FIMS

Question 1

2.1.1 What is one of the mandatory success factors in selecting and implementing an FIMS? (p.13)

Answer 1

Know your Business requrements
- Up to you FM to identify all key areas & Guide Vendor
- Vendor cannot be expecteded to know your specific fleet functions.

Question 2

2.1.2 What should you do once you know of the gaps between best in class data and your own? (p.15)

Answer 2

FMO ( Future Mode of Operation)
- You now have the info needed to design FMO
- Business processes become evident
- Team identifies work needed
- Proccesses & Sub Processes created
- Data repositories identified

Question 3

2.2 FIMS categories or Tier 1 Enterprise Management Systems

Answer 3

Function : Other functions ( AP, Vendor Man., Finance)
IT : Server / Intranet
Workflow Automation : Not Vehicle Specific / Automation requires specifics addons
Cost : Software costs high / Fleet Services Drive costs higher
Implementation Time : Longer to add Fleet Terms / No time needed for Interface

Question 4

2.2 FIMS categories or Tier 2 Enterprise Asset Management Systems

Answer 4

Function : Generic Asset Management
IT : Server / Intranet / Internet Option
Workflow Automation : Not Vehicle Specific / Automation requires specifics addons
Cost : Software costs high / Fleet Services Drive costs higher
Implementation Time : Longer to add Fleet Terms / Longer times for Interface

Question 5

2.2 FIMS categories or Tier 3 Comprehensive Vehicle Fleet Management Systems

Answer 5

Function : Specializes in Vehicles / Equipment / Life Cycle Management
IT : Server / Intranet / Cloud
Workflow Automation : Vehicle Specific / Automation requires some configuration
Cost : Software costs reasonable / Pro Fleet Services for projects but at lower cost
Implementation Time : Some time to configure / Longer times for Interface

Question 6

2.2 FIMS categories or Tier 4 Specific Fleet Function Management Systems

Answer 6

Function : Not Comprehensive ( Specific to 1 function )
IT : Server / Database / Networking / Run on PC
Workflow Automation : Specific for Fleet function / Automation requires some configuration
Cost : Software license or subscription fee / Low cost / One-Time purchase for PC
Implementation Time : Short / Longer times for Interface / Could be manual for PC

Question 7

2.3 Information applications or software.

Answer 7

Fleet organization must know and document the business requirements and use cases.

Question 8

2.3.1 What are use cases? (p.17)

Answer 8

Use Cases simply outline the process, workflow or function for which the software will be used and the method of use.
- The fleet acquisition stakeholders consist of:
* The software users (e.g. operations and administrative staff)
* The support roles (e.g. procurement)
* The relevant managers and leaders
* Finance and budget personnel
* IT resources, etc.
- They must all be engaged in the process in order to achieve a successful outcome and to reduce re-work

Question 9

2.3.2 What can add complexity, cost and time to the process of migrating to a new software? (p.18)

Answer 9

1. Cooperation from the Existing Supplier - Not happy - Send them a Template to obtain needed info. - Add these details in the contract upfront to prevent issues on the backend. ( Data belongs to cust. )
2. Migration of Data from Existing to New - Data cleanup from years most times
3. Data sanitation and Format Discrpancancies - “garbage in garbage out” - common mistake in data migration is to underestimate the time required to ensure proper database table structure
4. Cutover Details - “hot cutover” technique must be used - existing and new software work in parallel and the existing software is decommissioned when there are no users active on the system (i.e. late at night)
5. Process Changes - Opportunity to improve the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency with new FMO - New process needs to be simple / ^ efficient to get the buy-in of the process actors. - Insructions for the new process need to be clear, concise and well-tested prior to launch
6. Change Managemenet Communicatins and Training - Regular communications from the leaders and project management team about the benefits of the new software and the progress status would assist to reduce the resistance to change - comprehensive training

Question 10

2.3.3 What is meant by the phrase “garbage in garbage out”? (p.19)

Answer 10

If a mistake was made while entering the data, the database will contain this mistake

Question 11

2.3.4 What is the “hot cutover” technique? (p.19)

Answer 11

Existing and new software work in parallel and the existing software is decommissioned when there are no users active on the system (i.e. late at night)

Question 12

2.3.5 List some communications and training that are important during software transition. (p.19)

Answer 12

• Regular communications from the leaders and project management team about the benefits of the new software and the progress status
• Comprehensive training for all software users at launch time and some refresher Post launch.

