Edition 2

Touchscreen gets users going faster

A major new advantage of the Touchscreen systems now offered by Chevin has been identified - it enables new users to get up to speed much faster. Often after just an hour's training!

Initially developed with its partner and Irish distributor, ASC Software of Dublin, to aid operations in workshops (Touchscreen is an option with RoadBASE's Workshop module), it's now becoming clear that the sheer simplicity of this technology may play a major part in the future of computing for all applications.

Garren Bellew, in charge of development of Touchscreen systems at ASC reckons it speeds up the learning process by a 'factor of ten' compared to conventional mouse and keyboard systems. The down-side from his point of view is that programming takes longer, because conventional software navigation techniques are out.

"However, the benefit of using 'big and simple' Touchscreen layouts far outweighs the extra design work, because even non-computer users can get up and running in less than an hour," he says.

Garren believes this technology also has a future in environments where keyboards and mice would normally be used for entering of data, including offices. Information can be entered with single movements, instead of several, making staff more productive.

However the software has to be totally idiot-proof, he stresses. "It must be all there, quite literally in your face, on one screen. No right-clicking or any other technique can be used. Everything necessary has to be visible the whole time."

Ashley Sowerby, MD of Chevin adds: "We're extremely happy that the system we've developed to work alongside RoadBASE with ASC's help - originally designed to do away with keyboards in busy locations such as workshops - has had such a useful spin-off. Time is money for any business, and because staff can become acclimatised and productive in such a short time, it's a real bonus. It's also great that staff using these systems need a lot less support afterwards."

Chevin software is CO2 compatible ready for April

Roadshows set for the year ahead

NEW and existing users of fleet management software are welcome to keep up to date with developments or find solutions to problems, at one of a series of Chevin Roadshows to be staged around the UK this year.

These Roadshows are staged at a number of key locations. This month (January) there'll be one in Birmingham and next month the venues will be London and Leeds. Check on the website (www.chevincomputers.com) for details or to register your interest. Don't delay - places go like hotcakes!

In addition Chevin staff are very happy to provide on-site presentations. If calling from the UK contact the sales team on Freephone 08000 748410.
CHEVIN makes a point of being well ahead of the game where major developments in the fleet industry are concerned - and the new CO2-based company car driver tax system is no exception.

Months ago the company had made its systems CO2 compatible, able to offer fleet managers:

  • A quick and easy way to calculate how much tax each driver will pay under the new system from this April
  • A data conversion service, aimed at helping companies whose existing software isn't yet CO2-enabled to get up to speed
  • A calculator showing the total amount of CO2 - in tonnes - produced by each fleet, enabling companies to benchmark their performance against other 'green' organisations.

"The first two developments will save hours of work for fleet operators, many of whom are still struggling to do these calculations by hand, while the bulk of drivers remain largely in the dark about how much they'll end up paying," says Chevin's customer support manager, Shane Bickley.

Of the third development Chevin MD Ashley Sowerby adds: "Discussing vehicle pollution in terms of grams per kilometre makes the amounts of CO2 involved sound tiny.

However, once you multiply them by the number of vehicles in a whole fleet and their mileages - the totals can become frighteningly large."

Chevin links with Fleetlogic to provide total fleet solution

Integrated combination of hardware and analytical software provides an unbeatable management tool

FOR years fleet managers have wondered how their vehicles were being used out on the road. Well now, thanks to a link-up between Chevin and Netherlands-based vehicle data recording specialist FleetLogic bv, they can find out. In fact they'll be better informed than if they were actually sitting beside the drivers.

FleetLogic's on-board data recording hardware collects information on vehicle usage and sends it to Chevin's software, where it can be analysed and used to manage fleets better. Effectively the two systems working in tandem form a seamlessly-integrated fleet management tool, able to tell managers exactly what their drivers are up to.

The tie-up with FleetLogic is the second such collaboration for Chevin, which has also configured its systems to work with hardware from UK-based ICS Black Box. However, the arrangement with FleetLogic brings a number of unique features and means the opening of a sales operation for Chevin in Holland, giving better access to the software specialist's products for fleet buyers in Continental Europe.


