Wren Kitchens boosts fuel efficiency with blended Webfleet and Paragon solution

Wren Kitchens has improved its mpg efficiency by nearly 8% after installing a fleet management solution that combines Webfleet fleet management with Paragon routing and scheduling software.

Wren runs Webfleet in 154 trucks and a further 98 vans

The Lincolnshire-based retailer now runs Webfleet in 154 trucks delivering kitchen units to customers across the UK, and a further 98 vans servicing the 108 Wren showrooms.

The combination of accurate fuel consumption data, truck-specific navigation and driver performance insights have led to average fleet fuel economy across vans and trucks increasing from 13 to 14mpg.

The integrated solution has also brought wider efficiency and customer service gains.

“The introduction of a single fleet management platform was a priority for us and Webfleet offered the seamless integration with Paragon that we needed,” explained Lee Thompson-Halls, national fleet manager at Wren. “We can now despatch jobs, confirm ETAs and compare planned versus actual scheduling from the one Webfleet interface.”

Webfleet’s OptiDrive 360, which profiles drivers based on incidents such as harsh braking, sharp cornering or speeding, has also helped the Wren team improve road safety standards, with successful drivers celebrated at the annual Wren driver of the year event.

As many of the vans are used by multiple employees, Webfleet’s Driver ID is proving invaluable in identifying which employees are driving which vehicle – and how much time they spend on the road, on-site or with customers – via individual RFID cards.

Wren is also now using Webfleet’s EV management toolkit to support its planned transition to electric vans. The technology simplifies comparisons between the running costs of internal combustion vehicles and real-world EV performance. It also helps plan for charging infrastructure needs by confirming where their vehicles spend most time, their typical mileage and dwell times.

Beverley Wise, Webfleet regional director for Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, said: “We’ve built our brand on helping customers cut fuel and CO2, in line with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, so it’s great to see such a prestigious household name putting its trust in Webfleet to deliver on efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Telematics specialist and Webfleet partner MG Fleet advised on both solution and installation.

Neil Gittins, operations director at MG Fleet, added: “As specialists in system integration, we knew we could create a robust and reliable solution to Wren’s needs. Webfleet allowed us to integrate in a highly customer-centric way with Paragon, giving Wren convenience, ease of use and efficiency.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.