Centralised conversion gives Nurture Group greater control, supplier choice and improved visibility while reducing vehicle movements according to Mediafleet and the Nurture Group.
Nurture Group is using the new Mediafleet Supplier Hub in Witney to prepare vehicles for operational deployment, adopting a unique centralised approach that brings multiple specialist suppliers to the vehicle rather than moving the vehicle between different conversion facilities.
Nurture Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of grounds maintenance, green solutions, pest control, winter gritting and landscape construction services. Operating nationally across a diverse customer base, the Group employs over 4,000 colleagues and manages a significant and complex vehicle fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles, including commercial vehicles and company cars. Ensuring those vehicles are efficiently prepared and work-ready is therefore critical to the performance of its national operation and the job of Mo Iqbal, Group Fleet Project Manager, Nurture Group.
The fact that all the vehicles remain in one location for the duration of the conversion, with my choice of individual suppliers coming to the Supplier Hub to carry out their work, is unique.” said Mo.
“It gives us much better visibility of progress, creates a much smoother workflow, and makes it considerably easier to manage the whole programme. It is this type of service innovation that will drive the conversion market forward and something I look for in a supplier.”
The model also gives Nurture Group the freedom to use the specialist suppliers it considers right for each element of a vehicle’s preparation, rather than being restricted to the capabilities or preferred supply chain of a single converter.
That combination of specialist choice and centralised management is at the heart of Mediafleet’s Supplier Hub.
Mo stated, “The Nurture Group vehicles receive racking, telematics, tow bars, security plates, locks, floormats and seat covers, to name a few, with the branding always provided by Mediafleet. Depending on the specification, a vehicle can pass through the hands of as many as five different conversion specialists during its preparation — all working from the same location.”
Barnaby Smith, managing director of Mediafleet said, “Customers shouldn’t have to choose between specialist expertise and a simple conversion process. The Mediafleet Supplier Hub allows them to choose the suppliers and technologies they want, while Mediafleet brings those specialists together, coordinating the suppliers and managing the vehicle programme on behalf of the end user.”
The Hub provides a single location from which to monitor progress. Work completed, outstanding activities, technical issues and planned completion dates can all be tracked as the vehicle moves through its conversion programme.
“The Mediafleet Supplier Park is a great place to conduct our work,” said Adrian Marsh, Pioneer Vehicle Solutions. “It is purpose-built, well organised and gives us a controlled environment even with other suppliers working alongside us. Vehicles are always available and move freely through the hub, so we can get on with our work without unnecessary delays. The project management also makes a big difference — everyone knows what needs to happen and when.”
For Mo Iqbal, visibility is one of the key benefits.
“We can see where every vehicle is in the process and what needs to happen next. Mediafleet’s specialist project team manages the programme, with its proprietary CRM providing real-time visibility of progress across every vehicle. If something isn’t progressing as planned, it can be identified and addressed early, rather than becoming a problem when the vehicle is due to be delivered.”
Bringing the specialists together also increases efficiency. With conversion activities coordinated around the vehicle, there is less waiting between stages and faster turnaround — enabling more vehicles to be completed, and with faster service deployment in the same period.
Keeping the vehicles at Witney throughout the process also removes many of the unnecessary movements associated with conventional multi-supplier conversion.
There are less collections and delivery, less loading, and unloading and less handling of vehicles between different locations. For Nurture, that means a simpler process and fewer opportunities for delays or transport-related damage.
“From a sustainability point of view, it makes obvious sense,” said Mo. “With businesses under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact, there is a real opportunity to avoid unnecessary vehicle movements during the conversion process. Bringing suppliers to the vehicles means fewer journeys and lower transport emissions — removing avoidable carbon from the process.”
Barnaby Smith believes this is an important distinction in how vehicle conversion can be approached.
“The industry has developed an impressive network of highly capable specialists,” he said. “The challenge is not a lack of capability – it is how you bring that capability together efficiently for the customer.
For Nurture Group, the centralised approach brings every stage of the conversion together in one location. Mediafleet provides the production environment, programme management, supplier coordination and overall workflow, while the individual specialists retain responsibility for their own areas of expertise.
The result is a finished, work-ready vehicle delivered as one integrated outcome without the complexity of managing multiple suppliers, locations and vehicle movements.
Mo commented, “Delivering a complex fleet replacement programme requires effective supplier collaboration, clear visibility, strong controls and fleet governance . The Supplier Hub model has helped simplify what is traditionally a fragmented process, providing greater oversight across the vehicle build journey and supporting the efficient deployment of vehicles into service. As Nurture Group continues to invest in its fleet, this approach helps drive consistency, efficiency and value across the business.”
The Nurture Group programme demonstrates the purpose of the Supplier Hub: bringing independent specialist capability together around the vehicle to create a more efficient, visible and sustainable route from base vehicle to work-ready vehicle.
