Smart Mobility 004 UK

www.smart-mobilitymanagement.com

#4

MMM Business Media – Smart Mobility Management n°4 – Quarterly periodic newsletter November 2011 – Deposit office Luxembourg-Gare

International Integrated Corporate Mobility Solutions

I Route & Journey Optmisation:

- By road, rail and air - Integrated Solutions

I Case Studies:

- 3M Europe - Cisco -G SK Biologicals

privileged partners :

EDITO ROUTE OPTIMISATION Planning, Navigating, Managing

T

he main topic of this publication is “Route optimisation” for which we identified three areas: Planning, Navigating and Managing, each facing different challenges.

PLANNING Integrated multimodal journey planners help inform comprehensively about travel options, save time and money in travelling, promote sustainable modes of transport and contribute to co-modal integration. The current main concern is very well summarized in the challenging question raised by Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of transport: “Why can’t I yet plan or book my journey through Europe — switching from air to rail or sea, to urban or road transport — in one single go and online?”. EU-wide multimodal travel information services have become a key element of the European Transport Policy and among the priorities of the ITS Directive (2010/40/ EU), with specifications to be developed by 2014.

NAVIGATING The introduction of Portable Navigation Devices (PND) back in 2004 has changed the way we drive. In 2008, the results from leading research institutions* confirmed the positive influence of satellite navigation devices on driving and traffic safety. Indeed they reduce the stress levels of the driver, improve his/her behaviour and reduce the number of kilometers driven and travel time when driving through an unknown area or to an unknown destination. The rise in worldwide usage of GPS-equipped smart phones now become a threat to the days of supremacy of the Portable Navigation Device (PND) in the global navigation market. A new challenging and promising race has started...

MANAGING An efficient corporate mobility policy and management should consider a Mobility Budget, a Mobility Card providing employees great flexibility to identify and select the various travel options matching their specific needs and an integrated Mobility Expense Management module to monitor travel requests (pre-approval to online check with policy) combined with an automated expense and reimbursement control module to save up to 65% versus manual methods. Are we dreaming? No. These new services are available and some described further in this publication.

Caroline THONNON cthonnon@mmm.be

Filip VAN MULLEM fvanmullem@mmm.be

Filip VAN MULLEM & Caroline THONNON

SMART MOBILITY MANAGEMENT DIRECTORY To serve our 37,000+ readers across the World in the best way possible, our Smart Mobility Management website will soon propose a premium, powerful web directory organized by sector and presenting the leaders from the respective industries: fleet, travel, conferencing and IT & communication.

This directory is a unique opportunity to highlight the distinctive features of your business and attract new clients.

Register and submit information on your company, coverage, services and tools in the directory today to uphold the leading position you deserve! www.smart-mobilitymanagement.com

smart mobility management - n°3 I 3

seat.com

THE NEW SEAT EXEO AND EXEO ST.

‘FLEET CAR OF THE YEAR’ TWICE IN GERMANY*. NOW IMPROVED. It has a lot to live up to, so we knew we had to make the new SEAT good. That’s why it comes with the latest technology including the latest range of efficient TSI and TDI engines for extremely low running costs and CO2 emissions, something that should maintain the Exeo’s High Residual Value. Inside you’ll find it equally impressive, with enough features to please any driver. But don’t take our word for it.

We’ll just let the facts do the talking.

· MORE EFFICIENT ENGINES WITH LOWER CO2 EMISSIONS · NEW FRONT LED HEADLIGHTS

· AUTOMATIC MULTITRONIC GEARBOX · TOP-QUALITY INTERIOR FINISHES

IF YOU TRY IT, YOU’LL BUY IT. SEAT Fleet Average consumption: 4.9 - 7.9 l/km. Average CO2 mass emissions: 129 - 179 g/km.

Please note that the Exeo models are for visual reference. Some of the features are optional and offers may vary per country and trim level. *Award given to the previous Exeo ST model in 2009 and 2010. Source: DEKRA (www.dekra.com) and FIRMENAUTO.

