Leading fleet and asset management software company Jaama has appointed Andy Bradley to the newly created key role of product manager.
The strategic role marries industry developments and initiatives that impact on fleet operations from the likes of government and its various agencies with the demands of customers using Jaama’s multi award-winning web-based Key2 system resulting in functionality enhances ensuring it remains at the cutting-edge of vehicle, driver and workshop management solutions.
Mr Bradley (34) has a 16-year business career behind him including a decade at Jaama spending four years in a customer support role and a further six years in project management.
Describing his role as being at the “hub of a product development wheel”, Mr Bradley is the conduit ensuring legislation and tax changes and new initiatives from Whitehall departments, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and HM Revenue and Customs result in Key2 enhancements.
For example, the DVSA has recently launched its Earned Recognition pilot scheme, which co-ordinates the four-weekly online fleet reporting of drivers’ hours and vehicle maintenance to drive up operators’ ability to achieve consistently high levels of safety and legal compliance.
Jaama’s ‘My Vehicle App’ enables drivers to complete daily walk-around vehicle checks with information recorded automatically populating the vehicle/asset record within Key2. That vehicle maintenance information, as well as driver hours’ data from tachographs, feeds into the DVSA database
Mr Bradley explained: “The information recorded by transport managers demonstrates to the DVSA that absolute compliance is being practiced. The DVSA is moving to a policy of “remote enforcement” In terms of commercial vehicle compliance that will see fleets provide permanent online updates to vehicle and driver records so compliant organisations will not be hindered by random roadside stops or spot checks thus improving operating efficiency.
“We are talking to the DVSA and some of our customers about involving them in the pilot, which will then influence future development of Key2 to help operators complete all the necessary steps to demonstrate they have achieved the required standard.”
Additionally, Jaama will shortly roll out ‘User Voice’, an online platform for Key2 users to log their development ideas.
Visible to all Key2 customers, Mr Bradley said: “Jaama has a history of working closely with its customers to enhance Key2 functionality. The launch of ‘User Voice’ will enable all system users to feed their ideas into Jaama’s development plans and to comment on those already logged.”
That process will help Jaama further build its development plan roadmap. The pipeline of Key2 enhancements are up to 18 months away in some cases, but some on the “wish list” could be five years from reaching fruition.
Mr Bradley said: “Providing our customers with a platform to liaise directly with Jaama on Key2 enhancements to further drive business efficiency and vehicle operating effectiveness means that we can focus on what is critical to them.
“Ranking and prioritising ideas – legislation changes are among the most important service pack updates – enables Jaama to standardise Key2 functionality enhancements that will benefit our customers rather than focusing on ad hoc developments.”
Mr Bradley, who reports to Jaama development director Stuart Mills, added: “I have excellent knowledge of Key2 and my product development and project management experience means that with the Jaama team we can focus on bringing additional functionality to the marketplace that will further driver the company’s growth.”
Organisations collectively managing more than 800,000 vehicles, company car and commercial vehicle drivers and own-vehicle drivers and their own workshops currently use Key2 and that number is expected to grow significantly further in 2017. Collectively there are now more than 10,300 registered Key2 users across the company’s client base.