompts are based on pre-set rules which are unique for each customer, whether this be an insurer, broker or fleet etc. The Ingenium system also identifies and allocates the anticipated work to the most appropriate repair/recovery solution utilising the information captured, including location, vehicle type and damage sustained.

The accuracy of information, which we collect during the initial call, determines the course of best action for each individual claim, including liability, third party involvement, loss recovery, and hire/courtesy car solutions. A mistake at this stage can result in claim mis-direction, with potential implications of delays, complaints and additional costs incurred.

Good practice should highlight the importance to drivers involved in incidents of reporting their claim as instantaneously as possible - as long as it is safe to do so. A driver’s first step following an incident should be to phone through to the relevant insurer or support provider.

Drivers need to understand how FNOL impacts on the lifecycle of the claims journey, and be continually educated on the importance of good practice, most importantly, prompt and accurate reporting.

There are many ways a refined FNOL process will bring benefit to a business; customer experience will be amplified, claims processing cycle times will be reduced, claim mitigation efforts will be improved and resources will be optimised.

FMG, a UK leader in the provision of fleet incident management services, today announced it has reached a new milestone in its 33-year history, surpassing 500 employees.

Continuing to build on its recognition as a Sunday Times Top 100 ‘great place to work’, the Bradley based business has seen employment growth of 25% in the past two years, supporting the continued increase in new contracts, retention of customers and development of new innovations. Today’s appointment of HR Assistant Julita Medel takes employee numbers over the 500 mark, placing FMG firmly in the UK’s top 1% of employers according to the ONS.

The company offer extensive solutions in the fleet arena, insurer space, and offer UK-wide roadside repair and recovery services, operating on behalf of Highways England to support multiple facets of traffic flow.

Expressing pride in the environment the company has nurtured Harvey Stead, Managing Director of FMG, explained, “We are delighted to welcome all new starters to FMG, but Julita’s appointment is particularly momentous for the business. I am proud of our sustained and steady growth along with our impressive employee tenure; more than 40% of our employees have 10 years or more service with us, something that I believe is rare in this day and age. We have a wealth of experience across our leadership team, this combined with our employees’ skills, passion and expertise, generate a high-performing and engaged.”

FMG has grown from 403 employees in June 2017, to 501 in June 2019. The business recently held an Open Day at its Head Office Broad Lea House, to support their present recruitment drive which will continue for the next 3-4 months. Over 90 people attended the event with many going on to formally apply for roles.

FMG works with major private and public sector fleets, leading leasing companies and major fleet insurers, to streamline the incident management process. Through the use of quality assured systems, adhering to professional ISO accreditations, FMG manages the lifecycle of incidents to help reduce their frequency and impact. When incidents do occur, FMG’s approved network of high quality vehicle repairers carry out repairs to BS-10125, the technical quality standard for the process of vehicle body repair.

The deal will see FMG providing an end-to-end service including 24/7/365 first notification of loss and nationwide repair management to BCA’s fleet of 700 cars.

Matt Sutherland, Group Procurement and Business Change Director at BCA said: “We aim to make the incident process simple for our company car drivers whilst maintaining real focus on downtime management and cost reduction for our fleet. By forming this strategic partnership with FMG, we gain access to an established and proven network of repairers with multiple repair options and the advanced skills, equipment and professional accreditations to provide a high quality repair at the right price without delay. We are delighted with the solution FMG has put in place.”

A bespoke online dashboard, tailored specifically for BCA’s data requirements and stringent SLA’s will provide real-time transparent progress updates together with intelligent analysis and presentation of their fleet incident data.

Harvey Stead, Managing Director at FMG said, “We are delighted that BCA have entrusted us to reduce all associated incident costs within their fleet. No two businesses have the same fleet incident requirements and, as an outsourcing specialist, we have the ability to truly tailor our solutions to meet our customers’ individual requirements. BCA’s unique solution is testament to the knowledge of our people, the flexibility of our in-house designed and managed technology platform and the strength of our repair partnerships.”

FMG works with major private and public sector fleets, leading leasing companies and major fleet insurers, to streamline the incident management process. Through quality assured systems and professional ISO certifications, FMG manages the lifecycle of incidents to help reduce their frequency and impact. When incidents do occur, FMG’s approved network of high quality vehicle repairers carry out repairs to BS-10125, the technical quality standard for the process of vehicle body repair.

Dave’s appointment follows the promotion of former Commercial Director Harvey Stead to Managing Director back in July 2018.