MEMBER OF T HE VOLK S WAGEN GROUP

CONTENT 8

28

DOSSIER

STRATEGY

ROUTE OPTIMISATION

27 StarCite

8 Introduction Navigation and location based services is the next big trend

12 Carlson Wagonlit Travel More efficiency through communication

14 Driving aids Interlinked solutions

Making the process of meeting simple

7-49

Privileged partners

07 Alphabet 16 Thalys 22 Athlon Car Lease 37 Europcar 49 Peugeot

28 Car Leasing New Alphabet opts for new mobility

17 TomTom

30

BEST PRACTICES 30 3M Europe Christiane Decleyre Winner of the International Fleet Mobility Award 2011

32 Cisco Michael Schwarz Networking & communication

34 GSK Biologicals Antoine Minot Mobility Management as motivator

From maps to fleet services provider

48

INDUSTRY 38 News News from the industry suppliers

42 Air Travel Can Air Travel be green?

46 Automotive Industry “Car-makers to embrace mobility concepts”

48 Travel Industry

“Travel costs will rise”

50 Europcar’s mobility strategy Interview with Pascal Klein

18 BMW Mobility Services “Clients become smart users”

ISSUE N°5 SMART MOBILITY MANAGEMENT The fifth issue of Smart Mobility Management will be published in February 2012. The main dossier will be on the subject of ‘how to implement a mobility budget’.

In addition to this, we will inform you about some best practices in mobility management from companies worldwide.

20 The mobility card A weapon in the war on talent

21 MobilXpense The added value of outsourcing travel management

23 Eurostar Meeting the business challenge

26 Go-Mobile Integrated software support for improved mobility

EDITORIAL TEAM

PRODUCTION

Editorial Director: Caroline Thonnon (cthonnon@mmm.be) Final editor: Stijn Phlix Team: Frédéric De Backer, Tim Harrup, Steven Schoefs

Head: Sonia Counet

SALES & MARKETING TEAM Sales Director: Marleen Neukermans Sales Manager: David Baudeweyns Assistants: Romina De Gregorio and Patricia Lavergne Marketing Manager: Kathleen Hubert

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Director: Caroline Thonnon Project Manager: Annick Nemetz and Consultants: Filip Van Mullem and Melchior Wathelet

EDITOR Managing Director: Thierry Degives Publication Director: Jean-Marie Becker

Reproduction rights (texts, advertisements, pictures) reserved for all countries. Received documents will not be returned. By submitting them, the author implicitly authorizes their publication.

MMM BUSINESS MEDIA SA/NV Complexe Arrobas Parc Artisanal 11-13 4671 BLEGNY-Barchon (Belgium) Phone: 00 32 (0)4 387 87 87 Fax: 00 32 (0)4 387 90 87 info@mmm.be www.mmm-businessmedia.com

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STRATEGY

Our project

Smart Mobility Management International Integrated Corporate Mobility Solutions

S

mart Mobility Management is an innovative media platform helping fleet, travel, conferencing and IT-communication decision makers in national and international corporations build future sustainable mobility policies in line with the new emerging economy, ecosystem, society and work environment.

The year 2000 brought the first broadband innovations changing the way people now connect and communicate. As from 2006, the planet, fuel, traffic and pollution problems started pressing for more environmental engagement. Since 2008 the impact of the financial crisis accelerated the general quest for a better worklife balance leading to a new global mobility strategy.

Integration is underway The combination of these three important developments form the foundation of Smart Mobility Management where the fleet, travel and conferencing activities, linked in one way or another to mobility but managed in an isolated way until now are ready to integrate with the help of sophisticated technology developing at crazy pace.

Smart Mobility Management is a long term, holistic and integrated approach linking inter-related activities to fulfil business requirements and objectives through sustainable means.

In our approach, we aspire to help international decision makers (Board Members, Purchasing, Finance, HR

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and Fleet, Travel and Meeting managers) develop and implement the best possible Integrated mobility strategies and policies in line with their respective company cultures and constraints to meet identical objectives: optimise costs, increase employee efficiency and take care of the carbon footprint.

When to move or not?

