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FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER’S DESK
 There is a saying in the US Army that “the difficult we can do immediately but the impossible may take a little longer.”
I was reflecting upon the truth of this saying following the launch of our new IT platform Miles, which you’ll read a lot about in this issue of In Focus.
Launching Miles wasn’t impossible of course, but at times over the last couple of years some of the team working on the project might reasonably have felt that way.
Toyota Fleet Management set itself very high goals with Miles. We wanted a system that would not just improve our existing operations but also accommodate our plans for significant growth and innovation in the future.
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TFM GROWS TO MEET MARKET DEMANDS
Toyota Fleet Management (TFM) regards the launch of Miles as a vital step towards its goal of becoming Australia’s best and most customer-focussed Tier 1 Fleet Management Organisation.
The launch of the IT platform is the culmination of a re-invigoration of Toyota Finance Australia’s fleet finance and management business which began more than five years ago.
The process first became evident to customers in 2007 when the business was given its own, distinct, branding as Toyota Fleet Management.
“At the time of the name change we had about 33,000 motor vehicles in our portfolio and most of those were purely finance contracts,” said TFM General Manager, Ed Stanistreet
“The name change was driven by the need to raise customer awareness of our broader fleet management expertise and it was a clear indicator of our future direction.”
In the ensuing four years, TFM’s asset book has boomed to more than 85,000 vehicles and the company has risen to become the second largest FMO in Australia.
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TFM OFFERS UNIQUE FULLY MAINTAINED TERM PURCHASE
Toyota Fleet Management has broken new ground by offering customers the option of a Fully Maintained Term Purchase (FMTP).
Launched to coincide with the introduction of the Miles system, the FMTP combines the convenience of a Fully Maintained Operating Lease with the financial flexibility inherent in Term Purchase.
Strategy and Product Manager, Phillip Boxsell says FMTP is likely to become more popular as planned changes to taxation and accounting rules are rolled out.
“New taxation rules that take effect from July 1 next year mean that Term Purchase customers will be able to claim tax credits up front,” says Mr Boxsell.
“That, combined with changes to International Accounting Standards, may mean that Term Purchases will have some additional advantages over other forms of vehicle finance for some customers.”
TFM’s Fully Maintained Term Purchase allows customers to choose to include running costs such as repairs and maintenance, roadside assistance, full or scheduled services and tyre replacement in the payments.
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MILES BUILDS BETTER RELATIONSHIPS
Toyota Fleet Management relationship managers say the greater efficiencies generated by the Miles system will improve the level of service they are able to give their customers.
After some teething problems during the transition to the new system, customers are starting to recognise the benefits Miles offers them.
“Every customer wants something slightly different from their dealings with Toyota Fleet Management – and the new system is flexible enough to meet most expectations,” says Relationship Manager, Matthew Gambell.
“For some the benefit of the new system will be that their relationship manager will have more time for face-to-face contact.
“For others, the ability to quickly and easily generate their own quotes online is proving to be a major plus.”
When providing customers with a quote on an Operating Lease, the system can be configured to show whole-of-life costs in the quote.
Mr Gambell believes the feature customers will derive the greatest benefit from is the extensive data available through the system.
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BUSINESS CHAMPIONS HELP SMOOTH MILES TRAINING
The introduction of the Miles system to Toyota Fleet Management staff and customers has been assisted by the decision to appoint ‘business champions’ to the project this year.
A representative from each area of TFM’s operations underwent early training in the system so that they could provide end-user feedback about Miles on behalf of their colleagues.
“Throughout the year the business champions were exposed to the system at critical junctures, providing their opinions and raising operational and useability concerns for us to address,” said Miles Training Manager, Darren Hing.
“Their input has been absolutely invaluable in improving the system and ensuring the successful deployment of Miles.”
Training for Fleet customers has been conducted by Relationship Managers, the goal being to highlight the self-serve functionalities available through the Miles web portal.
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