Swiss Touring Club relies on the competence of the fleet management software from community4you AG
„aboutFLEET“: the Swiss journal for vehicle procurement, company cars and fleet management invited to interview.
On 16th of November 2016 Mr. Köchli from the Swiss Touring Club (TCS) and Mr. Bauch from community4you AG met for an interview with Mr. Hasselberg from the Swiss magazine for company cars and fleet management „aboutFLEET“.
One of the biggest Swiss automobile clubs with a complex catalogue of requirements for future management of his fleet has opted for the fleet management software comm.fleet from community4you AG. The following interview explains why the decision was made in favour of comm.fleet and what competitive advantages have resulted from the use of this innovative software:
One of the biggest Swiss automobile clubs with a complex catalogue of requirements for future management of his fleet has opted for the fleet management software comm.fleet from community4you AG. The following interview explains why the decision was made in favour of comm.fleet and what competitive advantages have resulted from the use of this innovative software:
Fleet Management Software: „We are covering the entire value chain”
It is very complex and difficult for a company to evaluate and implement the appropriate software solution for the fleet management. Especially then when it goes beyond the mere fleet management. Uwe Bauch, president of community4you AG and René Köchli, head of fleet management and logistics at TCS, explain in the interview why TCS has chosen community4you and what characterizes the software.
aboutFLEET: Mr. Bauch why is Switzerland an interesting market for community4you?
Uwe Bauch: We are market leader for fleet management software in Germany and therefore the Swiss market is very attractive for us. On the one hand due to the size of the country and the diversity of the vehicle fleet, on the other hand due to the high cross-linking degree. Available in many languages and extendable to any language, our software can fully support the Swiss linguistic diversity. We have swiftly been able to acquire several large customers such as TCS. The market players know each other very well, that is why good work is appreciated and positively recognized. We clearly benefit from this.
René Köchli (left) Touring Club Schweiz and Uwe Bauch (right) community4you AG | Picture: aboutFLEET / Lukas Hasselberg
Mr. Köchli, what kind of selection process did you follow in the search for a new software for the Swiss Touring Club (TCS)?
René Köchli: In 2013 we generated a tender with a requirement catalogue and sent this to potential partners. We evaluated these partners through researches on the Internet, information in journals like aboutFLEET, car fleet, Automobilwoche, etc. and with my personal network. We analysed and weighted the delivered completed requirement catalogues according to our priority. After that we invited the «especially interesting» suppliers to present their product on-site. Afterwards we performed visits to reference customers to get a real overview of the software solution. Unfortunately, in this time there were no clients which could map all our requirements in a practical solution.
Why has TCS chosen the software from community4you?
Köchli: We have chosen community4you because their software architecture was already at that time the most modern and it was able to fulfil our special requirements, which still needed to be developed. One more reason was that we did not have to explain them our main business, i.e. fleet management. During the presentation it quickly became apparent to us that the fleet business is their core competence. In contrast to other suppliers community4you could ensure an interface to SAP. Of course, the price-performance ratio was also a criterion which has spoken for the community4you.
What makes the software comm.fleet and comm.mobile stand out?
Bauch: Our software is a product which is not only suitable for the fleet management, but also for leasing providers and repair workshops - on the Web as well as on mobile devices independently of time and location. Our software supports claims management, vehicle configuration and procurement as well as disposition management of vehicles and staff. Existing vehicles and parts are managed most efficiently with our integrated workshop, maintenance, tyres and stock management. Our customers can directly profit from the wide functional scope of our software and adapt it to their own requirements. In addition, we have a technological market advantage of about two years against our competitors and we are already developing a new product generation for key future requirements in the area of fleet management which are yet unknown even to most fleet managers. There is no comparable vendor on the market.
What are the special features at TCS?