Smart Mobility Management starts with the first elementary question: should I travel or not to meet my client, colleague, supplier? > If the answer is “yes”, how can overall mobility costs be minimized for the company whilst efficiency for the employees is maximized? How efficient are the alternative and multimodal solutions? Who proposes what and where? > If the answer is “no”, can business people who want to use telepresence or video conferencing connectivity related services in their professional life really optimise their valuable time and create a better work-life balance while impressively reducing travel time and cost?

International platform To move to the next level, integrating connectivity and mobility, Smart Mobility Management’s international platform aggregates up-to-date infor-

mation on the market environment, trends, best practices and case studies, industry news and comprehensive articles on international policies and processes.

It allows experts, privileged partners, opinion leaders and trendsetters to exchange expertise and share knowledge.

It finally proposes the first directory of innovative mobility tools proposed by the leaders of the respective industries.

By aggregating information and connecting the respective industry leaders, Smart Mobility Management is determined to accelerate mobility integration in order to swiftly achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability for a better quality of life, more efficient companies and a greener society.

Filip VAN MULLEM

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AlphaCity: Corporate CarSharing 2.0 Corporate mobility is about to take a sharp turn onto a brand new road thanks to an innovative Corporate CarSharing solution designed by fleet management specialist Alphabet International.

The prizewinning AlphaCity, as the solution is called, will be rolled out in its Version 2.0 internationally in 2012 following a test period in three pilot markets, the UK, France and Germany.

Christian Steiner Head of Mobility Services «AlphaCity is bound to be a success, because it is already anticipating the trends in driving and meets exactly the demands of our customers.»

The solution was elaborated in response to a number of corporate demands, notably fleet optimisation, lower total cost of ownership and lower total cost of mobility. “Companies want to continue offering innovative mobility solutions as a business necessity and a new fringe benefit for their employees at the same time,” says Christian Steiner, Head of Mobility Services at Alphabet International, “so naturally they are on the lookout for mobility solutions designed to create a true win-win situation and using state-of-the-art technology.”

AlphaCity is based on a powerful IT and telecommunications platform that delivers real-time communication between the car, the driver and the back-end. The key to the system is keyless access and operation of the vehicle: an RFID chip embedded on the user’s driving permit avoids complicated key management, and it allows drivers a great deal more flexibility. They can now use any web-enabled device, like the company intranet or a smartphone, to reserve a car quickly and conveniently. “The system then recognizes who is sitting in the car and the purpose of the trip, so it can be automatically charged to the right cost unit,” says Steiner. “It also informs the back-end when the car is due for a cleaning, or where repairs are needed!”

This simplification of the administrative processes is an important step towards cost reductions. But there is more. Thanks to automated booking processes, companies will be able to cash in on a growing social trend towards using cars spontaneously “on demand”, rather than owning. Instead of having a fleet idle outside business hours, for instance, a company adopting the AlphaCity solution can now let employees use its cars for private trips, too.

The fee for private use is directly charged to the user’s own credit card and will go towards defraying the cost of the leased vehicles.

“It’s a win-win for all,” Steiner points out, “because the companies will have complete transparency over how, by who and when the cars are used and employees can pick up the cars for private purposes whenever needed as a fringe benefit.”

Alphabet is working on the international roll-out, following the successful launch of AlphaCity in its Version 1.0 in Paris in 2010.

A number of blue-chip customers have already expressed interest in signing on. “It’s bound to be a success, because it is already anticipating the trends in driving and meets exactly the demands of our customers,” says Steiner enthusiastically. “AlphaCity will also effectively facilitate the integration of electric cars in company fleets, because new automotive concepts must come with new services if they are to earn acceptance.”

Thanks to AlphaCity, companies will be able to cash in on a growing social trend towards using cars spontaneously “on demand”, rather than owning.

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

Navigation and location based services Navigation systems and telematics devices in trucks are becoming mainstream and crucial for controlling costs and optimising productive utilisation. We take a look at road transport trends regarding navigation tools and integrated solutions.

Although navigation systems for passenger cars are also developing fast, this article paints a picture of how applications from the road transport sector could find their way into the fleet sector as well.

