A modern fleet management system for all company cars. Integration with the leasing company, automatic congestion tax management and a replacement for Volvo on-call. That was the challenge IF Metall laid out for Infobric on the negotiating table in the summer of 2020. Several months later, we met up with Carl Stern, IF Metall Representative for the Stockholm Region, to see if we had managed to live up to the challenge.
Carl works a representative at IF Metall’s Stockholm Regional Office and is using the new system. While he doesn’t have responsibility for the vehicle fleet or vehicle policy, he did play a major role in the new fleet management system.
“I was involved in the supplier selection process where my input involved “modern thinking” since I’m interested in digital services. I was also the first person here to implement the system.”
For IF Metall, choosing to switch its vehicle fleet from Volvo to Toyota meant they would no longer have access to the Volvo on-call service which they had previously used for travel management. Carl talks about the ideas behind finding a new supplier.
“We started off by taking a look at what services were out there on the market. At the same time, we didn’t just want a new driver’s log, we wanted a more full-package service with automatic functions that could really make life easier for our employees. It was also important that the system was easy to use and required minimum effort from us every month. Ultimately, we went for Infobric.”
" We went from working on it several hours each month to just 30 seconds – the time saving are enormous. "– Carl Stern, Representative, IF Metall
What are the other functions that you are using most at IF Metall?
“The working hours filter is something we are all using now. What it does is that all trips made on certain days and within certain time periods are automatically registered as business trips. It really saves all of us a lot of time.”
“Since we’re driving a lot around Stockholm itself, there are lots of times when we’re travelling in congestion tax zones, so the congestion tax management function is important for us. All trips, both private and business, are registered with a time, place and cost, making it easier to get an overview at the end of each month.”
“The integration with CarPay Fleet has also been very smooth. Once a driver approves the month in his app, the data is transferred directly to the leasing company. Since we run on a split fuel-time system, drivers get an invoice for their private fuel consumption separately. The result is that now every driver has just 30 seconds of work to do each month, not several hours.”
Another important reason behind the choice of supplier was the fact that it needed to be possible for every employee to install the system and get to grips with it. Time was therefore set aside for a digital walkthrough during the onboarding process.
“It had to be easy to use, otherwise it wasn’t going to be worth it. We are an organization that has all sorts of different personalities and knowledge when it comes to computers. Everyone installed the system themselves and everything went off without a hitch despite the mixed levels of IT knowledge.”
" A digital system of connected vehicles can do so much more than just register the number of miles. We wanted lots of smart functions. "– Carl Stern, Representative, IF Metall
IF Metall is a trade union that sometimes receives questions regarding integrity, especially when it comes to connected vehicles. Usually, this means reviewing the purpose of introducing a system, and most serious suppliers should have a solution that can be adapted as necessary. Staff at IF Metall were positive about introducing the system and only saw benefits.
“We spend less time sitting and writing up driver’s logs and it’s all a lot smoother than it used to be. People have been using it for a while now and the feedback is only ever positive. All they have to do is make a few simple adjustments every month via the app.”
Volvo on-call or Infobric’s Driver’s Log?
Infobric for sure. The user-friendliness of the app alone helps us save time which we can then devote to proper stuff. We’re really saving on time costs.
In conclusion
“Everybody has a right not only to a safe workplace and good working environment, but also to smart digital functions that make everyday life easier – Fair means fair!”
IF Metal makes sure that all 300,000 of its members have fair wages, excellent working conditions and the right to a good and safe job
