White Paper

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KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE FLEET MANAGEMENT
key features of online fleet management
Online fleet management (OFM) is a convenient web tool to help companies manage the
performance and costs of their vehicles. An OFM system has two major benefits:
1. It gives companies immediate access to all of their fleet data (such as orders, vehicle
reports, and invoices) in a user-friendly format.
2. It provides administrators and drivers with a wide range of tools to streamline
common tasks.
Companies who use OFM to monitor their fleets see tangible savings in all areas of
fleet management. By analyzing the data, administrators can make effective changes in
procedures and behaviors. The result is a marked improvement in efficiency, productivity,
and maintenance costs. Here’s what the best systems on the market have to offer:
SMART USE OF TECHNOLOGY
First and foremost, a good OFM system will be easy for company employees to use.
Features to look for include compatibility with mobile devices and clear site navigation.
Sections like “recently viewed” and “favorites,” for example, will help administrators save
time on daily assignments.
Some OFM systems also offer personalized customer service options. Live chats with
experienced personnel and “click to call” buttons (to speak to an OFM expert) are two ways
that system developers are working to make an administrator’s job faster and easier.
Features to look for include compatibility with mobile devices and
clear site navigation.

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KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE FLEET MANAGEMENT
FLEXIBLE MANAGEMENT TOOLS
A well-designed OFM system will help administrators manage a fleet all the way from
acquisition to termination. Using its flexible online tools, managers can quickly complete many
regular fleet management tasks and easily access data on a wide array of areas, including:
Orders
• Order Status – a tool for managers to monitor fleet orders and order vehicle
replacements if needed.
• Vehicle Selector – the option to pre-select a choice of vehicles for drivers, or set an
allowance limit on drivers’ choices.
On-The-Road Management
• Roadside and Maintenance – tools to keep track of all vehicle maintenance,
repairs, and accidents.
• Driver Change – the ability to swiftly assign a vehicle to another driver.
Costs
• Standard and Custom Invoices – flexible invoicing for generating and merging info
on fleet and insurance costs, or breaking down costs by company divisions.
Using flexible online tools, managers can quickly complete
many regular fleet management tasks and easily access data
on areas such as orders, on-the-road management, and costs.

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KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE FLEET MANAGEMENT
DRIVER ASSISTANCE
In addition to tools for administrators, most OFM systems offer a number of immediate ways
to help drivers.
Standard features include:
• The ability to report and keep track of personal miles, even when drivers
are on the road.
• An option for drivers to generate their own reports on taxable benefits.
• A way for drivers to access the maintenance history on their vehicles.
ACCURATE MANAGEMENT REPORTS
Detailed, accurate reports are the most important way for companies to check up on the
health of their fleets. These check-ups can range from an inventory or a thorough maintenance
history on all vehicles, to a simple look at the status of an order. Knowing when a vehicle is
due for repairs, for example, is vital planning information for fleet managers.
A smart OFM system allows administrators to customize reports (e.g. adding or deleting
fields) and generate them at any time. Key reports to look for include:
• Unit Maintenance History
• Fleet Maintenance History
• Order Status
• Fleet Inventory
• Coming Off Lease – e.g. when vehicles with leases are due to expire
• Missing Plates/Plate Expiry – e.g. when regular plates are needed
to replace temporary plates
Detailed, accurate reports are the most important way for
companies to check up on the health of their fleets.

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KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE FLEET MANAGEMENT
TROUBLESHOOTING MEASURES
One helpful feature that many OFM systems provide is the ability to generate exception
reports. These can tell an administrator when a vehicle has missed its preventative
maintenance, is over its allotted mileage, or has a discrepancy in its mileage history.
These types of reports give a fleet administrator time to fix small-scale problems before
they become major issues. Well-maintained fleet vehicles stay on the road and increase a
company’s profit margins.
EASY-ACCESS HELP
Quick responses to questions are important in online environments. The faster the answer, the
quicker a manager can get back to work. Most OFM systems offer a range of easy-access
help options, such as:
• Live Chats – text-based conversations in real-time.
• Click to Call – the option to speak to knowledgeable personnel.
• Help Libraries – help documents on all aspects of the system.
• Document Center – reports and information sheets on productive fleet management.

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KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE FLEET MANAGEMENT
ROBUST SECURITY
With such a wide range of features available for both drivers and administrators, an OFM
system must have robust security measures in place. These typically fall into two categories:
• Role-based Security – allows administrators to assign privileges according to
company roles. For instance, a manager can view and manage orders for
replacement vehicles while a driver can only view which vehicles are available for
him to use.
• Hierarchical Security – gives parent companies the ability to control the access of
all divisions and subcompanies. A parent company administrator, for example,
might want to keep certain areas (like invoices) off-limits to division managers.
INTEGRATION WITH A FLEET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Though very useful on its own, online fleet management can do more when it is fully
integrated with other fleet management services.
Companies who take the time to plan a coordinated program of fleet management – an
OFM system, comprehensive insurance and maintenance plans, contingencies for accidents,
etc. – will see a better rate of return on their initial fleet investment.

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