Köchli: We cover the entire value chain for 500 vehicles and 200 non-motorised objects. With our workshop in Emmen we are constructing and setting interior modelling of 220 patrol vehicles by ourselves. Therefore, we talk via our network to partner clubs like ADAC, ANWB, etc. Also conversions to the vehicle itself are realised by our own workshop so that the vehicles are better equipped for our daily extraordinary requirements. With the assistance of the software we support the fleet directly from procurement to the equipment, the repair and the maintenance, accidental damages and finally to the remarketing. One more point are our decentralised warehouses which are spread throughout Switzerland. Via our central warehouse situated in Emmen we obtain the necessary resources so that our patrol can fulfil the order at hand. This begins with a screwdriver, continues with the oil binder and ends with the starter battery which we sell in a large volume. Thus, the logistic process needs to perform 100 percent so that batteries are available in the event of an emergency and that we can sell these to our members.
Are there additional functionalities available with comm.fleet for TCS which exceed the classic fleet management system?
Köchli: As already mentioned, the goods management with the logistical processes and the central and decentralised inventory option. Here we are working today with bar code and scanning. Plus the workshop planning so that we can organise our workshop employees as effectively as possible and plan and carry out bigger repairs and construction of vehicles in Emmen. As our patrols have in certain locations minimal equipped workshops they need to handle and report their work orders locally. This does not have much to do with standard fleet management. The claims management per se belongs to the standard fleet management.
Which are the competitive advantages of community4you?
Bauch: First and foremost it is our integration platform open-EIS with the diverse functionality with which the entire value chain is operable. There is no one in Switzerland who can offer this service on this scale. With open-EIS we are on an equal footing with global players like SAP, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Google and Apple. We are thus one of the few companies worldwide whose software is based on an own technological platform.
An additional advantage of our software lies in multilingualism and internationalisation. Our software systems are predestined for international use. Thanks to the multilingualism they are used already by more than 180 customers in 18 countries. For instance, a new customer of ours is present in 87 countries - the software roll-out will be carried through within the next two years.
An additional advantage of our software lies in multilingualism and internationalisation. Our software systems are predestined for international use. Thanks to the multilingualism they are used already by more than 180 customers in 18 countries. For instance, a new customer of ours is present in 87 countries - the software roll-out will be carried through within the next two years.
How is TCS preparing itself for challenges in the area of electromobility as well as in the area of self-driving cars?
Köchli: You have touched on two different things. On the one hand our patrols have been trained already for electric mobility so that we can support our members and B2B partners with non-fossil operated vehicles. Because of the close cooperation in the B2B area we are constantly communicating with vehicle manufacturers or their importers. That is why we are close to the action. Meanwhile it exists also a customised offer for e-bikes. As you see, we do not focus merely on the classic car.
Furthermore, we are running internal projects where we observe the market and its development with driverless vehicles, Big Data, etc. very closely. We have also implemented projects with universities and other suppliers in this area. We continue in this direction.
Bauch: We have been the first ones who can fully manage e-cars with our fleet management software, and this for five years already - including charging times, operating hours, availability, disposition, etc.
Furthermore, we are running internal projects where we observe the market and its development with driverless vehicles, Big Data, etc. very closely. We have also implemented projects with universities and other suppliers in this area. We continue in this direction.
Bauch: We have been the first ones who can fully manage e-cars with our fleet management software, and this for five years already - including charging times, operating hours, availability, disposition, etc.
For which size of fleet is the software of community4you suitable?
Bauch: Our customers manage on an average 700 to 800 cars. We do have also clients with 50 to 100 cars or such with 45,000 vehicles.
Which Swiss companies are trusting the solutions of community4you besides TCS?
Bauch: To these customers belong SBB, Schutz & Rettung Zürich, Stadtpolizei Zürich, Hertz Schweiz, CKW and many more.
Source: aboutFLEET 01/2017 | Article "Fleet management software: „We cover the entire value chain” (in German)
Picture: aboutFLEET / Lukas Hasselberg
Source: aboutFLEET 01/2017 | Article "Fleet management software: „We cover the entire value chain” (in German)
Picture: aboutFLEET / Lukas Hasselberg
03/21/2017