Asset Finance Technology

ALD Automotive, the international full service car leasing provider, has been the first to implement the new Miles user interface with improved and enhanced functionality from fleet management software specialist, Sofico.

This is hoped to improve customization and user satisfaction, along with increasing productivity and efficiency.

The browser-based user interface, Rich Internet Application (RIA), replaces the current Rich Desktop Application (RDA) within Sofico’s main Miles software system. It has been designed to make the experience more user-friendly with increased functionality, a greater use of dashboards along with charts and graphics with improved visual appeal.

This functionality is the latest development in the software which is designed specifically for contract hire and leasing, fleet management and auto finance companies. It currently manages over 1m vehicles worldwide.

ALD Automotive first introduced the Miles fleet software several years ago, in the Netherlands, operating a fleet of 2,700 vehicles. The software was the implemented into operations in Belgium and Luxembourg with a further 63,000 cars under management.

Going live

The new Miles RIA user interface has now gone live in the Netherlands after being championed by team leader of information systems, Ron Peters.

He commented: “We are the first fleet customer to be using the new user interface on a live database and were very keen to have it because of all the new features and benefits it offers.

“We can now configure and customize the screen layouts within Miles to exactly how we want them and we can adapt them ourselves to meet the exact needs of our business. For example, we provide fleet management services to fleet customers as well as operational leasing, and we can now customize the Miles quote screen for whichever service we are offering.”

He added: “We also provide fleet management services to a number of vehicle manufacturers, including Ford and Volvo, for example. Now we are able to design quotation screens to match the specific data requirements of each manufacturer, and we can assure all this information is on one screen which is a major advantage.

“Another benefit of the new user interface is that it allows the user to set up ‘my favourites’ and ‘recent history’ features similar to those you see with Internet Explorer. This allows the user to go back to a customer that they deal regularly without having to open up new screens every time. This increases productivity and efficiency, especially where you may be contacting one customer 20 times a day,”

Super users

ALD Automotive Netherlands is currently training their staff in the use of the Miles RIA user interface and has created a team of four ‘super users’ who can train the end users as well as providing IT support and guidance.

Peters continued: We either go to Sofico’s offices in Belgium or their trainers come here to help us get up to speed as quickly as possible with the new interface.”

The new user interface will be made available to Belgian operations in Q2 of 2013 to ensure ALD Automotive can access the same benefits across their Benelux operation.

Head of production development at Sofico, Walter Maes, commented: “Our new Rich Internet Application (RIA) offers a rich, engaging experience for end users that improves user satisfaction, increases productivity and can be used across different browsers and platforms.

“The key difference between our new RIA and other internet applications is the higher level of interaction in our interface, which offers all the benefits of being browser-based without the drawbacks of a traditional, page-based web application. Put simply, a RIA user interface can be considered as a web client with the capabilities of its desktop counterpart.”

He concluded: “Over time, this new technology should enable us to explore further context-driven screens as well as develop customer-specific implementations,”

Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) is the captive finance company for the Volkswagen Group automotive brands in the UK. These include Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, SEAT, Skoda, Audi, Bentley and Porsche.

In addition, the company provides a range of insurance, service and maintenance as well as business development products for its retailer network.

Over the years VWFS has worked at integrating with its parent Volkswagen Group to ensure that responsible finance remains central to its on-going success.

Traditionally, the Volkswagen Group has used SAP software for its back-office systems on a global basis. By 2006, however, the need was becoming evident for VWFS to be able to expand its contract management system (CMS) – in response to growth demands – whilst at the same time retaining its group SAP strategy.

VWFS’ connection with White Clarke Group (WCG) had been in existence for some nine years and centred on its CMS implementation which covered the complete contract management lifecycle from the point of activation through to maturity – or termination of the contract.

It had proven itself to be robust, stable, and successfully delivered the highest levels of functionality and business agility that VWFS needed as a dynamic growing company.

It therefore seemed obvious to turn to the tried and tested software provider, with its proven track record, for the solution.

Netweaver

Mike Kirby, director at WCG, explained that since SAP did not have a module suitable to meet VWFS’ business requirements, the decision was taken to develop a CMS module, based on SAP’s Netweaver technology that would be scalable enough to satisfy VWFS’ plans for growth.

“At the time the new system went live in 2009,” Kirby explained, “the SAP-based CMS module dealt with only VWFS’ retail business. We were then asked to extend the current system to include the company’s fleet contracts and fleet maintenance businesses.”

“It was paramount for VWFS to have sufficient scalability in its system. Our team at VWFS started working on this in 2010 – and final development was complete at the end of 2011 with the system going live on May 8, 2012.”

Kirby added that the system had been designed to sit within an SAP-centric landscape, able to communicate with both SAP and non-SAP applications using SAP Process Integration (PI) capabilities.

“It had been built as a no-compromise, fully independent SAP-compliant component. In other words it has not been implemented as an extension to any of the existing SAP modules such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Financial Accounting (FI). These would have imposed inherent limitations on the design of the model and its processes.”

Furthermore, the system integrates fully with CALMS, WCG’s point-of-sale (PoS) system and can integrate easily with any other PoS systems that are able to meet its interface definition.

Response from the VWFS business users to the implementation has been extremely positive, including:

“I can give a better, faster service to my customer”

“We are able to action many requests from customers in a more timely and efficient way”

“I can now get a better understanding of what products our customer has with us by having it all on one system”

“The system is much more friendly and easier to access”

“The calculation for the current credit utilization is now as Risk would expect to see it”

There is no doubt that the CMS implementation has assisted VWFS’ overall success in the marketplace. During 2011 new business volumes increased by 14.1% to reach 179,779 units. New business value increased by 2.1% to £2.7bn, finance penetration rose to 32.6% from 29.6%, whilst profit after taxation was up 72.7% to £99m. Overall turnover rose by 15% to £497m.

All these success were on the back of a clear strategy to support Volkswagen Group brands, integrating finance into the sales process and the customer value chain.

Kirby added that the implementation included VWFS’ operations in the UK and Ireland and covered all finance products such as lease purchase, hire purchase, personal contract purchase, retail contract hire, fleet contract hire – and fixed price servicing.

He is especially proud of the fact that his experienced team delivered the implementation on time in accordance with an ambitious programme plan.