Question 13

2.3.6 What are the functions of an Enterprise system? (p. 20)

Answer 13

Other functions ( AP, Vendor Man., Finance) - These systems are used for supporting all the functions of an enterprise as a whole

Question 14

2.3.7 What are the advantages and disadvantages of an Enterprise system? (p.21)

Answer 14

Advantages: May already have a system / No Interface time / IT Infrastructure already exists / Software upgrades at same time
Disadvantages: Functions like ( Finance,AP, HR,) take priority over Fleet Man. / Terminoligy shortage / Rigidly guarded / Time and cost high / Not specialists

Question 15

2.3.8 What are the functions of an Enterprise Asset Management System? (p.22)

Answer 15

• Used to manage fleet and other assets such as servers, printers, communication network components, building heating and cooling system components, etc.
• Provides for asset records including location, move/modify/delete functions, preventive maintenance forecast, repair records
• Compartmentalized by asset type and requires configuration and terminology customization for the fleet functions
• Workflow automation requirements

Question 16

2.3.9 What are the advantages and disadvantages of an Enterprise Asset Management System? (p.22-23)

Answer 16

Advantages:
Multi-purpose software to manage all enterprise assets reduces the need for disparate solutions for managing different assets
* ( same system may be used to manage vehicles, IT servers, PCs, printers, etc. in an organization)
As with the Enterprise solution, IT infrastructure and resources can be shared for multiple uses.
Legal contracts may be already in place for other asset management

Disadvantages: Still need for Interface development / Need customization for Fleet / You can get a better deal with specific systems Not Specialists

Question 17

2.3.10 What are the functions on a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) fleet management system? (p.23)

Answer 17

This software is dedicated and specialized for fleet management function
- The higher echelon solutions are very comprehensive and consist of all the software modules to support the end-to-end lifecycle management of the vehicle asset, including the required work flows, data repositories, document management and so on, which we will discuss at length in a subsequent section.
The lower and middle echelon software must be scrutinized and understood clearly to ensure that your requirements are being met and that there are firm plans in place to meet any gap

Question 18

2.3.11 What are the advantages and disadvantages of a COTS Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Fleet Management fleet management system? (p.23-24)

Answer 18

Advantages: Easy to configure and implement because it’s specific to Fleet Managmenet / Fleet expertise / Flexible Infrastructure / Less customer reliant
Disadvantages: Basic package may be more than you need // Cost has Floor / Still requires custom configuration

Question 19

2.4 Fleet function-specific management software.

Answer 19

The function specific software allows for a low cost of entry and it is useful for companies who only provide one specific fleet service

Question 20

2.4.1 What are some of the uses of fleet function specific software? (p.24)

Answer 20

Management of the shop or garage, parts inventory, work order, purchase order, timesheet, and so on.

Question 21

2.4.2 Why is it important to understand a company’s future evolution strategy? (p.25)

Answer 21

Needs to be understood in the terms of impact on current / short term buying decisions
- Do you plan to offer other services in the future?

Question 22

2.4.3 What is an integration consideration that may not allow two software’s to communicate? (p. 25)

Answer 22

• There are subtle issues in terms of when the system actually sends the data and whether this meets the user requirement.
• Several function specific systems are of an older vintage and may not necessarily have up-to-date interfacing capabilities

Question 23

2.4.4 Why is it important to consider 2-3 vendors with strong financials and a solid track record? ( p.26)

Answer 23

• Before making a purchasing decision, it is important to ensure that the supplier space is competitive
• If you cannot find at least 2 or 3 quality vendors, this is a strong indication that the longevity of the supplier and the software is in doubt

Question 24

2.5 Elements of a Fleet Information Management System (FIMS).

Answer 24

• The functionality offered by a FIMS in the marketplace is enormous in its scope and there are some generic FIMS attributes to consider.
• Suppliers offer several options in the system architecture offerings for delivery of the solution.