Fleet operators are starting to use Navigation based Telematics systems as a fleet utilisation tool which can provide revenue opportunities as well as drive increased efficiency

I

ncreasing fuel prices have been hurting fleets for years and with additional demands on companies to reduce their carbon emissions whilst gearing-up for the 20% growth of road transport by 2020, it means that the demands on fleet managers to control costs and optimise productive utilisation has never been greater. Fleet Telematics, a system which allows the information exchange between the vehicle and its central control helps to reduce a company’s CO2 footprint, streamline processes to reduce total cost of ownership and promote an organisation’s socially responsible effort. These benefits are giving fleet owners a distinct advantage over their competitors, however, a pure Telematics or black box solution alone, cannot achieve this.

As little as five years ago the navigation system in the vehicle was the only link the drivers had with their external environment. This non-connected

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personal navigation device (PND) was stand-alone with map data that was often out of date. Nowadays, the modern, connected system is dynamic and requires inputs from a number of diverse and often disparate information sources enabled through connectivity.

In a short space of time, the modern navigation system has evolved into an

integrated, intelligent system that interrogates data taking several parameters and characteristics into account to provide much more than an approximate ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival). Data inputs to these systems include: vehicle characteristics (weight, height, width), driver characteristics (work time, rest), environmental characteristics (up/down

“Navigation systems are moving from being a stand-alone device to an integrated system”

while further reducing CO2 emissions and vehicles’ wear & tear. The addition of eco-routing allows the map system to be aware of various environmental factors. For example, a smart navigation system knows about the entire route, including when the vehicle takes a bend, drives up or down hill. As the conditions change, the map system instructs the powertrain ECU to change driving set-up to optimise performance for fuel efficiency or performance depending on the situation.

For improved safety, especially with Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs), the realtime map information will also help operators to warn drivers of potential hazardous situations, such as rollover e.g. when a driver negotiates a sharp bend, the system synchronises the information about the location and the vehicle. It then senses if the vehicle is moving too fast for a turn, based on cargo weight, and warns the driver of the situation. Using the vehicle’s centre of gravity in relation to the metrics associated with the corner, it warns drivers of potential rollover situations.

It also tracks the data over time and identifies potential ‘black spots’ as well as individual drivers who are frequently warned to suggest areas of re-training.

It also helps to identify good drivers in order to highlight best practice.

hill routes, toll), driver behaviour characteristics (risky driving) and engine characteristics (harsh braking).

Navigation integrated with vehicle interface a value-addition Eco-routing is an advanced navigation feature which helps fleet managers and drivers to reduce fuel consumption

Building on the increased European regulations for Tire Pressure Management Systems (TPMS), Tyre manufacturers have also integrated sensors to identify the grip and condition of the road surface which are important parameters for an integrated Telematics system when analysing safety and speed recommendations for the driver.

Demand for toll information As governments and local authorities look for additional revenue opportunities by implementing toll or charging

schemes, there is an increased demand for highway toll information across Europe. With this information, Fleet operators can calculate actual route costs, by vehicle, by trip. Vendors are determining the cheapest route, not just by distance travelled, time and fuel, but the additional costs associated with the journey such as toll cost and others. For example, the shortest route between Italy from Germany could include Switzerland, however, with tolls and additional expenses, some fleets are choosing to divert through Austria instead.

Security management As insurance costs increase there is a growing importance of vehicle security management and the role played by insurance companies. Location based vehicle tracking technology is not only a theft deterrent but companies can ensure that fleet vehicles are kept within specific roads and road types (avoiding dangerous routes), choosing for highways as much as possible irrespective of congestion and traffic jams. Often, navigation systems route traffic away from congested roads and on to more dangerous side roads when there is a traffic jam. An external eco-chain partner such as an insurance company, can influence the routing system parameters e.g. time, cities travelling-to, and goods carried would be considered, while offering premiums.

Real-time parking and fuel price information Another growing trend is the demand for real-time information for parking and fuel as navigation becomes an integral part of the telematics system. This can also be optimised for a particular organisation or brand, or for a particular price point. An example is when the Telematics unit recognises that it is time for the driver to take rest based on tachograph information, the system will automatically identify the nearest, or cheapest,

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

The modern, connected system is dynamic and requires inputs from a number of diverse and often disparate information sources enabled through connectivity.

parking space available and provides the route guidance to reach the destination. The two-way communication on board the Telematics capabilities also allow push advertising (or discount vouchers) to be forwarded directly into the driver’s seat based upon location, or during particular times of the day i.e. lunch-time.

