For your operational workflows to be truly efficient, you need reliable data and a way to control them. You’re missing out on capturing both of these components if you treat your vehicle usage in and around the warehouse as a simple, untracked resource. With a properly implemented vehicle management system, you can easily gather actionable data from your fleet. And in this guide, you’ll see how an electric and SAP vehicle management system work, and how it will be beneficial for your company. We’ll also take a peek at the Powerfleet vehicle management system.
What Is a Vehicle Management System (VMS)?
A vehicle management system (VMS) is software that implements the conventional business procedures and foundational capabilities of a typical SAP in the context of a vehicle OEM and distributor. The VMS centralizes data management and business operations to make information accessible to employees in many company activities.
A vehicle database at the heart of the SAP VMS connects all actions that occur to a vehicle over its lifetime. In this scenario, the actions are the business procedures that occur to a vehicle. You can utilize the VMS to access vehicle actions and data, such as purchase orders, sales orders to dealers and end users, inspections, and warranties. All information is electronically and automatically recorded in the SAP VMS for simple retrieval.
A VMS is also adaptable because it allows you to add new actions through configuration. Furthermore, the Detering Consulting SAP VMS allows you to connect a series of actions to form a continuous process that may be used to manage a firm. You are always informed of the status of a vehicle or whether the present action was successful. In addition, the VMS informs you of the preceding step to do in order to ensure smooth operations.
Furthermore, you may expand VMS functions to your dealers via the Detering Consulting Dealer Portal, which allows dealers to obtain information from OEMs or distributors without having to log in to the system. The Dealer Portal, which incorporates the VMS, digitally prepares your dealerships to help you manage your vehicle inventory, manage new orders, and track vehicles throughout their life cycle.
What Does A Vehicle Management System Do?
The SAP vehicle management system & Dealer Portal are required by importers, distributors, and OEMs/Manufacturers. The SAP vehicle management system functions as a central management tool, integrating all of your company operations and actions to enable corporate efficiency, electronic and automatic data storage, and optimized services all the way down to the end user. Making your firm more effective allows you to cut costs while increasing earnings.
What Is the Purpose of a SAP Vehicle Management System?
#1. Complete Control Over Your Vehicles
The present corporate climate demands that you be quick and automated. Traditional business methods that decentralize information make access to information difficult and create data inaccuracies. To track your company activities and predict future transactions, you need software that allows you to access accurate business data and car information. You will also require software that improves online and phone-based transactions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a SAP VMS and Dealer Portal, you have complete control over:
- Supplier, OEM/manufacturer, or distributor orders
- Vehicle configuration and vehicle attribute search
- Managing vehicle rebates and transferring them to customers
- Handling basic and difficult automobile inquiries
- Vehicle sales and dealer incentives
#2. Taking Charge of the F&I Process
Your finance and insurance department is essential for selling vehicles to distributors or dealerships. You can speed up and increase the efficiency of your F&I department by implementing a SAP VMS that provides correct digital records and quick information retrieval.
Your F&I professionals can evaluate the customer’s credit records, establish client profiles, and structure loans and leases for car purchases with timely information. They can also ensure that your clients communicate effectively in order to retrieve relevant documentation for a car purchase and to explain financial information and available items. A VMS enables your F&I department to operate in a timely, orderly, and legal manner.
#3. Service and warranty
Are you tired of sifting through old, dusty files to deal with a warranty claim that occurred several years ago? Maybe you stored a client’s vehicle information but can’t find it in your system? By integrating all of your activities and saving your data in a centralized system, the Detering Consulting SAP VMS reduces warranty and service issues. You also have complete awareness of any ongoing warranty claims. You get the following benefits with the SAP VMS:
A comprehensive picture of warranty claims and claim creation
- Service with a price cap
- Service history of the vehicle
- Changes to a vehicle’s configuration in real time
- Dealer forms are available
#4. Customer Relationship Management and Personalized Services
Customers today want a fully tailored experience from start to finish. They also look for companies that can deliver exceptional and smooth customer service. In the case of Mitsubishi, a 10-year Diamond Warranty is now available, owing to a SAP system that delivers the Business Intelligence data needed to create such a long-term offering. Access to all information, including service data, vehicle specifications, and warranty information, is critical to successfully adjudicating claims. You can deliver exceptional services to each client because you have complete control over your warranties and services.