FMG, who are widely recognised as the trusted partner of choice for end-to-end incident and claims management, continue to deliver impressive results for customers, leading to continued organic growth. Dave takes responsibility for FMG’s client management strategy and overall customer retention in a role which capitalises on his wealth of experience within senior customer-facing roles.

Harvey Stead, Managing Director at FMG, said, “This is a key appointment for FMG which underlines our commitment to providing exceptional customer care throughout the lifetime of every customer relationship. As the market-leader, we recognise the need to maximise our experience, flexibility and agility to continually delight our customers with an unrivalled product and service offering. Dave is vastly experienced and is a welcome addition to the board as we develop the business proposition for the future.”

Dave is a highly experienced business leader, having joined FMG from Cox Automotive where he held a number of senior roles within Manheim. He led teams within Operations, Customer Management and Client Engagement in addition to driving the Digital Strategy of WeWantAnyCar.com. Prior to this, he held strategic management positions within Enterprise Rent-A-Car for 10 years.

Dave said, “FMG has an enviable reputation for customer retention, largely due to its ability to adapt and boldly innovate to continually meet each customer’s evolving needs. I welcome the chance to support FMG’s long-term growth aspirations by working collaboratively with customers to deliver cutting-edge and sustainable solutions. FMG’s people are a significant asset with absolute clarity on their commitment to service excellence and I look forward to leading such a strong team.”

FMG is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Chandler to the role of Sales Director from his previous position as Head of Sales & Marketing.

The appointment reflects the company’s move to strengthen its board to support ongoing growth, as well as recognising the significant contribution Andrew has made to the business since joining the fleet and incident management specialist.

In his new role, Andrew will have full responsibility for the company’s sales offering, and will retain Executive responsibility for the company’s New Business, Marketing and Bid Response activities. He will formally join the company’s Operating board where he will add a wealth of industry knowledge, commercial expertise and look to influence the next business innovations.

Andrew (pictured) joined FMG in 2015 bringing with him an in-depth knowledge of the fleet and incident management arena. His experience within the automotive industry spans 15 years, where Andrew has repeatedly achieved success in leading ambitious projects. During his four-year tenure with FMG, he has lead and redefined the new business and marketing strategy, playing a vital role in the controlled growth of the business and the development into new markets.

Andrew said: “I’m delighted to be presented with this opportunity which comes at an exciting time for FMG. The role represents a challenge that I am greatly looking forward to; growing our business and continuing to deliver the best solutions across the markets within which we operate.”

FMG’s Managing Director, Harvey Stead, said: “Andrew’s appointment is well-deserved recognition of his significant contribution to the business within a relatively short amount of time. Andrew is the most accomplished new business executive I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside. His expertise, integrity and tenacity have played a significant part in our growth story over the last 3 years, and I have every confidence that, in his new role, Andrew will continue to do a superb job of supporting our business and its continued ambitions.”

“As another year draws to a close, conducting our internal business updates has allowed me to reflect on what a year it has been for our business. 2018 has brought excitement, change and challenge in equal measure, whilst presenting opportunity and growth for FMG.

The significant investment and subsequent move to Broad Lea House, our new Head Office at Bradley Business Park, has to be a personal highlight. I am delighted to see all of our people back together under one roof for the first time in 10 years, enjoying a state of the art working environment and welcoming customers, suppliers and prospects to our new home.

Over 100 new employees joined our business throughout the year, and a staggering 84 colleagues achieved advancement or promotion within their roles. Rewarding our people, for their excellence, always bring a genuine pride.

Our largest new business focus this year was within the vehicle manufacturer space, undertaking our single largest implementation programme to deliver an insurer-based proposition, taking our bespoke solutions into a whole new market sector.

In terms of industry challenges, there’s a trio at the forefront; WLTP, GDPR and of course, Brexit. WLTP has brought uncertainty and disorder over the new emissions standard, with the new testing regime presenting customer issues around vehicle supply and deferred vehicle replacement. The widespread advice of the moment seems to be ‘choose a car that meets the requirements, with the lowest CO2 emissions possible’. It’s not the most exciting time to be a company car driver if you’re caught in this myriad of rules, regulations and uncertainty.

It’s been a little over six months since GDPR was brought into effect, aimed at providing an added layer of security to data management. The essence of the regulation can’t be disputed; ethical use of consumer data has been long due. A closely managed project allowed us to meet the imposed requirements to timescales, and continue to trade with customers and partners seamlessly.

