{"id":5103,"date":"2020-04-11T17:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-04-11T15:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=5103"},"modified":"2020-04-11T17:01:40","modified_gmt":"2020-04-11T15:01:40","slug":"how-fleet-software-can-maximise-efficiency-compliance-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/04\/11\/how-fleet-software-can-maximise-efficiency-compliance-and-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"How fleet software can maximise efficiency, compliance and safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

How fleet software can maximise efficiency, compliance and safety<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Remember the days of fax machines, typewriters and word processors, when data analysis relied on brainpower? Fleet managers today rely more on byte-generated intelligence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s software offers organisations benefits stretching far beyond the limitations of packages that arrived with the inception of the digital age.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gone are the days of what Chris Black, commercial director at vehicle leasing company LeasePlan UK, calls \u201cstatic, two-dimensional data with basic functionality\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Packages today provide instant, or real-time, added value which can help drive strategy<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically, fleet data was limited and could only provide answers linked to what was logged on the system,\u201d says Black. \u201cNow, however, it\u2019s far more advanced and can provide a more comprehensive picture of how a fleet is performing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It can even make recommendations based on the data it has access to, such as identify who drives well and who does not, to give fleet managers \u201ca more holistic view\u201d of the their fleets\u2019 status, he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

This has three main benefits: safety, sustainability and compliance. It gives fleet managers a wealth of information at their fingertips and they can use this information to drive their decision making.<\/span><\/p>\n

The application of such insight helps cut costs because problems are identified earlier and downtime can be managed far more effectively because of proactive servicing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Black says defects that have the potential to cause significant problems can be identified virtually instantaneously, reducing the likelihood of them becoming bigger problems and causing vehicles to be off the road for longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here we look at how software can help a fleet, and what is in store in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Better, more manageable data<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Marcus Bray, head of sales at fleet management company Fleet Service Great Britain (FSGB), says that many fleet management companies have historically provided customers with a service that generated reams of paper-based reports to justify their actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fleet managers would then, \u201cif they could be bothered\u201d, be tasked with analysing the reports to find anomalies \u2013 rogue vehicles and rogue drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter Golding, managing director\u00a0of FleetCheck, which provides fleet management and vehicle tracking programmes, says the evolution of software in recent years has \u201cvery much been driven by availability of more and better quality data\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are now a far greater number of integration options from a wider choice of suppliers, partners and business users, all of which can be imported into the system to provide really detailed analysis in almost every area of the fleet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best software today helps fleet managers configure that data into formats and reports that allow them to write, measure and meet their strategic aims,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is all about providing a better insight, control and understanding over the fleet\u2019s entire operation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good fleet software can now be used to efficiently handle all core operations in a largely automated manner, which can potentially free up time for the fleet manager to spend on other issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that today, this is really what fleet software is all about \u2013 enabling the fleet decision-maker to configure the system in such a way that it takes care of fleet fundamentals within carefully chosen parameters,\u201d says Golding.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ease of use<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
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Major strides forward have been made in ensuring the latest software is relatively easy to use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chevin Fleet Solutions managing director Ashley Sowerby says the reduction of manual data entry, easy integration with a wide selection of related software and ease of use have been big advances.<\/span><\/p>\n

His company recently launched FleetWave Forms that allow organisations to build their own customer data collection app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Employee company car selection is an example, he says, of the latest innovations \u2013 offering a graphical vehicle builder tool and software that calculates the best lease price and management of the benefit-in-kind tax in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n

The number of mobility<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u00a0functions such as pool vehicle booking systems has increased, and easier to use technician tools have been created for use in the workshop or out in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince these tools are easy to use, little training is required which increases user acceptability,\u201d says Sowerby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Martin Evans, managing director of Jaama, says the return on investment (ROI) of comprehensive software deployment falls into financial and non-financial categories.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUtilising technology to bring operational efficiencies typically requires investment. Fleet managers must understand what they need and quantify the benefits within their business case to obtain budget approval,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuccessful business cas<\/span>es will typically be along the lines of potential efficiency improvements in addition to making their processes more robust from audit and compliance perspectives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fleet managers can qua<\/span>ntify\u00a0 <\/span>the amount of administration time they will save, for example, as well as the ability to deliver huge operating cost savings through efficient management of their fleet and grey fleet and the associated duty-of-care obligations against the investment required for a new system.<\/span><\/p>\n

The other part, which is more difficult to quantify, says Evans, is the potential costs of being legally non-compliant around areas such as licence checking, general vehicle compliance, and recording driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) details.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot only is compliance critical from\u00a0a legislative perspective, but it is also crucial in respect of corporate image and a company\u2019s ongoing focus on cost reduction,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also vital that companies are able to demonstrate to customers that their fleet is as safe and compliant as is possible. Ideally, that objective should be shown to be achieved by all data being stored in one location so it is easy to access along with a complete detailed audit trail. So the ROI falls into financial and non-financial categories.\u201d<\/span>Smartphones and PDAs<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Smartphones are being used to link with fleet software in numerous ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u201cIt is an exciting area that we believe will develop more in the future,\u201d Golding says. \u201cThe most useful are those that allow drivers to record information such as mileage and other aspects of vehicle use, and those that enhance safety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He believes the most useful safety software allows drivers to carry out and report the regular safety checks required under employers\u2019 duty of care.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese can then have a definite and positive impact on both attitudes to fleet safety and the processes used, especially when it comes to commercial vehicles,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Features offered by some of the latest smartphone apps include:<\/span><\/p>\n