Question 25

2.5.1 What are two things to consider when choosing an FIMS? (p.36)

Answer 25

- FM needs to consider the commercial or business model which makes the most sense for your organization - The budget

Question 26

2.5.2 Why are PC based fleet management applications seldom used in the industry today? (p.37)

Answer 26

- Fleet management application which runs on a stand-alone PC and does not require any connectivity to other computers, servers, etc

Question 27

2.5.3 What does the term ‘client server’ refer to? (p.37)

Answer 27

- Network architecture in which each computer or process on network is either a client or Server. * Driver portal

Question 28

2.5.4 What does the term ‘thin client’ refer to in client-server applications? (p.37)

Answer 28

- Usually refers to software, but, it is increasingly used for computers, such as network computers and Net PCs that are designed to serve as the clients for client/server architectures

Question 29

2.5.5 What is the purpose of a thin client in client-server application? (p.37)

Answer 29

- A Thin Client in client-server applications is a client designed to be especially small so that the bulk of the data processing occurs on the server * A thin client is a network computer without a hard disk drive

Question 30

2.5.6 What does the term thick client refer to? (p.37)

Answer 30

- Usually refers to software, it can also apply to a network computer that has relatively strong processing abilities

Question 31

2.5.7 What is the purpose of a thick client? (p.37)

Answer 31

- Thick Client is one that performs the bulk of the data processing operations * * A thick client is a network computer with a hard disk drive - The data itself is stored on the server

Question 32

2.5.8 What is a web application? (p.38)

Answer 32

- Any application which runs on the internet and can be accessed from a PC using a web browser and typing in the web site address (also known as Uniform Resource Locator or URL) could be called a web application

Question 33

2.5.9 Define the term ASP (p.38)

Answer 33

- A web application provider that has its own data center may also be called an Application Service Provider (ASP)

Question 34

2.5.10 What are the benefits of ASPs for companies? (p.38)

Answer 34

- ASPs are a way for companies (suppliers and customers alike) to outsource some or almost all aspects of their information technology needs

Question 35

2.5.11 What is cloud computing? (p38)

Answer 35

- A type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications

Question 36

2.5.12 What does the term cloud computing mean? (p.38)

Answer 36

- The phrase cloud computing means “a type of Internet-based computing,”

Question 37

2.5.13 What is cloud computing similar to, and how does it work? (p.38)

Answer 37

- Grid computing: * A type of computing where unused processing cycles of all computers in a network are harnessed to solve problems too intensive for any stand-alone machine

Question 38

2.5.14 What options do the FIMS solution suppliers give for the architecture choice and the associated software license model? (p.38)

Answer 38

- FIMS solution suppliers have flexible options for both the architecture choice and the associated software license model

Question 39

2.5.15 What does it mean when a software license is in perpetuity? (p.38-39)

Answer 39

- The customer can use the software forever once they have paid a lump sum amount for the software - License gives the customer the right-to-use the software, but the intellectual property belongs to the FIMS supplier

Question 40

2.5.16 What software rights does a perpetual license give to a customer? (p.39)

Answer 40

- The customer is not at liberty to modify or re-sell the software

Question 41

2.5.17 What costs are involved in purchasing a perpetual license agreement? (p39)

Answer 41

- The license cost is paid as a lump sum once the software is implemented and thereafter, there is an annual fee for support and software enhancements

Question 42

2.5.18 When are perpetual licenses most often afforded? (p39)

Answer 42

- Most often a perpetual license is offered when the customer provides their own IT infrastructure within their intranet * Option when the customer wants the FIMS supplier to provide the software as a web application with a data center hosting the application. * The data center may belong to the customer, the FIMS supplier or a third party ASP.

