FASTFLOW
Driving Corporate Social Responsibility Fastflow Pipeline Services’ drive to improve customer services and be environmentally responsible has been given a double boost. The latest survey completed by the company’s customer services team shows a satisfaction rate of 97.6% - whilst the introduction of a green driving initiative is set to reduce fuel bills by 10%. For a fleet of 170 vehicles covering four million miles each year, this will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the Washington based water utility infrastructure company. “Addressing our social responsibilities is as crucial as the technical aspects of service delivery,” says Business Standards Director, Keith Gold. Our employee development strategy, for example, emphasises the need to be a ‘good neighbour’ when dealing with customers and other stakeholders and our current employee briefing theme is ‘Working in the Spotlight’ to drive home the impact of stakeholder perception on water industry clients’ SIM scores.” With over 22 years’ experience in the water industry Fastflow currently maintains around 450 square miles of Northumbrian Water’s network, as well as installing meters and responding to bursts and faults. It also provides services to Scottish Water and the Anglian subsidiary, Hartlepool Water. In its quest for business excellence it has developed an integrated management system that not only deals with the usual business standards such as health and safety, environment and quality management but also addresses the role of the business in society, incorporating, for example, corporate social responsibility (CSR), stakeholder management, customer service and employee development. The system is designed to generate continuous improvement in all aspects of Fastflow’s activities and identify opportunities for innovation.
The introduction of new technology - Lightfoot into the cabs of the vehicle fleet is an example of this. The programme prompts safe and efficient driving - offering savings of more than 10% on fuel and significantly reducing the carbon footprint and vehicle wear and tear. An in-cab unit displays a visual guide to efficient driving, with sound effects such as a gearshift and verbal alerts to improve performance. Inefficient driving results in audible warnings, three of which bring a penalty. The driver is not penalised for isolated incidents such as accelerating quickly when pulling out into traffic or to overtake. Penalties are logged and shown on a report to the fleet manager. Drivers’ skills are ranked in a league table to reveal the safest and most efficient. This will take
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into account warnings which have been ignored as well as details of how well a vehicle has been driven. Keith Gold added: “This is all part of our drive to recognise and reward those within the company who are performing their roles to a high standard, so that this excellence can be replicated throughout the organisation. “These examples of Fastflow’s CSR strategy reflect the recognition in the water industry that the supply chain must not only deliverer high quality, value for money services but crucially, do so in socially responsible way.”