Frequently asked questions about fleet software

We are frequently asked why we believe fleet management software is so important in helping fleet managers carrying out the increasingly complex task of running and administering the company vehicle fleet. These are some of the typical questions – and o

Frequently asked questions about fleet software

We are frequently asked why we believe fleet management software is so important in helping fleet managers carrying out the increasingly complex task of running and administering the company vehicle fleet. These are some of the typical questions – and our answers!

Q: What is the most useful thing that fleet management software is helping fleets to achieve right now?

Our answer:
In the broadest terms, fleet managers face three main corporate risks - the financial risk of controlling expenditure on what is the company’s second highest cost centre;  the legal risk of complying with legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work or Corporate Manslaughter Acts; and environmental risk issues such as the reduction of the corporate carbon footprint.
For fleet managers to manage and control all these issues effectively requires the latest generation fleet management systems with the ability to manage by exception, rather than information overload.
The right software will deliver significant costs savings as well as helping to ensure legal compliance, deliver on HR objectives and minimise environmental impact.


Q: Should fleet operators use management tools independent of those offered by leasing companies? If so, which and why?

Our answer:
Fleet operators need to decide whether they wish to manage their fleets independently rather than relying on a ‘tied system’ from a single supplier such as a contract hire and leasing company.
The ideal independent software system avoids the trap of putting all the eggs in one basket. For example, it should help source vehicles more cost effectively, and allow the comparison of quotations from different leasing companies side-by-side, using benchmarking of key areas to find which one is the most suitable. Used in this way, the system will allow the fleet manager to retain independence as well as reducing the fleet administrative burden involved dramatically.

To prevent information overload, the ideal systems, like our own FleetHR and FleetAcumen, provide alerts when you need to take action, such as a vehicle approaching its contracted total mileage or the limit for refurbishment charges from your supplier being exceeded.

This removes the need for you to wade through a river of data before you find the event that you need to take action over, and helps cut down dramatically on time. By setting up the system to flag up any alerts first thing in the morning, you can identify problems as soon as they arise and tackle them in good time.

Q: Online reporting and 'software as a service' have started to replace the systems installed on a client's own computer or network. Are there situations when this is not the right solution?

Our answer:
The delivery of software-as-a-service is already here and companies are coming to accept on-demand, hosted web services, rather than having their own internally based IT departments.

In some cases this is a financial necessity, in others it is all about economies of scale. There is no right or wrong – it depends on the individual needs of individual companies and fleet operators.

To help smooth out corporate cash flows, these systems typically require no initial up-front payment, just regular monthly payments on a pay-as-you-go basis which clearly help the budgeting process.

There is also a misconception that fleet software is for companies with large fleets. Not true. For a company running as few as 25 company vehicles, there are some real cost saving advantages from employing fleet management software.

A fleet of 25 vehicles typically generates operating costs of around £500,000 per annum, but for an investment of as little as £25 per month, or £1 per month per car, it is entirely possible to generate cost savings of 5% or £25,000 per annum.

 

Q: What next for fleet management software? What will be the big developments over the next two or three years?

Our answer:
One of the most exciting new developments to hit the market within the next 12 months or so will be the ability to measure and record the environmental impact of any journey anywhere in the world, be it by car, train or plane made by any member of the organisation.

This new system from Mycompanyfleet will provide a company with the ability to accurately assess and record the true carbon footprint of their business on either a national or global basis. And it’s very near to being realised and released!
Another new development is the introduction of integrated multi-user access across various departments, such as HR, and finance. Modern systems such as our own FleetHR and FleetAcumen already offer this level of cross department compatibility and allow the full integration of every aspect of fleet management.
Modern systems such as FleetAcumen offer a multi-lingual and financial function which should prove an ideal solution for pan European fleet operators, leasing companies and service suppliers.

The new functionality provides up to 20 different foreign languages and is language intuitive, switching seamlessly to the host language when it recognises the country of origin.

The multi-lingual function also provides multiple financial rules for up to 20 different European countries, handling both direct and indirect taxation and other financial regulations.

The enhanced functionality should be a major benefit for pan European fleet operators and leasing companies which operate across national boundaries and work within different national financial regimes.
 

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