Question 43

2.5.19 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of paying for software as a service (SaaS) (p.39)

Answer 43

- Option for the customer to pay monthly fees instead of paying a lump sum software license fee. Cost is allocated to an operating budget (OPEX) whereas the license cost is paid using a capital budget (CAPEX) / All Inclusive / Flat rate

Question 44

2.5.20 Compare options and relative advantages and disadvantages about making the fundamental decision about system or IT architecture and license model. - PC BASED

Answer 44

Licence Model : Perpetual License or Annual License Fee that is renewed Advantages : Inexpensive / PC User has autonomy Disadvangages : Narrow scope of appications / No sharing / Old / Upgrades must be installed by user

Question 45

2.5.20 Compare options and relative advantages and disadvantages about making the fundamental decision about system or IT architecture and license model. - Client Server within Org Intranet

Answer 45

Licence Model : Perpetual license w/ annual fee for Maint, support & enhancements Advantages : Secure within firewall / Economies of scale possible / Autonomy over IT Delivery Disadvangages : More cost for IT infrastructure / fire creates complications / Upgrates require IT support

Question 46

2.5.20 Compare options and relative advantages and disadvantages about making the fundamental decision about system or IT architecture and license model. - Web Application using organization’s data center (owned or provided by another company)

Answer 46

Licence Model : Perpetual license w/ annual fee for Maint, support & enhancements Advantages : Web hosting allows access to external & internal parties / Economies of scale possible / Dictate robustness and up-time requirements for IT Infrastructure Disadvangages : More cost for Data Center / Upgrades require IT Support

Question 47

2.5.20 Compare options and relative advantages and disadvantages about making the fundamental decision about system or IT architecture and license model. - Web Application using FIMS supplier provided data center (owned or provided by another company)

Answer 47

Licence Model : Perpetual license w/ annual fee for Maint, support & enhancements & hosting fee for Data Center or SAAS ( monthly fee) Advantages : No Internal IT resources needed Disadvangages : SAAS model may be more expensive

Question 48

2.5.20 Compare options and relative advantages and disadvantages about making the fundamental decision about system or IT architecture and license model. - Cloud Application

Answer 48

Licence Model : SAAS ( monthly fee) Advantages : No Internal IT resources needed / Lless expensive Disadvangages : Requires stringent Service Level agreement ( SLA)

Question 49

2.5.21 What are some generic FIMS attributes? (p.41)

Answer 49

- A clear understanding of the organizational objectives which can be enabled by the FIMS can serve to put things in perspective. * System allows for apps and Web-hosting within an org firewall * Robust and Reliable and Supplier ususes Best appication / software development practices * Best practices related to Vehicle LIfe-Cycle Managment * Real-Time data that is viewable online in Dashboard * Flexible Integration w/ Enterprise systems such as HR, Finance, AP * Facilitates Self-Serivce by users and Admin. * There are "out of the Box" or standard management reports that are exportable * Enables maximum automation of work-flows and reduces manual steps and reliance on paper forms * Uses Industry standard definitions for metrics for benchmarking. * Maximize data entry consistency and accurancy * The User Interface and Navigation must meed best software design practices

Question 50

2.5.22 What must a vehicle management function allow the fleet management organization to manage in a FIMS? (p.42)

Answer 50

- Must allow the fleet management organization to manage the vehicle and any up-fitted equipment from creating the vehicle, up-fitting it, transferring it during its lifetime and finally retiring it. ( Life-Cycle)

Question 51

2.5.23 What does the vehicle master record consist of in a FIMS? (p42)

Answer 51

1. Vehicle Data / specs / all 2. FIMS generates an unique identifier ( unit number ) 3. Ther is an equipment module which can be attached to a vehilce ( generator / arial device) 4. Master is automatically updated with any new information added or changed. 5. FIMS able to add up all costs

Question 52

2.5.24 What is the electronic catalogue of standards for vehicle chassis and associated options called and where is it housed? (p43)

Answer 52

- A best-in-class practice is to reduce the number of standards for vehicle chassis and associated options. - An electronic catalog of standards called the Vehicle Selector is created and housed in the FIMS to facilitate acquisition

Question 53

2.5.25 How does the FIMS reduce the need for manually entering some vehicle related fields (e.g. make, model year, engine size etc.)? (p.43)

Answer 53

- The vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) provides VINs for the new vehicles which can be uploaded in the FIMS and the vehicle master is automatically populated. - Vin Decoder

Question 54

2.5.26 What criteria must a vehicle meet for it to be retired and how does the system let you know? (p.43-44)

Answer 54

- Replacement Criteria * Flags vehilcles ready for Turn-in / Track sale & pickup / Provides metrics - Total Loss

