An interview with Jason Francis, MD of Jaama

FleetDirectory.co.uk conducted a questions and answers session with Jason Francis, managing director of leading fleet management software company Jaama, in October 2008. Jaama is a fleet management software and occupational road safety specialist. As a certified Microsoft® development partner, Jaama uses the latest technology to provide customers with greater integration, control and automation.

Jaama company profile, latest news and link to website

Q: Of pressing concern to fleet managers up and down the country is the worsening economic climate leading companies to tighten control on costs, what does Jaama offer to help in this regard?

A: ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’ may be an old management cliché, but with corporate costs under the microscope as recession begins to bite, it is essential that fleet chiefs have their fingers firmly on the financial pulse of their vehicle operations.

Jaama’s Key2 Vehicle Management web-enabled software allows fleet operators to manage every single facet of the transport operation and establish rule sets to enable issues to be flagged up by exception.

For example, for most fleets, fuel is the second biggest cost after vehicle depreciation, but many companies fail to use the data available from measuring and monitoring fuel use to reduce operating costs.

Amid continuing fuel price volatility, fuel management begins even before a vehicle takes to the road. Fleet decision-makers should be reviewing their company car choice lists to ensure they offer drivers vehicles with class-leading MPG. Not only will businesses cut their fuel bills, but such strategies will also be reflected in lower benefit-in-kind bills for drivers as fuel economy and a low carbon dioxide emission figure are benefits of the same package.

Once vehicles are on-the-road, budget-conscious fleet operators should focus on measuring and managing fuel use. Sophisticated fleet management systems allow fuel card transactions to be analysed online so matching driver with vehicle registration number and the allocated cost centre.

Analysis can be undertaken by comparing actual MPG against expected MPG, fuel fraud can be identified and it reports will highlight if expensive super unleaded petrol has been bought against company rules.

Higher than predicted fuel use could be due to many issues - vehicle maintenance being overlooked or a heavy-footed driver, for example. Whatever is identified, solutions - such as more regular vehicle servicing or driver training - can be implemented.

Similarly, fleets can use our software to ensure maximum vehicle utilisation. It has not been unusual for fleets to be renting cars or vans and then find that other owned or leased vehicles are standing idle unused when introducing our technology.

Once again this is contributing to escalating costs. However, by introducing software, fleet managers can keep tabs on vehicle use by implementing rule sets, while simultaneously eliminating costs that may be deemed unnecessary - such as vehicle hire in some circumstances when alternatives exist.

Q: How will the VED reforms due in 2009 affect the fleet sector? And will Jaama see an effect of these reforms?

A: Cost control begins with vehicle acquisition. Jaama remains the only software company to offer a vehicle configurator that harnesses data from CAP Motor Research’s industry-leading New Vehicle Data Solution.

As a result, when compiling company car choice lists fleet operators can compare and contrast vehicle costs - including forthcoming VED increases on high emission vehicles.

They can then use the information to amend choice lists to ensure that only low emission vehicles are available, always ensuring of course that they are fit for purpose. Once again unnecessary costs can be easily eliminated.

Equally, rules can be established within our Key2 Vehicle Management software so that for each category of vehicle only cars up to a certain level of CO2 are highlighted. This will not only enable fleets to steer clear of next year’s VED rises, but will also ensure they operate cars with the lowest wholelife costs.

Q: What impact will greener, more fuel-efficient vehicles, and hybrid vehicles have on the fleet sector?

A: Cost-conscious fleets are already focusing on ensuring they have the lowest emission vehicles possible on their choice lists.

Not only is the Government’s fiscal regime, driving fleets along the ‘green’ road, but the number of low emission vehicles - including hybrids - is expanding seemingly daily.

From both an operational viewpoint - as well as from drivers’ - cost management and a desire to be seen to be meeting corporate social responsibility demands, the future is ‘green’.

Q: What are the fleet management essentials that managers should follow?

A: Three critical but inextricably linked issues continue to face company directors and fleet decision-makers - cost control, duty of care and reducing the impact of at-work driving on the environment.

None of the issues are new. Indeed, cost control and budget management is the perennial ‘big’ issue facing fleet decision-makers; managing occupational road risk has been a key feature of best practice over recent years; and global climate change concerns have accelerated ‘green’ issues to the top of the fleet agenda.

However, what company directors and fleet managers need to understand is that the three issues must be treated collectively and not individually, a fact that has still to be grasped by some companies.

For example, by focusing fleet choice lists around low emission vehicles companies will be reducing operating costs.

By undertaking driver licence checking - Jaama’s Key2 Vehicle Management system is linked to the DVLA database - companies are not only starting to build a profile of their at-work driving employees, but they targeted training measures can be introduced to help drivers with points on their licence. A safe driver is typically someone who drives in an ‘eco-friendly’ style thus eliminating harsh braking and acceleration and also having a view on keep costs in check.