Demand for charging points and eco-routes Though electric vehicles are niche today, but as they gain momentum, the need for identifying the location of vehicle charging points will be in high demand, especially for commercial vehicles. With the charging station location and availability information being mapped, new eco-routes will evolve which will connect operational, practical and CO2 efficiency together.

These routes not only optimise fuel efficiency, but also help to minimize vehicle wear and tear.

Revenue opportunities for operators Fleet operators are starting to use Navigation based Telematics systems as a fleet utilisation tool which can provide revenue opportunities as well as drive increased efficiency and improved customer service. The system helps to manage reverse logistics and backhauls effectively by correlating location information with HOS (Hours on Service) and vehicle information. For example, when a client requests an urgent pick-up, the system automatically identifies drivers with available time and space capacity. It then identifies the vehicle best positioned to make the collection instead of allocating a new vehicle from a central location. Location based tracker information optimises the vehicles utilisation on the outbound and return journeys.

The other opportunity to enjoy additional revenue is by using real-time and predictive traffic data. For example, if there is a request for a pickup on a busy afternoon, the system uses the data of major happenings such as sporting events and road construction that might cause traffic congestion during that time in that location.

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Navigation systems provide new opportunities for value chain participants.

Modern systems help to provide added value customer service by allowing accurate delivery or collection timing information.

These elements are starting to be considered as commercial differentiators in a competitive market. The map and routing system can capture very specific data such as exact bay location for the delivery or particular stacking / queuing protocols for advanced logistics systems.

Conclusion The growing challenge of retaining experienced, long haul and HGV drivers is a global problem and not just limited to Europe.

Low cost workers from Eastern Europe are relocating to alleviate the short term demand, but the longer term shortage may become a key success factor for hauliers in the future. If this trend continues, fewer drivers are being required to cover new routes rather than regular, established ones. This will add to the increased demand on navigation systems to keep inexperienced drivers safe and on established or approved routes.

Telematics vendors should take the opportunity to further integrate navigation with the on-board unit, allowing all stakeholders of the new supply chain to realize and share in the benefits – driver (roll-over; safety); vehicle (wear & tear); operator (revenue opportunity) and environment (CO2 emission). Thus Navigation is more than a tool to direct the vehicle route, but also more effectively, efficiently and environmentally to its destination.

EXPERTISE CENTER Written by Edward Gibbs and Sathyanarayana Kabirdas For information regarding navigation and location based services, please contact the author, Edward Gibbs, Growth Consulting Director EMEA, Automotive & Transportation, Frost & Sullivan: Edward.gibbs@frost.com.

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

More efficiency through communication A company with a very old name and a very modern approach to travel. To find out how Carlson Wagonlit Travel approaches the complex field of 21st century travel management, we asked Geneviève Pradoura, Product Manager for the ‘CWT Program Messenger’ management tool, to explain how the tool can support route optimisation.

“We optimise the traveller’s well-being and experience when he is undertaking his journey.”

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or the middle part of the 20th century, using a ‘wagon lit’ or sleeper train, was one of the earliest forms of smart travel management. Why waste good daytime hours going from A to B if you can go there at night and sleep on the way…? Now, the company which still bears this famous name is still providing optimal travel solutions.

What is the objective of CWT Program Messenger?

Geneviève Pradoura: CWT Program Messenger represents just one of the ways in which CWT supports route optimisation. It is a broad communication tool which we globalised in 2008 in order to help travel managers communicate efficiently with travellers, their arrangers and supervisors as well as other key recipients within their organisations. CWT Program Messenger helps them to drive compliance with the policy, and also to communicate on all areas of their travel programme. The way the tool achieves this is that the travel manager sets a policy based on specific transaction criteria and then the tool automatically communicates the details to the traveller or other recipients based on specific parameters. CWT Program Messenger can “push” information when appropriate, and CWT Portal our customisable travel portal allows travellers to “pull” information as needed.