Question 55

2.5.27 What must a best in class garage maintenance module be able to track? (p.44)

Answer 55

Work order / purchase order / vendor management / parts inventory / warranty management / mechanic productivity and scheduling / timesheet reporting / training / lone worker management, and automated work-flows which improve garage efficiency

Question 56

2.5.28 What are some of the uses that an FIMS should have in a garage operation? (p.44-45)

Answer 56

• Vehicle Maintenance and Repairs schedules for garages. • Overall requirement that all costs need to be captured at a vehicle (or equipment) level. • All maintenance and repair related data must be available by garage location to allow for internal bench marking. • Supplier management including adherence to preferred suppliers by auto populating the preferred supplier’s information in the Work Order or Purchase Order. • Interface with the organization’s Accounts Payable system for approved supplier file with the ability to make a supplier “active” by garage location in the FIMS. • Work Order module including automated work and document flows. • Use of standard VMRS codes (e.g. ATA) which allows for trend analysis by vehicle system and component. • Customer Service Center or Call Center module including ability to record on-road assistance such as towing services, providing PO numbers to third party suppliers, keeping track of approvals, etcRecall and safety bulletin work management, monitoring and reporting. • Tire management capability such as tire pressure, tread depth, tire rotation, tire replacement, etc. and ability to work with a wireless hand-held device which measures tire pressure and tread depth. • Approval hierarchy and management of pre-set threshold dollar amounts for repairs. • Invoice processing and payment for maintenance and repair: o E-invoicing which permits receipt of an e-invoice, invoice matching against a PO and Receipt document or visually matching against PO or Receipt. o Approval management of the invoice. o PO status change to “paid”, and invoice presentation to the right manager for approval. o Invoice batch creation process and approval in the FIMS to transmit the batch to the organization’s finance system. o Interface with finance system for client billing and journalentries when invoice is paid. • Paid invoices in billing queue for charge-back to the fleet clients. • KPI management for maintenance/repair services, e.g. vehicle downtime,cost/VEU, productivity, PM compliance, et

Question 57

2.5.29 What must an FIMS be able to do in order assist in preventive maintenance? (p.45)

Answer 57

- Legislated Inspections and Preventive Maintenance (PM) forecast - The planned work (e.g. inspections and PMs) automatically populated in the mechanic’s schedule. - Report on compliance % for legislated and non-legislated PMs by fleet client and at a summary level

Question 58

2.5.30 What must an FIMS be able to do in order to capture labor in a shop operation? (p.45-46)

Answer 58

- The system must provide a way to normalize the work done at a garage using Vehicle Equivalent Units (VEU) * For example, if one garage only looks after passenger vehicles and another garage looks after large trucks, then VEU must be used to compare the productivity of the two garages - Garage workload / scheduling / Machaninic workforce manangement - Booking system with real-time view - Ability to measure Direct ( time spent on repairs ) & Indirect ( time on admin tasks / training) - Timesheet module for mechanics and intrigration with payroll - Easy lookup tible for Maint and Repair Employees - Training management and repository of cert levels for mechanics

Question 59

2.5.31 What is “Commercial Maintenance” in the context of a comprehensive FIMS? (p.46)

Answer 59

- The commercial maintenance usually refers to maintenance and repair done by external organizations - This work is still captured in the FIMS as external or outsourced labor and parts.

Question 60

2.5.32 What is meant by “Warranty Terms” and how does an FIMS track them? (p.46)

Answer 60

- The warranty terms for new vehicle system and components are complex in that vehicle systems have different warranty terms - Uploading of such information via the system back-end or an interface with the vehicle OEM’s system will reduce manual work and data entry errors - The FIMS tracks the warranty terms for vehicle system and components and as well for the after-market parts

Question 61

2.5.33 What should occur after a warranty flag is triggered in an FIMS? (p.47)

Answer 61

- This flag will alert the mechanic to send the vehicle to the OEM dealer for repair under warranty - For the after-market parts, the system alerts the mechanic that the part being replaced is still under warranty when the mechanic opens the work order to do so - The FIMS also queues the parts information for the warranty management person to make the claim to the parts supplier