The Brexit debate continues to dominate the news and divide opinion. We’re all united in our frustrations and concerns and Brexit will no doubt bring challenges, but we will learn, adapt and adjust, being nimble and alert to the changing environment. Whatever happens, I hope for an outcome that allows all the sectors we operate in, and the UK as a whole, to continue to prosper.

The one challenge that caught us all unawares this year was ‘the Beast from the East’. This continued period of adverse weather across the entire country, brought with it chaos and disruption. We faced new challenges, on larger scales, with our whole supply chain being impacted in one way or another. The learnings we have taken from this event has allowed us to adapt our business model to counter any similar scenarios that we may face in the future; learning and adapting will always be key to thriving within our industry.

Looking ahead, what can you expect to see from FMG in 2019? We will maintain our commitment to being a great place to work, continue to deliver a first class service with every interaction through the dedication and expertise of our people, and deliver profitable growth for our business.

We enter the New Year with the strongest pipeline we’ve ever had. We will continue to invest in our core markets, enhance our proposition, focus on innovation and technology, and look at new ways to work with our partners to meet the ever-changing needs of customers.

FMG made significant progress during 2018 and this reflects the hard work, commitment and combined efforts of all our people and our supply chain partners. I am incredibly proud that this year I got to take the reins of the business and become Managing Director, and I am confident that we are well placed to continue on the same upward trend as we move into a new year.

Wishing our customers, clients, suppliers, partners, colleagues and friends all the joys of the season and I look forward to working with you all in 2019.”

Harvey Stead, Managing Director, FMG.

FMG are extremely proud to partner the Road Safety Charity Brake, now in their 10th year of sponsorship for the charity who work with communities and organisations across the UK to make streets and communities safer for everyone.

As the annual National Road Safety Week draws to a close, in which drivers are encouraged to adopt safe driving habits to promote safer roads for all, colleagues across FMG were encouraged to join the thousands of people across the UK in this year’s theme, ‘Bike Smart’, focusing on the safety of those on two wheels.

The annual event, which this year asked drivers to #ThinkBike, was aimed at encouraging everyone on the roads to play their part in protecting those on two wheels. As an automotive business with a keen passion for road safety, using the awareness week to host a number of initiatives around the business to coincide with Brake’s awareness campaign proved a useful reminder as to the often simple steps we can take to minimise the chances of the worst happening.

Cyclists and motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users in the UK with more than a third of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads being those travelling by bike, and more than 100 riders injured every day in needless, preventable crashes.

Facilitating understanding of the dangers of speed, not checking mirrors, ‘dooring’, and incorrect lane usage to ultimately save lives is a compelling message, but having those messages alongside virtual cycles, going ‘bright for Brake’, a quiz all about ‘bikes’ and sharing colleagues stories about the highs and lows of being a biker helped to really bring the essence of the RSW message to life.

FMG’s Managing Director,Harvey Stead commented: “Incidents have a massive impact on individuals and businesses, and we are committed to educating both customers and employees to improve road safety. We’ve been long-standing supporters of Brake as there is a high level of synergy between Brake’s dedication to raising awareness of key road safety messages and FMG’s commitment to preventing incidents from happening in the first place.”

Brake’s Corporate Fundraising Manager, Emma Kovaleski popped in to FMG’s new offices to see first-hand the company’s support of the initiative, commenting “Brake is delighted that FMG have committed to their continued support of the charity, and to raising awareness about road safety. I applaud their dedication to raising the profile of Road Safety both internally, with their fantastic employees, and externally within fleets they work alongside.

Their efforts are a fantastic example of how companies can get involved not only in National Road Safety Week, but also in addressing the wider challenges of raising the profile of Road Safety. Brake looks forward to their continued successful partnership with FMG.”

FMG, one of Huddersfield’s largest private employers with over 400 people managing a 24/7 operation, has rapidly become the UK-wide outsource partner of choice for major fleet insurers, blue chip companies and large leasing providers.

FMG’s continued focus on reducing the overall costs of vehicle incidents and delivering outstanding customer service has been core to its continued organic growth to date. Further predicted growth over the next 12 months is creating an ongoing recruitment drive to fill a range of new job opportunities.

As a result of such success, FMG has outgrown its current facility, FMG House. Their new headquarters building, Broad Lea House, will bring the entire organisation back under one roof with ample space for further growth. A renovation project is now underway, with FMG due to move in to Broad Lea House in September.