Your dealership’s customer experience will also benefit from the seamless digital experience. More significantly, the SAP VMS receives the service end-result and transmits it to you, the OEM, for warranty reimbursement. Remember that pleased dealership management is eager to continue doing business with you.
#5. Management of Parts
It is critical to have the proper parts on hand at the right time in order to service client vehicles on time. For efficiency, the Dealer Portal provides comprehensive connectivity with the parts catalog. Furthermore, predictive analysis assists you in determining which parts are required for future service.
You can replace stockpiles on schedule and receive warnings when a part is delayed or unavailable thanks to predictive systems. Furthermore, if you identify a defect, you can recall parts or notify a dealership not to sell parts to the end user.
#6. Customer Service
The SAP VMS and Dealer Portal provide assistance to each user based on their requirements and responsibilities. When you may delegate work to your dealers or suppliers, you don’t have to keep complete access and control over all actions. Your dealers have access to the central information center, where they may directly obtain every detail they require, with access control, of course. In addition, users can access the portal in their native language.
#7. Marketing and sales
Continuous marketing is vital for attracting new customers and keeping your business running. By delivering real-time sales data and vehicle performance, the Dealer Portal improves your marketing. Real-time sales allow you to always know where your company stands and when and how to put in additional effort. In partnership with your dealerships, your marketing staff can use the data to target new clients.
Performance data obtained directly from vehicle onboard systems allows you to forecast vehicle performance for several years and provide good descriptions to prospective clients. More significantly, you may analyze vehicle sales across different regions and states to identify which areas should be prioritized for marketing. To acquire greater marketing insights, you can also combine your SAP vehicle management system with content management software.
#8. Security
You cannot afford to compromise your security whether you move 200 or 1 million vehicles each year. For the security of your business, you need software that is developed with your best interests in mind and is frequently updated. Because your vehicle management system serves as a core business management interface, it must be entirely secure. Detering Consulting works nonstop to keep the SAP VMS secure and up to date.
Looking to ship your vehicles without hassle? Learn about enclosed vehicle transport and how it is different from open shipping.
What is Vehicle Fleet Management?
Fleet management is used by businesses that rely on transportation to regulate expenses, productivity, fuel management, and compliance. As a result, fleet management entails a variety of responsibilities designed to keep vehicles and operations running smoothly and efficiently. Best practices in fleet vehicle management include the use of technology and software solutions to assist cut costs, ensure driver safety, minimize risk, boost productivity, and plan preventative maintenance to reduce downtime.
PowerFleet Vehicle Management System
PowerFleet is a wireless Vehicle Management System (VMS) for industrial vehicles including forklifts and tow tractors. It is a modular best-practice solution for boosting fleet safety, lowering material handling expenses, and increasing supply chain productivity. PowerFleet is so clever, adaptable, and efficient that the only question is “what vehicle activities do you want to manage, and how do you want to manage them?” PowerFleet is excellent for medium to large fleets, enterprise operations, and resolving even the most difficult vehicle-related problems.
Electric Vehicle Fleet Management System
When a corporation rents or purchases a large number of electric cars for its transportation or logistics business, it is termed to operate a “EV Fleet.” “EV” stands for “Electric Vehicle,” a vehicle that runs entirely or partially on electricity.
These vehicles are sometimes referred to as “green automobiles” because they emit no carbon dioxide and are hence exceptionally environmentally beneficial. EVs are powered by batteries that can be recharged at a “charging station,” which is essentially a physical facility with many chargers accessible to hook into your EV and recharge it.
