the challenges of this unknown profession
[CONTENU PARTENAIRE] Phoenix Development has a dual role. It publishes both car fleet management software and manages car fleets. This DNA constitutes one of its particularities in its market. Fabien Goussault, President of Phoenix Development, explained to us what the car fleet manager profession entails.
What is the role of the fleet manager?
Employees of a company are not always aware of the role of the vehicle fleet manager. In the collective imagination, he was content to roam the halls with car keys… However, the stakes are high, and the tasks are many. Vehicle fleet management involves many processes from the request for vehicles, to their return or sale.
Each task corresponds to several steps. The manager is in charge of ordering the vehicle, the fuel card, the toll badge… He is also in charge of arranging the delivery with the driver. parallel, he acts as a facilitator between the different departments of his company (payroll, accounting, purchasing, etc.) and other interlocutors : drivers, technicians and vehicle suppliers. Its role is therefore paramount within a company.
What is Phoenix Development doing to advance this profession?
On the initiative of two of our colleagues, we created the aFleet association, which now brings together 7 partners. The goal is to really communicate our work as a car fleet manager (fleet management).
Every year, Phoenix takes part in the Flotauto Meetings, a trade show that brings together all the market players. The term “fleet” can also be found there in many stands: that of the leasing company, the oil company, the tire manufacturer… Hence the interest to also use this show to remind us of our role in amidst a cloud of suppliers and partners.
How do you stand out from other fleet managers?
Phoenix Development is a company created by managers and for managers, with real expertise. We distinguish ourselves from our peers by creating our own software. This independence is our strength, in a market where other managers use tools that are not theirs.
This is a real advantage! Being the sole decision maker, Phoenix Development is easier and faster to adapt upon any customer request. Our software is also highly configurable for any organization. We also differentiate ourselves by the ISO 27001 standard (security of information systems). Phoenix Développement is the only player in the market to obtain this certification (both in terms of software and in terms of fleet management). It is a guarantee of quality and durability.
Finally, another one of our strengths comes through shared governance. Today, some of our customers are struggling to hire new talent, and are therefore experiencing difficulties performing certain tasks (such as processing fines, processing invoices, managing order workflows …). We offer them the possibility to delegate these tasks to us., and demand is exponential. Again, this is an additional service that our colleagues cannot offer, as they do not have their own software.
How do you help companies manage and optimize their vehicle fleet?
The profession of fleet manager cannot be learned in school. No diploma, no certificate, and as we said above, this activity suffers from preconceived ideas. Optimization first and foremost involves working with the manager’s image: thanks to our tools on the one hand, then by automating tasks. Thus, the manager can focus on value-added missions.
Phoenix Development envisions vehicle fleet management in an optimized way. This requires the return of reliable data, and strong security of the information entered into the software. This rigor is essential to provide quality data.
This optimization also results in ongoing support and advice to our customers. We discuss various topics with them: organization, processes, market surveillance, regulatory surveillance… Some of our clients even want Phoenix Development managers train their employees. They provide them with their expertise by explaining to them, for example, how lease contracts work, what financing methods are used, who are the market players, etc.
How do you adapt to the need for energy transfer? Are you experiencing any particular difficulties?
Our market is subject to regulatory obligations, mandated by the European Union and France. This is the case of the mobility orientation law (LOM), which obliges companies to renew a certain percentage of their vehicles for clean vehicles in the following years. The stated goal for 2022 is 10% vehicles. However, barely 4% of all our customers…
At Phoenix Development, we adapt to these changes through our tools. To ensure that an employee knows how to drive an electric vehicle, we set up an eligibility questionnaire. This document asks him to specify his type of residence (apartment or house), if he is already equipped with an electrical terminal, or if, if not, a terminal is located near his home or can be installed his home. These different questions direct the employee towards a specific type of vehicle.
Customers want to move faster on these issues — particularly because of CSR constraints. However, this dynamism is hampered by a lack of infrastructure. They are not growing enough. Customers find it difficult to adapt to demanding goals. They also face other problems: the cost of clean vehicles, the cost of installing charging stations, and a lack of trust that is still present for the autonomy of electric vehicles. For its part, Phoenix Development strives to provide software and management assistance to ease customers’ daily lives.
Recruitment is one of the challenges in your sector: how does this translate to Phoenix Development’s scale?
Today’s recruitment difficulties affect all sectors of activity, and Phoenix Development is no exception. To remedy this, we conduct training courses. They are aimed at those who are interested in managing or operating a vehicle. Once hired, these new recruits are trained for between 8 to 12 months on the job of fleet manager.
Note, however, that if we lack candidates, on the other hand, we are not short of customers. Every year, we record double-digit growth, between 25% and 45%. During the Covid period, we even noticed a 46% increase in our turnover. We are at the point now: our sector is developing, and companies are realizing that this is actually a real profession. Demands are pouring in, and the need for new talent is pressing.
Do you have the last word?
This year, we started a global overhaul of our image. By creating an authentic brand image, in tune with the times, we will gain visibility and credibility. The goal is that our image matches our position as a true expert in the fleet manager profession.
This image overhaul will lead to the revision of all our communication and media tools: software, website, mobile application, and our other communication tools.
This content was created using SCRIBEO. BFMBUSINESS editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content.
