Improving the safety and efficiency of fleets – the vital role of innovation. By Motormax Co-Founder and Director James Haycock

In an industry like the automotive sector, where change is constant and the stakes are so high – innovation has to be at the centre of what we do. But what exactly does that mean, and how are Motormax setting themselves apart from other vehicle safety solution providers? Read on to hear from Motormax Co-Founder and enthusiastic innovator, James Haycock.

What’s the driving force behind Motormax operating in an innovative-centric way?

Now more than ever, it’s vital that we look at innovative ways to proactively impact the safety of commercial vehicles and help our customers achieve the highest safety standards possible.

Our roads are becoming increasingly congested with more potential for accidents. The Department for Transport reported that there were 119,850 casualties of all severities on UK roads in the year ending June 2021.

What does innovation mean to Motormax?

For us, innovation means looking for opportunities where we can add value and contribute towards improving safety standards for fleet operators. That all starts with effective communication. Many successes we’ve seen as a business is down to taking the time to really listen to our customers. Through spending time, engaging and really understanding customer pain-points and challenges, we work collaboratively to design and develop bespoke solutions that positively impact fleet safety, efficiency and cost.

As a business, what key qualities do you need to be leaders in innovation?

Identify opportunities and desire within the market.
Knowledge of the market – what products or solutions are already out there and where can we add value?
Understanding our customers’ challenges and pain pointsand providing solutions to overcome them.
Be market led – reacting to a problem and producing a solution.

What do you think are the biggest blockers to innovationand how do you overcome them?

A lack of focus on building personal relationships – we are constantly talking to our customers, getting to know them and discussing real life case studies. These conversations are integral because without them, we’d miss opportunities. These conversations give us a deep insight into how we can support fleet operators to improve the safety of their fleets.

Another big blocker to innovation is not moving with the times. In our industry, it’s hugely important that we keep moving. Originally, our business model was to sell off the shelf products. It worked well for a period of time (and we still do sell off the shelf products), but we had to adapt and evolve to be able to react quickly and provide whole solutions. Now we take an integrated approach and collaborate with our customers to develop innovative and bespoke solutions

Check back next week for a second conversation with James on innovation and manufacturing, including his top tips for industry professionals looking to innovate and real-life case studies where innovative solutions have had a significant impact on vehicle safety.