Does this also work in terms of route optimisation?

G. Pradoura: Route optimisation means different things to different stakeholders in the travel process. For the company it typically means savings if the policy is followed, for the travel

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manager it can mean time saved via the automated targeting of communication, and finally for the traveller it means that they are receiving contextual and relevant information that improves their travel experience. An example of how these needs could be reconciled could be for example a targeted message from the travel manager to the traveller advising them to use hotels in the preferred hotel program, while also providing them useful information on the amenities negotiated in the rate. Everyone can benefit in this scenario: hotel leakage is reduced, volumes are captured and deals are therefore better negotiated leading to better savings and better rates for the traveller. The traveller is benefiting from all the amenities negotiated in the corporate rate.

Does the message come from CWT or from the company travel manager?

G. Pradoura: The message comes from whoever the travel manager decides but ideally someone the traveller knows within the organisation to create an impactful message, such as the travel manager, the security or the HR team, so the process is very user-friendly in this respect. What the travel manager wants to communicate is triggered by Program Messenger as soon as a transaction meets the criteria set in the policy, but the message appears to be coming from whomever they choose or from them (the travel manager) personally. It is a truly automated system but it mimics an e-mail from a particular person. The travel manager simply goes into the tool and says ‘I want an e-mail message to come from me and target anyone who is using air on a

particular route when rail is available’. The message may be that anyone using the plane for their travel should possibly consider switching to the train for cost or CO2 reduction reasons. This therefore delivers route optimisation along with two other key benefits. We see travel managers using the tool to manage the actual travel process in this way, but we also see them using it as a way of optimising resources and potentially avoiding travel if necessary, substituting travel by video-conference or tele-presence, for example. If the travel manager sees that the traveller is proposing to go for internal business meetings, and that both buildings have videoconferencing or tele-presence facilities, the message can be triggered to consider this option instead.

Isn’t ‘avoiding travel’ going against your own interests?

G. Pradoura: Typically customers consider travel alternatives to target internal meetings where the participants know each other well and may be able to interact via other means than face to face meetings. This is again an illustration of how travel managers are optimising travel and overall interactions within budgets constraints.

Going back to some of the considerations a travel manager has to take into account when thinking about route optimisation, along with the major one which is cost, we still see interest in reduction of CO2 emissions even in tougher economic times.

Our tool provides solutions in this area. Nowadays, the balance between cost and the environment swings backwards and forwards, but what we are finding is that travel managers want the best way of providing useful information to the traveller. This can include a calculation of the impact of using a particular mode of transport on the company’s environmental footprint. The information given by the travel manager also involves duty of care, and touches almost on health information – vaccination requirements for example. Traveller well-being is certainly something we are asked about more frequently now.

ENHANCEMENTS ON ROUTE OPTIMISATION CWT has just released CWT To Go, a free mobile app, which aims at helping the traveller to remain in realtime contact with essential travel information: flight status, check-in, destination weather information or even restaurant options in the locality of their destination hotel.

“As for CWT Program Messenger, it will be integrating new data sources and finding new ways to deliver messages in the upcoming months. “Route optimisation is, and will remain, a key area of focus for us”, says Geneviève Pradoura.

CWT Program Messenger delivers personalized messages on policy compliance and other travel-related topics to travelers and other key stakeholders in a company’s organization.

How much ‘destination’ information does Program Manager give?

G. Pradoura: As much as compliance is an important focus for a lot of customers, we see that the tool is also used a lot to provide convenient and relevant destination-based information to the traveller to address needs around health & safety and generally improve the travellers experience during their trip etc. To illustrate by an example, messaging can include practical information – if the travel manager knows the traveller will be landing at La Guardia airport in New York, for instance, a message be programmed providing visa and entry information, giving details of airport shuttle services, or taxis… The toolkit within Program Messenger can also look at the specific destination – maybe a hotel – and remind the traveller that he should be using a preferred supplier, or that certain terms and conditions have been negotiated with the destination supplier in question. One thing to remember that although the tool provides countless messaging opportunities we also find that the most efficient way for travel managers to communicate to their travellers is not to bombard them with hundreds of different messages, but to concentrate on a handful of key, important topics.

