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Some of the products
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Selecting the right ICT tools for your particular needs is vital. There are many companies offering solutions for fleet managers. These tools cover all aspects of the daily reality of running a professional car fleet. Here is an overview of just a few of them.
The buying price and the resale price (residual value) of a company car is now just one of many elements of the TCO. Nevertheless, it is still a very important consideration for fleet managers, and is often the start point. PCCarPro has a database covering almost 100 brands and 5,000 models along with all the model variations. Along with the new price of a vehicle, this enables fleet managers to enter the date of first registration of a model, along with its kilometres covered, in order to receive an updated residual value. Vehicles can also be directly compared with their close competitors from technical and equipment points of view. EurotaxGlass’s website enables new vehicles to be selected according to predefined criteria (cost level, equipment, power…), while Autodisk also provides a video of the vehicle in question.
Associated costs
If the ticket price remains of great concern, there are many other issues too. Comaker offers its ‘LeaseOffice’ product, a powerful, flexible and comprehensive software solution for fleet management, leasing, short-term rental and finance. And Carwise can, with its Rentwise programme, give information on a vehicle’s availability and its level of use. Here too, residual values at the end of a vehicle’s life are available.
The ecological question
This is no longer an optional consideration where fleet managers are concerned, but has become a central issue, especially as all the signs are that taxation will be more and more based on exhaust emissions; CO2, in other words, is now a part of the TCO. Chevin Fleet Solutions have software tools which enable the carbon footprint of the fleet to be calculated, along with fuel consumption. This information can help a fleet manager reduce his carbon emissions – frequently a company objective nowadays – and with them both his fuel bill and his tax bill. Drive Software also focuses on driver behaviour, essential to any potential ecological approach. This means not only making sure drivers adopt good driving habits in terms of accelerating and braking etc., but also that they select optimal routes and cruise at optimal speeds. These systems could even be used to go a step further – making the drivers with the worst habits pay for the excess costs they engender.
Safety first
Another important aspect where ICT plays a major role is in safety. The SUAL emergency call system developed by the PSA group, enables drivers in difficulties to be directly connected to an operator of the IMA Benelux network. A simple push on one button located in the car – following a breakdown, for example – sends a message to the operator detailing the type of car, the name of the owner and, most crucially, its exact geographical location. And in cases of accidents, the driver does not even need to push the button – the system makes contact with IMA automatically.
TomTom
One of the most widely recognised names in the field of satellite navigation – TomTom- also provides applications for the fleet sector. Its TomTomWORK tool is designed to keep companies connected to their employees when they are on the road. The navigation device within this tool means that drivers – such as service or sales personnel – can navigate directly to their next job, with no time wasted and no stress. For the fleet manager, vehicles are also geographically located on a digital map, making it easy to decide who is best placed to take on a particular task. TomTomWORK also provides various sorts of reports, including distances driven, working hours…
Front line and back office
With this tool, both areas of a company’s operation benefit. The driver receives clear job instructions, including updates, along with traffic updates and, if required, the location of safety cameras. The business manager of the fleet drivers in question can expect to see improved customer service (and satisfaction) due to the increased efficiency of their drivers. Accurate navigation leads to lower fuel costs, and the reduced driver stress makes for safer, more accident-free driving. Where the back office administrator is concerned, he can both give and receive accurate information and pass on information to anyone else who needs to know what is happening.
Different packages
TomTomWORK is available in packages known as Compact and Active. The Compact version operates through a SIM-card which can be easily moved from one car to another. It allows for two-way communications between the office and the car, and provides a number of reports.
The Active version uses a black box installed in each vehicle. Always switched on, the system enables the fleet manager to track and trace his vehicles – of particular interest in any type of commercial application.
Law enforcement
This is a domain in which ICT tools also have a part to play. Advantech has a solution called Vehicle Computing Solutions, providing police cars with a complete in-vehicle video tool. Officers have access to critical data such as licence-plate information, motor vehicle information, inside their cars. Daily operations are recorded and can be retrieved, and of course individual cars can be effectively dispatched to their next call.
There are new ICT applications being developed all the time, and it is certain that the majority of company car fleets are going to find them both cost-effective in direct terms – less kilometres, less fuel, appropriate maintenance action – and in indirect terms – more customer satisfaction, more sales calls…
eCall
The European Commission is currently working on a new system of automatic distress calls, known as eCall. Once finalised, the Commission would like to see eCall fitted to all vehicles, and believes that if this is done, from 2010 it could save 2500 lives in Europe every year.
Savings
According to TomTom data, drivers use up to 10% of their fuel simply in trying to find their way around. An obvious area for substantial savings, not just in fuel, but also in tyre wear and time amongst others. On top of this, late arrival is calculated to be responsible for 14% of all failed business deals. And the average person spends 1.5 years of his life going in the wrong direction…
| 01/01/2007 | Tim Harrup
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