The RAC won the bid to take care of the British Gas operational fleet following a competitive tender in March 2013. The contract is due to start at the beginning of July.
This is the first major win for the RAC’s redeveloped Accident Management offer, which includes a £2m investment in a new IT platform and the hiring of some of the UK’s leading experts in the field.
Rob Morton, British Gas managing director procurement and supply chain, said: ‘Following an open market tender, British Gas has awarded preferred supplier status to the RAC for the provision of our fleet repair management services.
‘British Gas looks forward to a successful partnership with the RAC during the next five years.’
One of the key aspects to the new RAC Accident Management service is that the Approved Bodyshop Network has invested in technology that enables them to deal with a significant proportion of work using the well-established RAC Rapid Repair.
This solution means that an increasing proportion of repairs are able to be fast-tracked to reduce overall time – guaranteeing effective cost control and a faster-than- average repair duration, without compromising vehicle safety.
Jim Monteith, head of accident management at the RAC, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with British Gas to support their impressive fleet and operational arm.
‘The main focus for fleet operations remains effective risk management and cost control – something that is at the heart of our new service.
‘The £2m investment in a state-of-the-art IT system called ICE Claims, coupled with the recruitment of experts from within the industry, has resulted in a number of key benefits aimed at facilitating an efficient and cost-effective solution for the RAC and its customers.’
