Fleet Assist has shared its best practice advice with leasing, rental and salary sacrifice fleets to help them get their SMR in the best shape for 2026.
Managing cost, workshop capacity, and the continued evolution of vehicle technology including EVs, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and connected diagnostics top the list of priorities when shaping SMR strategies and budgets for 2026.
“The UK fleet sector has navigated another challenging yet transitional year in 2025, with certain indicators – such as reduced repair cycle times and improved use of predictive technologies – showing signs of progress,” explained Garry Winckley, Fleet Assist’s business development director.
“However, the broader picture of SMR aftersales remains a critical balance between balancing costs, downtime, and compliance across a range of vehicles,” he added.
Fleet Assist’s eight-point plan for 2026 was prepared for the latest BVRLA Leasing Outlook report and highlights the importance of a robust approach to garage network management:
- Prepare for labour and parts costs to increase on more ADAS-related elements particularly BEVs as they are fitted with the latest technology.
- Review garage work direction to ensure a rule set in place, these are reviewed regularly and success measured.
- Factor in where appropriate reduced BEV average invoice values.
- Educate drivers around routine service maintenance and repair to move away from it being a ‘distress purchase’ to a ‘scheduled SMR event’.
- Ensure SMR networks have access to a cross section of garages to include franchised dealers, mobiles, independents and specialists.
- Indirect costs such as vehicle downtime, driver disruption and compliance should be considered.
- Invest in predictive maintenance tools to reduce unplanned downtime and focus on centralising scheduling, diagnostics, and repair tracking.
- Include SMR in risk reviews when looking to onboard new OEMs and models onto the fleet.
“Those fleets that focus on managing these key forces effectively rather than just headline total SMR spend in isolation will be well positioned to successfully navigate 2026,” said Winckley.