Question 62

2.5.34 How can a best in class FIMS help during the warranty claims process? (p.47)

Answer 62

- The best-in-class FIMS pulls all the costs and prepares the documents for the claim - It is very important to note that in cases where the fleet organization flows through the maintenance and repair cost to the fleet client, the FIMS must be configured to hold off on billing until the claim is settled

Question 63

2.5.35 What capabilities must a best in class FIMS have in order to efficiently manage a parts inventory? (p.48-48)

Answer 63

- The best-in-class FIMS contains sophisticated parts inventory management module. * Designed for centralized parts purchasing and store as well as for distributed parts purchasing and inventory at various garage locations - Parts & Inventory modules including parts warranty module by location and master level. - Parts look-up by description, vehicle make and model year or part number. - Management of superseded or obsolete parts which cannot beordered anymore - Price validation for contracted supplier prices – this is done using a price comparison engine - Core Management - Ability to order in Bulk from one location

Question 64

2.5.36 What information is needed to track in the parts catalogue? (p.48-49)

Answer 64

- The FIMS has a master list of parts or catalog which are either uploaded via the system back-end, interfaced/imported from the parts suppliers or manually entered as a part record by a parts administrator.

Question 65

2.5.37 How can an FIMS help manage inventory? (p.49)

Answer 65

- The FIMS needs to provide exception reports for such parts to facilitate clean-up

Question 66

2.5.38 How are parts received into the system? (p.50)

Answer 66

- Automate PO when stock is below set threshhold - In a best-in-class FIMS, the parts which have not been used in many years are identified in a report for the parts administrator to take action to clean up the parts catalog.

Question 67

2.5.39 What must an FIMS be able to do in order to order a core? (p.50)

Answer 67

- The FIMS needs to manage the debit and credit such that the fleet client is not charged for the core which is returned and there is a credit. - The FIMS needs to provide reports on core returns and credits received as a check to ensure that the cores are physically returned

Question 68

2.5.40 What type of information is contained in the product master of the FIMS? (p.51)

Answer 68

- The product codes of: * All types of required fuel (e.g. regular gas, premium gas, diesel, propane, etc.) * Fluids such as windshield wiper fluid and motor oil, * Any other product codes which are permissible (e.g. carwash).

Question 69

2.5.41 What are the positive and negative file methods of approving fueling transactions? (p.52)

Answer 69

Positive: A positive file consists of all the valid card numbers and the fuel supplier imports it in their system - means that if the fuel supplier does not find the card number being used in their system, the transaction will be blocked and the sale will not occur. Negative: The negative file is the opposite of this and the fuel supplier requires the card numbers which are invalid and must not be used - If the card number is not in the negative file then the transaction goes through. * Obviously, the positive file method provides more security and is therefore, more desirable.

Question 70

2.5.42 What is the process that fuel transactions undergo through the FIMS? (p.53)

Answer 70

- All the transactions from retail gas suppliers are combined together for daily, weekly or monthly transmission to the FIMS. - Generally NOT real-time - The FIMS has a pre-processing algorithm which checks the transactions for reasonableness

Question 71

2.5.43 What needs to be programmed into an FIMS in order to calculate co2 emissions? (p.53)

Answer 71

The calculation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) is done using a formula - the GHG from the vehicle fleet is actually calculated as carbon dioxide (CO2) emission - The best-in-class FIMS prepares the CO2 emission reports at a summary level and at the departmental level

Question 72

2.5.44 What fleet related financial details are recorded in an FIMS? (p.54)

Answer 72

The FIMS basically enables the financial processes related to the accounts payable, the journal entries, customer billing and cost allocation, and timesheet approval for payroll.