FleetLogic products: in combination with Chevin expertise they form a formidable management system

 "Chevin Computer Systems' products are in use in over 30 countries around the globe and the company enjoys one of the UK fleet industry's largest geographical customer bases," says managing director Ashley Sowerby. "By establishing technical links with FleetLogic, we've been able to offer benefits to clients of both parties. Our own clients are able to introduce on-board solutions that integrate into RoadBASE, whilst FleetLogic is able to extend the solutions on offer to its own clients."

Analyse this

This coding system allows time spent per client or project to be separated out and shows how long each activity has taken. It also lets users see the proportion of driving hours as a percentage of each employee's working day. Private use of company vehicles can be measured by assigning a specific number (such as '0') for mileage driven for private use.

In addition FleetLogic's Hours/Project Module allows managers to run reports showing hours, mileage and activities executed on behalf of each client.

"Apart from mileage and working time you can register numerous other issues, such as the project number, the specific activity involved and the material used," explains Stephen de Launay, Chevin's sales manager.

"All this data can be retrieved afterwards via our software. The information can be directly used for calculation purposes, such as billing and efficiency calculations. Also, you can retrieve data per employee, which makes it possible to export directly to software packages used for wage calculation. The Hours/Project Module has standard export capabilities to several commonly used payroll and HR packages."

Driving styles revealed

THAT'S not all. The FleetLogic driving style analysis module, as the name suggests, shows exactly how well or badly vehicles are being driven, enabling managers to reduce spiralling accident and other repair bills. For fleets burdened by the need to record business mileage, the Triplogic system could be the answer, doing away with the need for manually inputting distances and reasons for journeys. "The low cost of installing this system is usually paid off within a year through the savings it makes on time," adds de Launay

 


What does FleetLogic do?

 THE company's on-board computer system acts something like an aircraft 'black box', recording vital data on vehicle movements. Items recorded include:
  • driver and vehicle mileage values at the start and the end of each trip
  • mileage per trip
  • date and time at the start and end of each trip
  • trip duration
  • time that the engine is idling
  • time between each trip etc.

If a vehicle is involved in a crash, the 'black box' side comes into its own, recording speed per second during the last two minutes preceding a crash - useful in apportioning blame, accident analysis etc.
In addition the FleetLogic "Number Terminal" Module allows managers to add a number or a client code to trip data gathered by the FleetLogic on-board computer system.

Problem-solver Carl joins Chevin web development team
THE success of Chevin's FleetWave - the world's first true web application fleet management system - has made it necessary to further expand the team working on Internet and Intranet projects.

Meet new recruit Carl Massey, 25, who by his own admission is addicted to problem-solving.

"That's why I love working with computers and in particular the web, because it throws up some wonderful problems and finding solutions when others are having difficulties produces a real buzz."

For instance, in the Derby office of a major computer consultancy where Carl previously worked, a database sequence was taking an hour to crunch the data - much to the annoyance of all concerned. "Everyone else had looked at it and couldn't make it work properly. But with my problem-solving hat on I kept going at it, until I'd managed to get the sequence down to a few seconds of processing time."

Carl is enthusiastic about the prospects for FleetWave, and is sure that once the benefits of having data held on remote servers are fully realised by the whole industry, with greater security and less risk of down-time, the Chevin system will lead the way into a new on-line future for fleet management systems.

"FleetWave will also achieve greater recognition because of its ability to save fleet managers time, as other departments, companies or even individuals with the right access codes can input the data and draw off their own reports."

What else does he enjoy about working at Chevin? "It's much more like a family, unlike companies I've worked in before, as everyone knows everyone else. It's a great environment here. Especially for solving problems!"

FLEET managers have suddenly found themselves having to look more closely at health and safety issues affecting their drivers, in the wake of recommendations to the Government by the Work-Related Road Safety Task Group (published last November).

The group called for stricter application of existing H & S legislation and regulations, which in essence mean that managers and directors must carry out safety audits on all activities carried out on behalf of the company - including vehicle use - and fix any problems found.

 However, trying to keep track of the necessary information can be something of a nightmare.

The answer, produced just at the right time by Chevin, is the world's first all-in-one reporting system, which enables both safety problems and solutions to be recorded. Best of all, the reports it produces could form the perfect defence for any company in the event of charges being levelled.

All our illustration shows, Fleet News (December 13) gave prominent coverage to this useful development, in the centre of its feature on reactions to the Task Group's findings.

