RSS feedsThere is a strong argument that the true acronym for IT is not information technology, but ‘incredibly tedious’. After the opening sales gambit of ‘saves you money’ and ‘saves you time’, many finance directors switch off when talk turns to the processors, gigabytes and software workflow charts that can help a fleet operate more efficiently.
This is a great shame, because it’s exactly the point at which FDs should start listening, so they can ensure the whole project is a success by providing exact specifications and explaining the full requirements of any system.
Software and technology can do great things and make life much easier if it works properly. But getting to that point means a mind-numbing amount of research, checking of processes and then re-checking what has already been done. It is worth the effort, however, because the expense and disruption of a failed IT project can bring a company to its knees until the problem is sorted out.
Simon West-Oliver, sales and marketing director of Drive Software Solutions, says: ‘Good practice is to clearly define your requirements, which some people are not very good at. People have different problems, but, in coming up with a solution, there must be no ambiguity. It is a time-consuming process and very expensive. A lot of projects have failed simply because the software has not worked the way it should for the client.’
The need for technology to manage fleet operations has become essential, as the amount of data they have to deal with has rocketed in the past few years. In fact, the information handled by UK fleets has multiplied 30 times over the past 10 years and is set to increase at an even faster rate over the next decade.
One of Britain’s biggest fleet software companies, Cfc solutions, says that with the potential arrival of national road-user charging and growing duty of care responsibilities, the amount of data fleet departments need to handle could rise a hundred-fold.
Today, data feeds both into and out of fleet management software. It works with a multitude of sources including maintenance providers, insurance companies, tyre networks, human resources systems, accident management specialists, vehicle procurement sources and more. The days of intensive paper invoicing and hefty ledger files have gone.
Online management systems are springing up in fleet offices all over the country and there are a range of areas where technology can help a fleet operation.
There is a surprisingly large number of companies that provide these systems, including Cfc solutions, Jaama, Drive Software Solutions, Chevin Fleet Solutions, Freeway, RAC Software and Bynx, to name but a few. The first step is to know what to look for in a software system and what it can do for you.
In its most basic form, fleet software acts as a database to hold information on the entire vehicle fleet – drivers, service costs, accidents, fuel use and so on. Most software also includes automated services, such as reminders for driving licence checks, when services are due and other common tasks.
ONLINE MANAGEMENT
But modern software can go much further. It can produce automated letters and emails, text drivers’ mobile phones to tell them to get a service, monitor when servicing work is being carried out and allow drivers to register their mileage details over the internet.
It can also work with a range of other systems to automate most aspects of the vehicle management process. For example, fleet systems can link into a network of approved service providers and automatically schedule cars for work at a particular garage depending on the driver’s needs.
There has been a ten-fold rise in the number of service bookings made by company car drivers online in the past 12 months, slashing the time fleet departments have to spend on the phone to drivers and cutting paperwork.
A network known as epyx 1link, a family of e-commerce platforms that link together for online service management, is also behind a dramatic change in the way service work is approved. Now, instead of a manager having to give verbal approval for work to be carried out on a car, garages can be given the go-ahead by the 1link system, using set parameters programmed in by the fleet decision-maker.
But technology isn’t just being used to save money, it is being used to save lives. Thousands of drivers have been put through online driver assessments, which are designed to identify staff who are at risk of accidents, before they even get behind the wheel.
A large number of driver training and risk management companies now offer online assessments, which can cost just a couple of pounds per driver. Using detailed questions and real-life scenarios, managers are able to identify whether drivers are more likely to take risks on the road, or whether they need training in specific areas.
Simple questions can also identify whether drivers have the correct licence for their role and, using additional electronic checks direct with the DVLA, tell whether employees are telling the truth about the number of points they have on their licence.
GET ON TRACK
If you need to know in even more detail what drivers are doing on the road, then technology has the answer, thanks to the latest tracking systems, which can be fitted to cars and vans.
Not only do they show employers where their drivers are at any particular time, it also reports on vehicle speed and even harsh braking or acceleration. Tracking technology is also used on a daily basis to recover stolen vehicles, in many cases containing expensive equipment or stock.
Cybit, one of a growing number of telematics service providers, recently announced the first order for its Fleetstar-Online package combined with a new driver ID module. Site Electrical, a mechanical and electrical services provider, will install the technology into its fleet of around 40 engineering vans. This will enable Site Electrical to verify driver locations and driving times, as well as help enhance the company’s duty of care provision to its fleet of mobile and lone workers.
Site Electrical will use the driver ID module to manage individual driving times for engineers – especially where more than one travel in the same van – and ensure compliance with working time directive regulations. It will also use real-time tracking to monitor the safety of its drivers, who sometimes work alone and are on-call to provide 24-hour emergency response. Historical analysis of driving practices will allow the company to adjust its business practices to optimise driver safety.
Steve Crump, operations director, says: ‘There are many benefits that you don’t realise from the outset, addressing many underlying issues in addition to standard tracking and location functionality. We anticipate significant enhancements to our fleet operations as a result.’
The potential of telematics is almost endless, with the government investigating the feasibility of introducing mileage-based taxation for drivers using the latest vehicle tracking technology. Insurers are also showing the potential benefits of this technology, with Norwich Union launching trials of pay-per-mile insurance.
With all the services combined, these major advances in technology have brought the potential for the hands-free running of vehicle fleet within reach of many businesses.
21st CENTURY VAN MAN
A Welsh haulage company,which uses vans on its fleet,has cut its wasted fuel and over-claimed hours bill by £45,000 a year.
West One Express has installed theVMI (VehicleManagement Information)systemfromMinorplanet Systems in its 58 vehicles.Generalmanager Neil Horgan says:'We have always focused on being a customer-facing company, having all vehicles distinctively signwritten and all drivers wearing a uniform with a logo and colours tomatch.
'We needed a system that would give us another unique aspect to offer customers,namely vehicle location.We couldn't say exactly where our vehicles were without calling a driver and asking. This meant the driver would have to pull over,take the call then continue the journey.This is costly and causes delay.'
The company states that other benefits of the systeminclude being able to deter drivers from using the company vehicles for personal use.
'We were able to deter drivers from visiting barred locations and,as a result, we have savedmore than £15,000 a year in fuel,'Horgan says.
This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Financial Director magazine
