The fleet sector is facing a digital skills crisis that will hold back its growth and profitability, technology firm Digital Innk, has warned.

The company said new technologies are driving more efficient customer service and management of the supply chain. While artificial intelligence (AI) can make the fleet management process faster and more efficient.

However, the benefits of the technology won’t be realised if the fleet sector fails to attract the talent it needs, the company said.

Martin Drake, chief commercial officer at Digital Innk, said: “Fleet companies understand the benefits of digital transformation but are finding the brakes applied to their plans by the lack of digital skills available in the sector.

“We are working with many companies as an outsourced team to help them realise their ambitions and accelerate digital programmes.”

A recent study of 5,000 UK workers by consultancy AND Digital found that 81% of UK managing directors (MDs) believe that their organisation is suffering due to a lack of digital skills.

Digital Innk said that the industry needs to act together to address the issue and attract more digital talent into the sector.

It advises companies looking to address the need for digital skills to start by identifying the key skills needed to deliver programmes and encourage staff members to undertake training and work with partners to upskill.

Additionally, the company recommends building a culture of continuous learning and rewarding those who embrace learning and development.

Drake added: “Companies like ours can mitigate the impact of the skills gap by partnering with fleets. We bring a deep knowledge of the cloud-based technology and AI that will drive the next era of fleet management.”