New Fleet Management System to Streamline World Food Programme

Online, July 16, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The World Food Programme (WFP), a UN organisation, is extending its long-term relationship with Chevin Fleet Solutions and implementing the supplier's web-based fleet management system across all of the 82 countries the WFP operates in. The roll out will deliver improved visibility of fleet requirements, streamline efficiencies and reduce cost, allowing the humanitarian agency to better provide its vital service to those most in need.

FleetWave, the web-based application designed by asset management consultancy and software house Chevin Fleet Solutions, will be rolled out in Uganda during July 2010 and internationally across the whole organisation by the end of the year.

Traditionally, the WFP has relied upon a paper-based fleet management process, with countries such as Sudan and Afghanistan being covered by RoadBASE, Chevin's desktop fleet management application designed for smaller or less complex fleets.

After meeting with the WFP in Rome during November 2009, Chevin Fleet Solutions immediately began developing the FleetWave system, achieving a short turn-around time and successfully engineering the software to the specific requirements of the WFP. The addition of a 'specific trips' module means that FleetWave will now enable fleet logistics teams in each country's office to input data such as vehicle routing, journey duration and fuel consumption; and a 'way bills' module gives fleet and logistics managers access to an audit trail of when and where deliveries have been successfully dropped off, providing full chain of custody records for all aid donations.

Jean Francois Milhaud, ODTL / FSU / Fleet Manager at the WFP HQ in Rome, comments: "I am delighted to be extending our relationship with Chevin. They have adapted the FleetWave system to our specific needs, allowing us to utilise each fleet to its full potential, making the organisation as a whole more efficient and helping us to reduce cost whilst achieving our aim of providing food and other aid to those in need."

FleetWave will not only promote consistent working practices on a global scale, and open up communication channels to provide clearer visibility, but will give drivers, engineers and fleet managers access to real-time data anywhere in the world via a web connection.

Chevin travelled to Uganda and Ghana recently in preparation for the launch, meeting with a selection of representatives from some of the 82 countries covered by the WFP for a train the trainer programme to deliver instruction on how to use the system.

Following initial implementation of the new system, the WFP and Chevin will meet to discuss further possible enhancements to the system. Options include French translation for use in the WFP's many French speaking countries, an offline version of the system that can be updated remotely where internet access is unavailable and then automatically replicated into the live system upon return, interfaces to tracking systems, and a currency exchange rate module.

Karan Ridgard, operations director of Chevin Fleet Solutions, commented: "Chevin has been working with the WFP for almost 10 years and it has been fantastic to be involved in such an exciting and worthy project and we will continue to discuss improvements, to ensure that FleetWave provides the WFP with the services it needs."

Chevin Fleet Solutions will also be providing second-line technical support to the World Food Programme. Ms Ridgard added: "It has been a pleasure working with the WFP to deliver them with this FleetWave system. We want to ensure that they receive all possible technical support, guaranteeing that any problems are solved as quickly and efficiently as possible and further improving the service of the WFP."

For more information please visit: www.chevinfleet.co.uk