Tim HARRUP

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

Interlinked solutions Moving from one place to another efficiently does not mean just optimising the journey time or the number of kilometres driven, but also using the vehicle in the most energy-efficient manner. The equation has a number of variables and requires careful consideration.

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or several years, the driving aids developed by vehicle manufacturers have not been aimed only at improving safety, but are closely involved in connecting two points while losing as little time as possible and burning a minimum of fuel. To do this, two principal factors have to be taken into account: traffic conditions and the way in which the driver uses his vehicle. Driver and mobility management have a considerable impact on journey costs which, in practice, can vary by up to 15%.

Intelligent GPS The most obvious example of on-board equipment involves navigation systems. They are no longer confined to making sure we arrive at the right place and don’t get lost on the way. Nowadays, many GPS systems, as well as calculating the quickest or shortest route, also calculate the least energy-consuming option. The route selected thus avoids those roads with the most stops and starts, favouring fluidity, provided that the distance to be covered remains reasonable. But the technical characteristics are not enough.

Traffic congestion also has to be identified and effectively avoided. Two systems are currently in competition. The first uses information supplied by the road infrastructures (vehicle counting points) and is therefore dependent on the quality of this. This TMC (Traffic Message Channel) can thus prove to be very effective in certain countries such as

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Germany, while it is virtually non-existent in others such as Belgium. The second system uses a completely different source of information: the drivers’ portable telephones. This anonymous data enables the position, direction and speed of telephone users on the road to be accurately known.

On-board eco-driving Once on the ideal itinerary, it is the driver’s turn to play a role in efficiency. Here too, vehicle manufacturers are developing more and more devices. The time when the fuel consumption at a given moment was the only information available, is long gone. Today, some models offer veritable on-board eco-driving assistance. This is in particular the case at Fiat, where you simply have to plug a USB stick into the Blue&Me system to instigate an eco:index which takes acceleration and deceleration into account, along with the ability to maintain a constant speed, and gear changes.

What’s next?

In the future, the role of the driver in his journeys will be considerably reduced. This evolution will be made possible by car-to-car communications systems. This genuinely creates a network of vehicles able to see, reflect and communicate with the other vehicles and also with road infrastructures (tolls, traffic lights etc.).

Frédéric DE BACKER

Simple to use, the Fiat eco:Drive system enables driving parameters to be recorded on a USB stick, and then to be analysed on a computer using downloadable software.

The Volkswagen ‘temporary automatic pilot’ uses active cruise control and lane assist to drive the car on the motorway on its own, under the surveillance of the driver.

Under the auspices of the European Union, the SARTRE project (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) initiated in 2009 aims to increase journey safety and reduce fuel consumption on motorways by 20%.

Whether on-board or not, the most recent GPS systems indicate the most economic itinerary and warn the driver of traffic jams on his route thanks to two types of traffic density analyses.

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION

PERFECT SYNCHRONISATION

Last October the sim TD large scale test began, involving the major German manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes along with public, technological and university players. Ford took the opportunity to present its latest inter-vehicle communication initiative: Electronic Brake Light enables information about braking to be transmitted to the vehicle behind. By working together with carto-car systems it will be able to indicate the presence, position and type of potentially dangerous objects on the road. Vehicles will thus be able to warn each other of the presence of these objects when they are overtaking, giving time for them to react.

Who has never moaned about badly synchronised traffic lights? This is a real problem because not only does it upset traffic fluidity, causing drivers to lose precious time, but it also leads to increased fuel consumption due to constantly stopping and starting. Wouldn’t it therefore be the best solution to synchronise the vehicle with the lights? This is just what BMW is developing at the moment: a system which will advise the driver of the speed which will enable him to reach the next junction when the light is on green. The only problem is that this will require the active cooperation of the public authorities to make it work…

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Staying a step ahead of the industry Operating at the centre of an economic hub encompassing France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, Thalys has a unique overview of the issue of route optimization. We pose a few questions to Scheherazade Zekri-Chevallet, the new CCO of Thalys.

