“Fleet software also links into licensing authorities systems such as Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Motor Insurance Database (MID) – again saving time for fleet managers who manually upload information.”

Indeed, it’s this time-saving element of fleet management software which is consistently reported to be the biggest
admin benefit.

It is also directly enabling fleet managers to play a far more strategic role within their organisations.

Jon Tandy, business development manager at fleet software company Mycompanyfleet, says that he has discerned a “pronounced swing” away from the need for “continual data input” by fleet management employees over the past few years.

Need to manage information

In its place, the information is being submitted  from a variety of feeds – including third-party suppliers like leasing companies and fuel card operators.

But unless fleet managers manage this information appropriately, it can cause them “real administrative headaches”.

Tandy says: “Building up a clear picture of the whole fleet, how many different makes, models and mileages, can be very tricky if several different sets of information are being supplied.

"What is really required is one dedicated fleet management software system capable of taking all data feeds and turning them into meaningful management information in a format that can be easily understood and acted upon.

“And companies looking to select a new fleet management system, or upgrade their existing one, should always make sure they select those that can integrate with the back offices of other suppliers, thus avoiding the need for increased administration and the time-consuming double-keying of data.

“Key information such as monthly vehicle contract hire rates can then be integrated seamlessly within the fleet management system without the need for manual intervention or additional admin, saving both time and money.

“Increasingly, the fleet manager’s role is to manage the information coming into the department from a variety of sources and identify from it those areas that need the fastest responses in terms of management attention.”

Tandy adds that using a fleet management system in this way – rather than relying on free software from a supplier such as a leasing company – also resolves any questions surrounding ownership of the data.

Should a leasing company need to be changed – for whatever reason –there is a danger of losing the data connected to those vehicles that were originally supplied.

And this has the potential to cause major fleet disruptions.

Construction products supply company SIG is among the companies that have discovered the business efficiencies that are a direct knock-on benefit of installing bespoke fleet management software.