When It Comes To The Crunch

In the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to control costs and a Fleet Management system from Chevin Fleet Solutions will give managers the ability for in-depth expenditure analysis and budget monitoring in many areas. Offering full visibility of all aspects of the transport operation, Chevin's software will allow managers to remain in control and enable them to keep a tight rein on costs. With comprehensive fuel management functionality, Chevin's systems will minimise some of the effects of the dramatically rising price of fuel. The software will offer users detailed analysis and essential management information in easy-to-read exception reports, for example, identifying the least efficient vehicles and drivers on the fleet. And with the added ability to take direct transactional data from fuel card companies and fuel dispenser systems, and then import it, the software will also give instant alerts when vehicles are performing below their expected MPGs and allow corrective action to be taken. If drivers of vehicles can also be made to understand the importance of improving MPG figures, then expenditure on fuel can be vastly reduced, alongside the corresponding reduction in emissions. For example, for a 350-vehicle fleet with each vehicle travelling an average 30,000 miles per year, with an average fuel cost of £1.20 per litre, it will save over £50,000 by increasing its MPG by just two miles per gallon (from 45 to 47 MPG.) Further savings can be made by fleet managers where penalty charge notices (PCNs) are concerned. Many fleets of vehicles, especially delivery and service vans and lorries, are major targets for PCNs. But frequently these vehicles are legitimately delivering goods or providing services at the time of receiving a PCN, but there is increasingly not enough space available for the services to be provided, without drivers being at risk of getting a ticket. And under new Government plans, fleets could also see a rise in the number of parking tickets for drivers who double park or park at dropped footways. To help deal with this increasing number of driver penalties, Chevin's software includes a complete parking ticket management solution. This will help transport operators manage the rising levels of administration from the large number of PCNs being issued, by streamlining processes, reducing escalation charges and assisting with the monitoring, challenging and overturning of PCNs. Business mileage reporting functionality within the software will also help transport and HR managers, by increasing claim accuracy. In a recent Travelodge survey, it was claimed that, "British workers skim off £1 billion via fraudulent expenses claims" and one of the top three expense scams exposed, was adding on extra mileage when making a submission. With Chevin's software, drivers have the ability to record, save and then submit monthly mileage claims online. Their submissions are then emailed directly to the driver's line manager for approval, and when approved, can be passed to finance for payment or deduction from salary. With a route verification and mapping module adding even more functionality, managers have the ability to confirm routes, maps and mileages of journeys, giving even greater accuracy in reporting and generating potentially huge cost savings for the organisation. Chevin's Fleet Software will also improve workshop planning and service, maintenance and repair scheduling. By generating automatic SMS text and email reminders to fleet managers of important diary dates, such as when MOTs and services are due, the software will help create less down-time for fleets and improve utilisation of vehicles. The technology will also allow customers to complete maintenance tasks in a more efficient manner, help with supply chain effectiveness; for example, by ensuring parts inventories match work plans, and save companies time through better planning of scheduled work and optimising employee utilisation. This will eliminate wasted resources, provide a global view of what is happening in all locations and will ultimately lower costs by assisting with, and optimising, vehicle replacement cycles. In terms of risk and accident management, Chevin's software can be used to help reduce the number of incidents and their associated costs through an online driver risk assessment module and will also help companies in meeting other duty of care responsibilities regarding the recent Corporate Manslaughter legislation. Chevin's systems will quickly and proactively highlight potential 'rogue' vehicles and drivers by exception, allow for improved service scheduling and provide a clearly identifiable documentation audit trail. A well-maintained management information system from Chevin is an invaluable tool for transport operators and will record the most relevant and up-to-date vehicle, driver and journey data about the fleet operation, providing accurate and easy-to-read analysis and reports, saving organisations time and money and ensuring fleets stay legal.