Fleet configurations and vehicle ordering can be complicated and time-consuming processes. The online system called Fleet Ordering proves that things do not have to be that way: Fleet and direct customers of the Volkswagen Group can use this practical tool to significantly improve the efficiency of their processes.

Ever since the debut of the online system called Fleet Ordering in 2001, the portal that goes by the same name has brought smiles to the faces of fleet and direct customers of the Volkswagen Group. But there is something more behind the success of Fleet Ordering than simply its long tradition. It is also the intuitive platform and the wide range of product features that fleet managers and company car users love about the system. The online tool recently underwent a makeover.

What services does Fleet Ordering provide?

Fleet Ordering is an online portal designed for fleet managers and user-choosers. It offers a wide range of functions that extend from the development of customer-specific car policies and configuration to the direct placement of vehicle orders in production systems.

The key features are:

• The customer profile
  All contractual terms and conditions with vehicle manufacturers are stored centrally here. Customer-specific car policies that are applied down to the very smallest detail by the system as part of vehicle orders are applied here.

• The configurator
  Vehicle configuration is done on the basis of the individual car policy that is contained in the customer profile for each employee. The relevant vehicle data is based on the company’s own data and is also stored in the configurator. Fleet managers also can generate standard vehicles in the configurator. All key contract terms and conditions are shown here.

• The order
  When an order is placed, Fleet Ordering immediately issues a response regarding the buildability of the vehicle (updated daily). Assignment to a supplier alliance can also be done in this process step. The approval workflow is based on individual customers.

• The integration and the reporting
  The web application enables all individuals involved in the process to view orders as well as view information about the selected status and history.

Explain the benefits of Fleet Ordering: Stephanie Müller, Product Owner of Fleet Ordering and Florian Pingoud, Head of Business Development at Group Fleet IT Systems.

A few clicks to
a company car

Just how does the system work? How is the order process carried out? What happens in the background? After the fleet manager has entered an employee into Fleet Ordering (see the section “Customer profile”), the employee can log into the web portal with just a few clicks. The employee can then configure his or her own company car in accordance with the company’s car policy and compare several configured vehicles. And the employee can do so on the basis of vehicles made by the brands Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi and Skoda – of course, only to the extent permitted by the car policy! After the employee has made a selection, the fleet manager will receive the vehicle request via Fleet Ordering, review it and approve it. The order will then be sent directly to the appropriate dealer and then transferred to the production factory. This smooth process eliminates delays and possible transmission errors between the individuals involved in the process. It is always based on the latest vehicle and production data. The fleet manager will receive an order confirmation and an invoice.

What role does the fleet manager play?

The task that the fleet manager has to perform as part of the use of Fleet Ordering has also been boiled down to a few clicks. For instance, the fleet manager has to create profiles for company car users just once. This is also the case for car policies. These policies can be developed together with the dealership or the support team of Fleet Ordering and applied to user groups. This approach will ensure that every vehicle configuration created by employees will comply completely with the car policies and buildability rules.

The big bonus for the fleet manager is, without a doubt, the elimination of the many manual processes that formerly had to be performed. The manager no longer has to review an employee’s authorization for a company car when an order is placed or adapt every car policy to new/updated vehicles and equipment. Similarly, company car users are unable to use end-customer configurations that do not comply with the car policy when they place their orders. As a result, the risk of buildability and/or car policy conflicts is reduced to virtually zero.

Saving the best for last

Fleet Ordering is free and available in a number of different languages. It can also be linked to customers’ IT systems, a process that has proven itself time and time again in the past. Last but not least, the option of logging into Fleet Ordering by using the ONE Business ID was recently added. What are you waiting for? All it takes to sign up for a test is a short email.

“With the help of its multibrand configurator, the Fleet Ordering platform is the perfect way to select the company cars of our customers and simplifies the new-vehicle selection process for employees. The new design has enhanced the user experience even more. As Fleet Services, we have the opportunity to individually create the car policies of our customers, process them and provide them to customers.”

“Fleet Ordering is an excellent and unique tool for us to efficiently manage the configuration and ordering process.”