Lease Plan looks to the Web for cost reduction and service improvement

Systems Integration and software development firm Business Edge Systems has been contracted to initiate an extensive overhaul of the operational support systems at Lease Plan Fleet Management SA, a member of the ABN Amro Lease Group. Lease Plan aims to improve customer service and reduce administration costs through increased automation, streamlined processes and self-service facilities for suppliers and customers.

Hennie Pretorius, Director of Business Edge Systems, says the initial project involves the design of a new systems architecture, and the development of a Contracts Termination module for the company.

"The South African fleet leasing industry is highly competitive and innovative. Added to this is the fact that we have volatile interest rates. These factors present challenges not faced by our operations in many other parts of the world and they demand a responsive, flexible and extendable systems architecture that can be accessed easily by our customers and suppliers", says Ross Richards, IT Manager for Lease Plan Fleet Management SA. "We believe that a browser-based system built using an object-oriented architecture will provide us with the systems capability we require at a low cost of ownership."

In the first phase of the project, Business Edge Systems designed a new systems architecture based on industry-standard platforms such as the Windows NT operating system, Microsoft SQL/Server database and the IBM VisualAge for Java development toolset.

In the next phase of the project, Business Edge Systems is developing a new Contract Termination module. The browser-based client interface simplifies deployment of the application to end users, and will significantly reduce roll-out and support costs, when compared to traditional client/server applications.

"There is more to Contracts Termination in a fleet management company than most people realise", comments Pretorius. "As vehicles come out of their lease at the end of the contract, they must be assessed to see what needs to be done to them to make them marketable. Some repairs may be required, or there may be penalties payable by lessees for exceeding mileage. A number of external parties participate in the process - making a web deployment the logical choice".

The project also involves significant skills transfer. Business Edge Systems has trained Lease Plan personnel in object-oriented development techniques, and during the jointly staffed development project, Lease Plan personnel are being exposed to the Java development environment.