Harvey Stead, Managing Director at FMG said, “This is an incredibly exciting time for FMG. Our journey so far has been quite remarkable, from humble beginnings in a small office in Huddersfield town centre in 1986 to our current purpose-built head office which is now bursting at the seams.“

This year FMG has been recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the influential Sunday Times ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ list and won the prestigious Customer Service Award at the 2018 Fleet News Awards.

Harvey said, “We are committed to making FMG a great place to work, so we are immensely proud to be recognised nationally as a centre of employment excellence and a company which provides outstanding customer service. The future looks bright for FMG and our move to larger premises ensures we are prepared for the next chapter in FMG’s history.”

FMG provides incident management services on behalf of fleet insurers, insurance brokers, leasing providers and blue chip companies and operates as vehicle recovery partner for Highways England and a number of Police Forces.

Harvey Stead has been appointed Managing Director of the FMG group of businesses. A key member of the leadership team with 13 years’ experience at FMG, Harvey will take up the new position with immediate effect.

The appointment follows Mark Chessman’s move to the newly created Chief Operating Officer role of parent Redde plc.

Commenting on the changes Redde Group Chief Executive Martin Ward said, “Harvey has made a major contribution to the FMG senior team over many years as Commercial Director and his appointment as Managing Director provides both continuity for FMG with his understanding of operations and people but also brings new energy to continue FMG’s successful growth.”

Martin added, “The appointment of Mark to the new Redde role recognises his contribution to the growth and success of FMG”.

Mark Chessman Statement

FMG is committed to attracting, retaining and developing talented people, and we strive to be an inclusive and forward-looking employer. We welcome diversity, because we believe that a range of perspectives leads to innovation, an engaged workforce and better results for our customers.

Our people are critical to our success; they provide fantastic service to our customers and their drivers. Colleagues from all backgrounds are treated equally and everyone can contribute to our vision and goals. We encourage honest feedback from all our colleagues through a variety of means. As an employer we benchmark ourselves against the best, and are proud to be in the Sunday Times Best Company Top 100 for the second year running.

I am pleased that FMG has a lower median gap than UK average and I am confident that the gender pay gap at FMG is not as a result of equal pay issues. We have a consistent and gender-neutral approach to determining pay for roles at all levels, and our analysis shows that our gender pay gap is primarily caused by:

A high proportion of females in the workforce who work part-time. We see this as positive: We create roles with flexibility to attract a wide range of talent because full-time, 9-5 work patterns do not work for everyone. We are an employer committed to our local community, and to be successful we will need to create roles that are attractive to a wide range of talented individuals.

A greater proportion of males in senior & technical roles, which tend to be higher-paid. We have introduced a management development programme to offer development opportunities to managers, and those aspiring to manage others, which are aimed at colleagues from all backgrounds and gender. We are committed to creating career development pathways within FMG that are attractive to women in the Automotive Fleet Services and Insurance Claims Management sectors. In time, I expect this to lead to a higher proportion of women in senior and technical roles within FMG.
There is more to do, and we will continue to promote equality and diversity because we believe that by making FMG a great place to work, we will provide a great service to others.

View the Pay Gap Report here

An Investor in People organisation, FMG has always invested heavily in supporting employees in attaining further education qualifications and technical training. The business recently opted to rapidly boost its numbers of Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII) graduates by investing in a 12-day intensive course, delivered on-site at FMG’s headquarters building, FMG House.

The Cert CII qualification, which takes approx. 12 months to complete via the traditional self-study route, was provided by Harrogate-based Professional Insurance Training Ltd. The insurance training specialist packages CII qualification courses into intensive study programmes delivered by experienced tutors with real working knowledge of the insurance sector.

Alister Myatt, Director at Professional Insurance Training Ltd said, “Today’s insurance professionals often struggle to find time for distance learning or evening classes whilst meeting the demands of a busy career in insurance. Our accelerated learning is focused, structured and has proven highly effective; we have had no delegates drop out of any courses to date and we enjoy a near 100% pass rate.”

Robin Lang, Head of Insurance Services at FMG said, “Whilst claims management is a complex and demanding environment, FMG continues to excel, which is largely due to the experience, technical ability and insurance industry knowledge within our team. Our ongoing investment in staff training plays a major role in staff engagement, and this intensive training course has proven to be a highly successful and appealing way to study.”

FMG works with major fleet insurers, private and public sector fleets, and leading leasing companies to streamline the claims management process. Through the use of quality assured systems, FMG manages the lifecycle of incidents and claims to help reduce their frequency and impact. When incidents do occur, FMG’s nationwide managed network of supply partners provide quality repairs to BS10125 standard, the technical quality standard for the process of vehicle body repair.