The short answer is: it is a complex and difficult task!
Many problems arise that accompany the operation of large fleets with many vehicles and construction machinery:
- Lack of detailed structured information on fleet operating costs supporting effective analysis and planning.
- Difficult control and accounting of the activities performed by the fleet and the construction mechanization with their drivers by types of activities with their prices, by contractors, by construction sites, etc.
- Organizational-administrative and documentary gaps in the company's organization of processes.
- Difficult control and detailed reporting due to the large volume of processed information.
- Many opportunities to damage the company (from fuel, repairs, spare parts, tires, additional costs, inefficient organization of activities and maintenance).
- Low-quality performance or delay of certain actions or technical operations and measures can lead to significant material damage and even human casualties.
- The information is shared between different structural units, which are often in different settlements and between different information systems.
- Information flows are complex, the steps depend on various conditions and behavior of different employees, there is often a lack of timely information about events that have already occurred.
- Lack of comprehensive structured information on all aspects of activities and events related to the fleet, lack of relevant tools for analysis and planning.
How are the described problems solved?
In the beginning was the paper…
Even with good internal organization and compliance with the diverse legal framework regulating these activities, the described problems cannot be solved effectively through documents only on paper.
Then came the computer and Excel
The next step is to enter information into Excel files. But as already noted information flows are complex, the steps depend on diverse conditions and behavior of different employees. In such a case, Excel cannot do the job because a serious enterprise system that is based on a database management system is needed.
Standard financial and accounting systems also cannot solve the described problems.
A view from space is also needed
Usually, the next step in trying to solve the described problems is to implement a GPS based system to track the location and some events related to the fleet.
Soon after the implementation of such a system, it was found that a small number of the described problems were partially solved with the GPS-based system.
What is the real and complete solution?
The real solution is the implementation of an information system of corporate class, which combines in one all the various financial-accounting, technical and administrative information connected in the car fleet, and the system must have means for analysis and planning.
One of the best systems for effective overall fleet management available on the Bulgarian market is eTran Manager® by Plan C Ltd.
The eTran Manager® information system comprehensively covers the processes for efficient fleet management (cars, trucks, special vehicles, heavy construction and mining equipment...).
The system helps to drastically reduce fleet operating costs and optimal revenue management through strict control, effective analysis and planning.
The eTran Manager® information system ensures compliance with the current legal framework regulating these activities.
It is a specialized vertical ERP solution that communicates with other information systems operating in the company (GPS, ERP, systems of fuel suppliers, service services). Various other information is introduced and supplemented and enriched to create the overall picture with all aspects of fleet and construction machinery operation, with the possibility of a huge number of diverse tabular and graphical references and analyses.
The system can work with various GPS-based systems, including automatic direct exchange of information through a REST API programming interface.
See more information about the system here.