Question 73

2.5.45 Why must an up to date cost center file be uploaded to the FIMS on a regular basis? (p.54)

Answer 73

Needed for correct cost allocation

Question 74

2.5.46 What must every asset in the FIMS that requires chargeback to another department have? (p.54)

Answer 74

• HR file upload for fleet clients which requires integration with the organization’s HR system (e.g. SAP LDAP). It is important to note that third party (e.g. outsourced maintenance and repair company) must also provide its HR file since its personnel are using the same FIMS. • Employee lookup for all fleet related personnel which facilitates vehicle transfer from one entity to another. • Organization hierarchy for driver, driver’s supervisor, manager, etc

Question 75

2.5.47 How does an FIMS facilitate the accounts payable process? (p.54)

Answer 75

- To facilitate invoice processing such that the cost is tagged to the right vehicle, the FIMS has a module for manual invoice entries or it accommodates the electronic receipt of an invoice. - Gathers up all the costs by supplier and GL code and this information is transmitted via an electronic interface to the organization’s accounts payable system for payment to the supplier

Question 76

2.5.48 What are flow through costs and how can an FIMS help manage them? (p.56)

Answer 76

- These are mainly costs for maintenance, repair and fuel and are sometimes called “flow-through” costs. - FIMS provides the capability to charge a flat management fee per vehicle to cover the cost of items such as administration or garage cleaning supplies, etc - The other method is to apply a % mark-up on the fuel, maintenance and repair costs which is also enabled by the FIMS

Question 77

2.5.49 How can an FIMS be used in the timesheet management process? (p.57)

Answer 77

- The timesheet management is done by the FIMS * For example, the hours against all the work orders in a day are pulled by the FIMS for a mechanic and his/her timesheet is automatically populated with these hours * Any remaining hours for administrative or general work are entered by the me

Question 78

2.5.50 What four functionalities should an FIMS have in regards to driver management? (p.58-59)

Answer 78

1. Driver Certifications 2. Training 3. Vehicle Assigned

Question 79

2.5.51 What are KPI’s and how are they used by management? (p.61-63)

Answer 79

Key Performance Indicators - The maintenance and repair manager will see the status of open work orders on his/her landing page - The finance person may see the fuel cost and maintenance and repair cost on his/her landing page - The FIMS allows for self-serve queries

Question 80

2.5.52 What is a dashboard and how does an FIMS create it? (p.64-65)

Answer 80

- Dashboards are a graphical way to present the information - The FIMS allows for customized dashboards for the different fleet roles and these are relatively easy to set up

Question 81

2.6 System integration.

Answer 81

- This requires the implementation of electronic interfaces between systems

Question 82

2.6.1 What is the integration process? (p.68)

Answer 82

The integration process at a high level is as follows: • Identify the need or use; • Decide on the data fields, the file format and frequency of transmission; • Decide on and create a transport method (e.g. FTP, web services); • Develop a test file and actually transfer the file in order to test for proper transmission and receipt of data; and, • Once test results are accepted put the file transfer and the transport mechanism in production

Question 83

2.6.2 Describe the two categories of integration methods. (p.69)

Answer 83

Real-time : Batch (i.e. not real-time) : * The transmission frequency requirement will dictate whether the information is needed as it is happening

Question 84

2.6.3 How is data transferred in real time? (p.69)

Answer 84

Telematics / GPS

Question 85

2.6.4 Describe the process of a batch file transfer. (p.69-70)

Answer 85

- An example which we have already discussed for non real-time is the monthly B96:B97transmission of fleet client billing data from the FIMS to the finance system - The accumulated data is summarized by GL code and department code and a batch file is prepared - The commonly used transport mechanism is the FTP or File Transfer Protocol

Question 86

2.6.5 Define some common interfaces that are established to meet business needs between the FIMS and other systems. (p 70-71)

Answer 86

HR / Payroll / Purchasing / Inventory / Internal Fuel / Fixed Asset - FIMS is used for vehicle acquisition, asset number assignment and vehicle plus up-fitting cost, this information is transmitted to the project management system and to the finance system for proper tracking and accounting

Question 87

2.6.6 List some common vendor to fleet interfaces. (p.72-73)

Answer 87

- Commercial Fleet card - Part supplier - Commercial Repair - Telematics

Question 88

2.6.7 What information needs to be transferred between the project management team and the finance department? (p.72)

Answer 88

- Dollars spent on actual vehicle assets

Question 89

2.6.8 What type of information is exchanged in a dispatch system? (p.72-73)

Answer 89

- Two types of data exchange requirements may exist 1. Availibility of Vehicles ( pool) 2. Know the name of the Driver who is actually dispatched in a given vehicle - This type of data transfer is required in real-time between the two systems