Sofa Specialist DFS Introduces Fleet Of VW Transporters Fitted With Microlise

Sofa retailer and manufacturer DFS has invested in a new fleet of VW Transporters for their Service Managers and no corners were cut! Top specification VW vans are in place fitted with Sortimo vehicle racking and Microlise Fleet & Vehicle telematics and safety module, to help ensure colleagues have the correct equipment to do their job safely and efficiently. At a recent open day, DFS invited all three companies along to talk through the new vehicles and equipment.

As part of a drive to increase safety and reduce fleet costs, engineers are being brought into the commercial fleet fold and are moving from estate cars to vans. By doing this, DFS is not only providing its Service Managers with vehicles that are fit for purpose but also now has the capacity to monitor driving style and better manage safety thanks to Microlise.

The customer delivery fleet at DFS already has Microlise’s Fleet & Vehicle Telematics with satellite navigation and voice communications on a Microlise DriveTab in-cab device, and our safety solution deployed, including Incident Analysis and in-vehicle cameras. Having already realised significant benefits in terms of safety, fuel efficiency and emission reduction, DFS is keen to see similar results across its new fleet of vans.

“We’ve had really positive engagement with the Microlise system within our customer delivery fleet. As a result, we’ve seen a reduction in accidents and an overall fuel saving of approximately 6%. Our approach has been to feed drivers with information about their driving and they’ve naturally adapted and striven for the best outcomes they can achieve.” says Chris Bamford, Head of Group Fleet at DFS.

“Having seen the challenges that our Service Managers face with the cars that they operated previously, we decided to provide vehicles that will help them with their primary work. Unlike our delivery fleet, our Service Managers have a very different emphasis, they’re upholstery experts first and foremost who need to drive to do their job. Fitting the vans with a commercial telematics system will help them to focus on safe and fuel-efficient driving. Forward facing cameras help us to offer them a similar level of protection as our professional drivers in the delivery fleet.”

“The change from cars to vans can often be a little daunting, especially when packed with new safety systems and telematics so we decided to bring our drivers in for an introduction to their new vehicle, and the technology installed. With help from VW, Sortimo and Microlise, we’ve talked through the systems in place and have had overwhelmingly positive feedback, which is testament to the people we have working at DFS.”

The roll out of 57 new VW Transporters continues as DFS begins the transition of its c200 Service Vehicles.