Q: The new Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force in April 2008, what impact has this had on the fleet sector?

A: An audit trail of all vehicles driven on business and all staff taking to the wheel is crucial to safeguarding any company against possible prosecution under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide law.

The legislation makes its essential that all fleets can prove they have taken every possible action to ensure the safety of staff that drive on business. While anecdotal evidence suggests that more companies are taking their duty of care responsibilities more seriously, some organisations undoubtedly continue to turn a blind eye to their legal responsibilities.

In the event of a serious and perhaps fatal crash involving an occupational driver, police officers will be looking for evidence of why the vehicle was at the scene, the mechanical condition of that vehicle and the physical condition of the driver.

It is therefore imperative that companies are able to provide investigating police officers with comprehensive details on both vehicles and drivers. This includes such data as being able to prove that frequent vehicle safety checks are undertaken, vehicles are serviced in accordance with manufacturer warranties and driving licences are monitored.

Companies should also remember that health and safety responsibility for at-work drivers rests with them, irrespective of who owns the vehicle being driven on business. Therefore, it is essential that staff that drive their own cars on business are included in all checks and policies.

Key2 Vehicle Management software is capable of storing all information relating to both vehicles - driver checks on oil, water, tyres, brakes, and windscreen washer for example - as well as generating automatic reminders via email, fax, text or letter informing drivers that a service or MoT is imminent. The technology will also generate reminders to check driving licences via the DVLA database and drivers’ eyesight, for example.

In terms of the driver the technology can be used to record mileages, accidents, traffic offences and parking fines of individual drivers and then highlight employees according to a pre-set risk rating.

Such information is vital in enabling a company to determine whether a driver is high risk. In which case it may be decided that the individual requires driver training.

Q: Midway through 2008 Jaama struck a deal with Britain’s Transport Police. You are now responsible for bringing the transport police’s collection of databases up to date and online. How has work progressed on this project and is the Transport Police’s antiquated system on the way to becoming more usable?

A: The British Transport Police, which operates a diverse portfolio of 430 vehicles nationwide, is one of our flagship contracts following its decision to implement Jaama’s Key2 Vehicle Management software to manage the fleet.

Key2 Vehicle Management system’s functionality was at the forefront of what the British Transport Police were looking for and it delivered value for money.

Previously, the system and management reports had only been accessible to fleet department staff. However, British Transport Police wanted to make reports and management information accessible to force members nationwide. By doing that the organisation wanted to gain buy-in from officers and support staff and enable further efficiency gains. That has been achieved.

The blue light segment presents its own unique fleet management software challenges not least the intensity of use of the vehicles and their multi-driver use. We have worked closely with British Transport Police to deliver a system that we believe is totally unique and puts the organisation at the cutting-edge of blue light fleet demands.

Q: How can companies manage and reduce their risk in regard to their fleets?

A: Compiling and publishing a fleet policy and driver handbook is one thing, enforcing it is something completely different.

A failure to ensure that fleet policies and procedures are universally followed is essential if organisations are to eliminate risk.

Risk can take many former - financial risk, for example in relation to residual values; service, maintenance and repair risks, for example in relation to the possibility of scheduled services being overlooked; duty of care risks, for example not ensuring that a top salesman that may have nine points on their licence is closely managed and sent on a driver training course.

The risks associated with fleet management operations are huge, but they can be managed by exception. Fleet chiefs do not necessarily want to know that 98% of their vehicles have been serviced on schedule. Instead, they need to be easily able to identify the 2% that have not been in a dealership or workshop.

That is where fleet management software such as Jaama’s comes into its own. Each fleet manager can establish their own set of rules in respect of every aspect of vehicle operations so that exceptions to set parameters are immediately flagged up. Action can then be taken to eliminate any associated risks.

Q: What developments in fleet management software can we expect in the future?

A: As corporate compliance requirements continue to increase, the challenge for Jaama is to develop our software to meet those demands.

Jaama already has web links with a number of organisations including the DVLA for driving licence checks and HM Revenue & Customs so P11D can be filed online. However, more processes will be joined up such as with VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency).

We will also ensure that through our software there are more links from the fleet management software ‘hub’ to third party suppliers. While, data from motor vehicle experts at CAP is already available, I expect that network of providers to rapidly increase. In addition, online driver access will also continue to increase, for example, we already have a number of customers using our on-line expenses and mileage reimbursement module.

Growth has been fuelled by a combination of the capability of our software system and the service and support we provide to customers. It is that rich functionality and the ability of clients to customise our software to meet their own individual requirements that has enabled Jaama to undertake business with significantly larger companies and local authorities than originally planned.

Customers are very demanding, particularly around financial modules. As clients have looked to increase the depth of functionality so Jaama has further developed modules to the point where we are leading a technology revolution that links fleet operations to other internal systems such as HR and payroll, and external systems used by suppliers and customers. That revolution has only just started.

Author: Lee Sibbald, October 21, 2008

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