Chevin customers are
100% satisfied
A RECENT survey of Chevin customers shows all those questioned were satisfied with Chevin's products and the support given.

The research, conducted by the company at its RoadBASE user day in October at the Derby County Stadium, found that none of those who attended were unhappy with their systems.

"As a company we've always striven to offer first-rate customer service,
and these results reflect that commitment," says Chevin MD Ashley Sowerby"It goes without saying that we're extremely pleased with these results."

Typical comments include: "Always a positive result" (Ivan Palmer, Murfitt's Transport) and "Good staff" (Bill Tombling, Camion Engineering)
Very satisfied
Quite satisfied
Generally satisfied
Not satisfied
Very dissatisfied

31%
31%
38%
0%
0%

Chevin heads for Commercial Vehicle Show
VISITORS to the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre will again get the chance to see the latest Chevin products in action and talk to staff about solutions to their problems.

The company found exhibiting at last year's show extremely rewarding, both from a new business perspective, and as a way of catching up with existing clients who came to the show.

 "It was an extremely lively, well-attended event, which we wouldn't miss for the world," enthuses Stephen de Launay, Chevin's sales manager.

"We appeared at a number of trade exhibitions during the year, but the CV Show stood out as one of the key events and one of the most worthwhile for exhibitors like ourselves."

Mansfield Council avoids duplication of work with new Chevin system
CHEVIN likes to look after customers both far and near. And with systems in use in over 30 countries around the globe, the company is just as delighted to be called in to improve matters by customers virtually on its doorstep.

One such is Mansfield District Council, which has just shelved a Unix-based system created in-house, in favour of RoadBASE with a 600 vehicle multi-user licence, as well as Chevin's pool car management module, fuel transaction import/export facility and Workshop Manager.

The worst aspect of the old system was the inefficient way the same tasks ended up being repeated in different parts of the Council's organisation. Explains fleet manager Karl Clements: "Data was input into the central system as well as some spreadsheets in my department, so there was a lot of duplication of work. I wanted to pull it all together, and RoadBASE was the clear answer.
MD Ashley Sowerby and his team keep Chevin customers happy in over 30 countries
"Of course there were many other drawbacks to the previous system as well, and as soon as I came into this job late in 1999 I could see we couldn't go on operating with what we'd got. For instance we weren't able to separate-out expenditure on each vehicle and the various aspects of their running costs - everything came out lumped together as a single figure. Now we'll be able to increase efficiency, improve our service and get better value on behalf of council tax payers." Clements was keen to opt for a Chevin system since seeing it in action at the 2000 Institute of Waste Management exhibition in Torquay. "However, plenty of people I know were also saying good things about it. I used to work for Express Foods and their sister company Express Dairies Distribution has a Chevin system. A friend of mine who works for a firm of insurance assessors also sings the praises of his RoadBASE system."

Stannah opts for Chevin system after taking back maintenance control in-house
STANNAH Management Services has recently taken back control of its vehicles from a major fleet management company. As a result the busy lift manufacturer and service company needed a flexible, easy-to-use system to manage costs in-house.

Says fleet controller Jean Olding: "Our main area of concern was the control of maintenance costs analysis. Also we didn't have an accident management system in the previous software - the accident records were held in a spreadsheet.

"The search was on for a new system to meet Stannah Group's needs. It had to be comprehensive, powerful, and yet simple to use and be easily upgraded as demands changed.

Reliability, flexibility and speed were high on the checklist, and the new system had to be backed up with good after-sales and technical support, ie, a help desk. Training was also very important, from the initial start-up and ongoing to enable us to use the system to its full potential."

 Installation and setting up were a major concern and disruption needed to be kept to a minimum. In particular converting and loading the information held within the Stannah Group's former system had to be simple.

The answer? The company opted for Chevin's RoadBASE with a 1000-vehicle multi-user licence, with fuel data importing, pool vehicle management and accident management.

Olding adds: "Now with RoadBASE we have the best of all worlds. The new system is up and running and the fleet administration staff are familiar with the new software. As a result from now on the control of maintenance costs and procedures should improve.

"Because the Chevin system is so intuitive and flexible, we've been able to throw staff in at the deep end. I was very pleased to see that my colleagues could use the system virtually straight away."