All you need to know about fleet management software

Conventional fleet management software was designed to enable companies and dealerships to manage large fleets of vehicles more easily, including leased cars that are made available for employees to use daily. While such software does indeed simplify the task of managing a large fleet, it is not designed to help organisations take advantage of new vehicle ownership models such as car subscriptions.

If you are looking after a corporate fleet and you would like to adopt a more flexible fleet management approach that allows you to quickly increase or decrease the size of your inventory to match changes in demand, we recommend focusing on software that will serve this purpose. This type of software is also an excellent choice for dealerships that would like to offer a subscription service as an alternative ownership option to their customers.

With this in mind, here is what you should consider and evaluate when looking at software solutions that are currently available for large fleet managers:

Flexible fleet management software for the future

As a minimum, a comprehensive fleet management solution should provide you with the ability to monitor the usage and condition of every vehicle in your fleet in real-time. Access to live data on each vehicle can help you ensure that your inventory is being utilised properly at all times and that you are not paying for vehicles that are sitting idle in your showroom. If you would like to move from a leasing business model to a subscription model, you will need a management system that also gives you the tools to implement the change quickly and effectively, such as:

• Customised pricing and subscription plans — For dealerships, the ability to create new plans and pricing options is essential when starting a new car subscription service. A software platform that allows you to change your plans and pricing at a moment's notice will enable you to react quickly to changes in demand and to capitalise on your most popular models.
  

• Easily adding and removing vehicles — Whether you are managing a group of corporate employees’ vehicles or a fleet of dealership vehicles for car subscription customers, a system that makes it easy for you to add and remove cars will simplify the task of managing your fleet.
  

• Automatic billing for each subscription customer — This is an essential feature for fleet management software as far as subscription providers are concerned. The additional paperwork involved in offering subscription services has caused many businesses to delay their move into this marketplace but with the right software in place, you won’t have to worry about this issue. Invoices can be automatically raised and sent to each customer, ensuring that no accounts are neglected due to a lack of time.
  

• Integrated online booking and payment functionality — This is another important feature that you need to look out for when evaluating fleet management software, especially if you are planning to offer a car subscription service in the future. Modern consumers expect to be able to buy the products and services they need online, with no complex paperwork to slow down or delay the process. With a software system that enables you to offer online booking and payments straight from your website, you will be able to ensure that you can capitalise on local demand for subscription services.

• ‍Advanced reporting functionality — This is something that both corporate fleet managers and dealership managers should look for in car management and fleet fuel management software. The ability to generate customised reports makes it much easier to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business. Whether you want to identify new revenue opportunities or make sure that your employees are using their company vehicles appropriately, you can easily hone in on the data you need to analyse with a platform that offers advanced reporting functionality. ‍

• Data exporting functionality — While a fully-featured fleet management solution should provide a wide range of reporting options, you may  wish to analyse collected data with a third-party application that your company already uses. If this is the case, you should check that any software solution you are considering provides this option. Platforms that make it easy to export data in commonly used formats are much easier to integrate with existing software applications than those that don’t.
  
  

Customisable software for fleet managers

If you would like to make sure that the management software you adopt is going to be capable of supporting your business in the future, you will need a fully customisable platform. It is not always possible to anticipate how your business and its fleet management needs may change in the future — but with a fully customisable solution, implementing change will be seamless.

A customisable platform can meet the needs of businesses in many different industries. Instead of paying for specialist construction equipment fleet management software or company car management software, you can adopt a system that is capable of meeting any use case you may have in the future. For the management of fleet operations that may change significantly over time, this is undoubtedly the most convenient option to explore. Having to change to a new system may not involve any financial penalty if you are paying on a subscription basis but it could disrupt your business if your workforce has to learn how to use completely new software.

Try our fleet management software today

Loopit is proud to be a global leader in innovative fleet car subscription software. With years of experience working in the tech and automotive space, our team is prepared to offer the best possible product for your unique business needs.

Whether you are interested in a software platform that makes it easy for you to manage a car subscription fleet for your employees or you would like to offer potential car subscribers the chance to drive vehicles in your dealership fleet, you can request a demo of our platform. Contact us today to learn more about how our software solutions are the best fit for your business.