Abstract:
To bridge the supply and demand side for products and services transportation is the vital front and back connector. So high customer expectations and little tolerance for inadequate performance creates a competitive environment for operating a fleet, which forces fleet managers to achieve high levels of reliability and cost-efficiency. Ethio-telecom is experiencing shortcomings from fleet management functions; frequent vehicle maintenance and shortage of spare part, fuel management; sourcing, usage rate, monitoring and fuel consumption performance measurement, no technology applied to improve vehicle tracking, driver training and management and vehicle disposal replacement. Hence objective of this study is to critically assess the influence of fleet management practice at ethio telecom service delivery. The study used descriptive research design in both quantitative and qualitative approach. Primary data were collected through questionnaire and interview. Purposive sampling technique for 4 interviewees and stratified sampling technique used for 211 respondents asked in the open and cloth ended questionnaire. In addition, secondary data, such as annuals evaluation reports, organization’s plans, and other relevant documents of ethio telecom fleet section assessed and other documents like; journals, articles, research papers, was used. Statistical package for Social Science Software (SPSS) was applied to present data and to get the required analysis results for study. The researcher also presents the results by using descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, standard deviation, charts, tables, and inferential statistics chi –square tests and other related statistical data presentation techniques. The major finding of the study indicates that, there are repetitive/frequent vehicle maintenance, shortage of vehicle spare parts, limitation in fuel sourcing, monitoring and review, no update in fuel usage rate and limited utilizing modern technologies such as global positioning system. The study recommends that organizations should have a strict servicing and maintenance schedule for vehicles, hold enough spare parts at ware house, improve its fuel sourcing to vehicles, update vehicle usage rates based on conditions, develop fuel monitoring and review standards, implement modern information technologies to improve fleet management, have proper driver hiring, training and development program to improve service delivery. In addition, the study recommends the company should properly manage vehicles life time and dispose old vehicles on time to prevent delay in service provision and to reduce cost of using old vehicle in telecom service delivery.