Epyx is boosting fleet booking efficiency by rolling out online direct diary reservations to more than 70% of its 1link Service Network workshops by the end of 2026.
Epyx is boosting fleet booking efficiency by rolling out online direct diary reservations to more than 70% of its 1link Service Network workshops by the end of 2026.
The major upgrade applies to the 8,659 workshops using the platform to process fleet service, maintenance and repair (SMR).
The rollout comes after Epyx funded new direct integrations with seven leading workshop management systems (WMS), building on initial links introduced last year with Halfords and Real Time Communications.
Through the SMR platform’s Driver Booking Module, fleet drivers and booking teams can use any digital device to view live garage diaries, select exact time slots and instantly confirm appointments. This removes the need for the traditional request-and-response booking process, enabling bookings to be made directly where live diary access is available.
Charlie Brooks, vice president, strategy, growth and data at Epyx, said real-time diary integration has become a “holy grail” for fleet operators and their workshop suppliers, with the potential to create huge advantages in terms of booking efficiency.
“There are substantial benefits for everyone involved, with fleet booking turndown rates for some existing workshop users being reduced to almost zero.”
Additionally, he said, the technology allowed confirmed bookings to be made 24/7, rather than just during workshop opening times.
“This is a definite efficiency gain for busy drivers who spend their days on the road and don’t have the time to be dealing with an ongoing dialogue whenever they need their car or van to enter a workshop.”
A further key advantage is that most of the planned integrations mean the workshops – who will receive the enhancement free of charge – are able to control which slots are opened up and when, giving them flexibility to retain time for urgent jobs or retail work.
Details of the first four WMS providers involved will be announced shortly, with the remaining three integrations rolling out later this year.
“We expect to be in a position soon where the majority of the 1.4 million 1link bookings made annually occur directly through this technology,” Brooks stated.
Currently, the 1link Service Network is used by UK fleets to manage more than 20,000 daily job sheets. The platform services a total fleet volume of 4.9 million vehicles across the UK.
