Fleet Software Buyers Guide

Based on both our own experiences, and those of our customers, we have put together the following guide to help you make an informed decision when it comes to choosing Fleet Software for your operation.

View the system in action

If you receive an on-site or remote presentation it is vital to make sure the software company shows you 'real, available and working' software. Some vendors use powerpoint slide shows to 'describe' what their software can do, without actually showing you the real thing.

The end result of choosing software based upon a presentation rather than a demonstration is that the software will often fail to deliver all of the functionality you were expecting.

Another misrepresentation that we have heard about is where the vendor overly focuses on reporting, but fails to spend time looking at the input and process side (i.e., the parts of the system that your operators will be using every day). If the presentation is too report focussed, make them show the input and processes tools. 'Sexy reports' have their place, but if it is difficult to use the system then you will have acceptance issues.

ACTION: Ask to view the real software, if the vendor is not showing "real" software challenge them for a reason why not

Web-based vs Web-enabled

These two may sound similar but are poles apart in terms of technological approach, scalability and licence cost. In Summary;

Web-based
Purpose built to operate in a web environment, as such it should offer much greater performance and scalability at a vastly reduced cost, and with minimal on-going support and licence requirements.

Web-enabled
Uses third-party add-ons to allow older legacy systems to function over the web. However, these applications rarely behave as a true web-application, and their performance and behaviour is often best described as quirky. If a proposed solution requires Citrix or Progress, for example, it is most likely web-enabled.

ACTION: Make sure your vendor clearly identifies whether their solution is web-based or web-enabled...and CHOOSE A WEB-BASED SOLUTION

Costs more than just the licence fee

Get a full cost breakdown for the system so you'll know the real cost and won't get any nasty surprises. This should include:

• installation
• configuration
• data conversion (where necessary)
• on-site training
• on-going support
• third party licence fees (reporting, citrix, database if needed)

ACTION: Always consider every element of total expenditure.

Think Forward

Think about the future. Ensure your chosen system is flexible enough to adapt to meet organisational changes as they occur, without having to pay thousands in development costs.

ACTION: Future proof your investment.