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Ashley Sowerby's blog: 22nd October - Why investing a little in software makes sense
Date: 22 October 2014
Recently, I was at an industry event and chatting to a fleet manager. I made a statement that was met with a quizzical look: to get the most out of your fleet software, you need to invest in it continually.
This is something that is obvious from our viewpoint as a fleet software provider but is not always as clear to the wider world, who sometimes view software as essentially a one-off spending decision.
I don't mean to say that you have to invest too much and I'm not suggesting that you spend it all or even any of it with us. In fact, most of the investment I'd propose is essentially internal.
At the most basic level, it just means setting aside a small amount for training every time you recruit someone new who will be using the system. Then, they will be able to hit the ground running and be productive from day one. Otherwise, you will probably see a gradual skills erosion over time.
At the other extreme, you might recognise that your fleet software has the potential to revolutionise, for example, your risk management but to do so will mean seconding a member of staff to write a new policy, work out how to implement through software, and import or input the relevant data. This could take months but is likely to produce really worthwhile results.
Some of our more forward thinking customers write a small amount into their budget every year to invest in their fleet software and, unsurprisingly, achieve some of the very best results that we see. They are often among the fleets that win awards from publications like BusinessCar.
With just a little time, effort and funding, fleet software will produce better and better results. It may not be an obvious point but it is one well worth remembering.