This not only improves the performance of the EV fleet but also provides a comprehensive view of its management.
Advantages of Electric Vehicle Fleet Management System
The single most important benefit of deploying an electric vehicle fleet management system is lowering carbon emissions and combating climate change. And, while EVs are still far from realizing their full potential in terms of vehicle numbers on the road, governments, manufacturers, and policymakers are working feverishly to enhance their acceptance, and hence their benefits.
#1. Real-Time Charging Insights
One of the most significant benefits of an electric vehicle fleet management system is that it provides real-time charging statistics. This is critical for Fleet Managers in determining the distance that each fleet vehicle may go. That is the starting point for allocating and dispatching vehicles on daily delivery routes with an EV fleet.
#2. Simple integration with cloud systems
The most significant advantage of cloud-based EV management software in controlling an EV fleet is the ease of integration. Because EVs come standard with cloud software, the two can be simply integrated. This permits data transmission, communication, and real-time tracking (etc.)
As an extension of the previous point, the ease of data transfer and reports generated from this data (e.g. hours logged, number of times batteries have been charged, etc.) make it easier for EV Fleet Managers to conform to all regulatory compliances that EVs are expected to maintain.
#3. Reduces fuel consumption
Fuel expenditures are the most expensive part of maintaining and operating a fleet of cars. As a result, moving to EVs reduces these operational expenses significantly and has a beneficial impact on the bottom line.
#4. Lower maintenance expenses
Because EVs have fewer moving parts and require less component replacement, they minimize vehicle downtime and, as a result, overall fleet maintenance costs.
#5. Increased Efficiency
EV fleet solutions provide Fleet Managers with a comprehensive perspective of the entire fleet operation, allowing them to efficiently monitor fleet activity. Fleet Managers have real-time visibility into all areas of the fleet operation, including vehicle whereabouts, ETA, ongoing jobs, completion status, deliveries (and so on), and may also maintain direct communication with their fleet drivers as they go about their daily routines.
#6. Improved Fleet Safety
At the end of the day, the safety of all fleet stakeholders is vital, and fleet businesses are directly responsible for it. EV management systems check compliance with assigned safety rules and take remedial action as needed.
#7. Increases profitability
Because of its minimal maintenance and other increased performance criteria (not to mention the tax breaks granted by governments around the world), EV usage increases profitability significantly. Using EV fleet management software to keep operations running smoothly boosts to the bottom line.
Which Software Is Used In Fleet Management?
Fleetio is used in fleet management because it is reasonably priced and provides location tracking in addition to standard tracking functions.
How Do I Keep Track Of Fleet Maintenance?
You can keep track of fleet maintenance by installing fleet management software that can provide you with a better understanding of vehicle operations.
What Makes A Good Fleet Maintenance System?
A good fleet management system must include some functions, such as real-time location monitoring, service history tracking, and document management.
ln Conclusion,
A vehicle management system is critical for increasing productivity, worker safety, and larger bottom lines for stakeholders. Managing a vehicle such as an electric vehicle fleet is a difficult undertaking, and employing an EV fleet management system to monitor all vital performance parameters like charging schedules, efficient routing, and the energy consumption is critical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VMS in automotives?
A VMS is an electronic device in a vehicle that tracks the driver’s behavior and general performance of the vehicle.
Why do we need vehicle management systems?
Vehicle management systems help to improve efficiency and productivity, and also reduce the overall costs involved with a company’s vehicle fleet.
What is VIN number in SAP?
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a 17-character number that identifies a vehicle and is created when the vehicle is assembled.
Related Articles
- FLEET MANAGER: Job Description, Responsibilities, And Salary
- 10 BEST FLEET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IN 2023
- Best Car Rental Software For Your Rental Business In 2023
- SAP ACCOUNTING: What is Sap Accounting? (+ Top 2023 Courses)
- ARE HOME WARRANTIES WORTH IT? The Myths and Reality of Home Warranties Revealed
References