Scheherazade Zekri-Chevallet, New CCO of Thalys

Thalys offers rapid, flexible travel, well thought-out from beginning to end, but you also talk about value. What do you mean by that?

All our business customers tell us this matter is doubly important between Paris, Cologne, Amsterdam and Brussels. It’s about minimising their travel time, making their trips smoother, and maximising the utility of these trips. Aboard our trains, our clients work, eat breakfast, check email, book their hotels...they can make efficient use of 100% of their time if they wish. We make this possible for them with electrical outlets, on-board WiFi, the international press available, meals served at their seats in Comfort 1, and four-seat private Salons.

Thalys has invested heavily in developing intermodal solutions for efficient travel.

What have you learned from this experience?

Public transport, bus, local train, rental cars, high-speed train: we are at the centre of a very efficient transport chain. The public really appreciates the programmes we’ve created.

For example, the All Belgian Stations ticket is a tremendous offer: our passengers can take any Belgian train during the day without having to worry about buying another ticket. It’s the same in the Aix-la-Chapelle region with all regional transport. And there’s more: taxis booked on-board that are waiting for you when you arrive, books of underground tickets sold in the ThalysBar, combination offers with Europcar...

You recently announced a very innovative partnership with Brussels Airport, Brussels Airlines and Jet Airways. Does this mean air and rail are no longer competitors?

This is truly a project with its eye on the future. Direct competition is becoming less meaningful; complementarity and partnerships are gaining tremendous ground. For trips to destinations fewer than four hours away, high-speed train is a must. Our customers are changing their travel habits in the face of air and road travel options. By turning the problem around with a partnership approach, we expanded our transportation coverage to include Brussels Airport, making it easier for Paris region travellers to take our partners’ long-haul flights. And we achieved a minor revolution: to give our customers the simplicity of a single travel ticket, we managed to make our railway data compatible with the air travel distribution system.

What role might these innovations play in “route optimisation”?

A crucial, structuring role. Since July, our MobileTickets on smartphones free our customers from all paper ticket limitations. The service is a favourite with business travellers. But innovation isn’t only technological. Last year, we launched new membership fares: ThePass Premium and Business.

They provide flexibility that’s strategic in “route optimisation.”

Thalys is internationally renowned for its range of services.

What future objectives might you have?

In a competitive environment, our objectives are guided by our staying a step ahead of the industry, our innovative energy, our flair for service. We are always challenging ourselves, so we remain our customers’ favourite train over the long-term. More specifically, we’re working on our services, designing spaces exclusively for business travellers, acting on flexibility issues, on the package of advantages tied-in with our TheCard loyalty programme…

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

TomTom: from maps to fleet services provider Jeremy Gould, Vice President (Sales) Europe for TomTom Business Solutions, explains to us how TomTom, whose systems are fitted to 150,000 vehicles, has become a major player in the fleet management sector. Going beyond the straightforward navigation systems TomTom is best known for, the company now impacts on a range of KPI’s.

Jeremy Gould: “It is very important to report the information in a way which actually means something to the company.”

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omTom Business Solutions has been identified by independent analyst Berg Insight as the fastest organically growing telematics and fleet management company in Europe over the past two years.

Can you tell us about new products in terms of route optimisation?

Jeremy Gould: What we offer to businesses is a tool to help them increase productivity and reduce costs. And of course one element of any business

which has a mobile workforce is optimising how their fleet is run, and how their mobile workforce actually gets to its destination. So we offer an off-theshelf telematics solution that enables anyone in the office to have full visibility of where their vehicles are located, and to be able to allocate jobs according to the location and availability of the resource.

How has the navigation element evolved?

J. Gould: Firstly through our 40 million customer database, we have a vast knowledge of how people travel and where they travel to. This has enabled us to build up smart algorithms which calculate the smartest possible route to a destination. For example, going from a given A to B between eight and nine o’clock in the morning or between three and four in the afternoon, you may be given a completely different route. This is based on historical information. Secondly you add a layer which is specific

to TomTom, which is real time traffic information. This real dynamic situation on the road clearly has a major impact on the routing.

Can you tell us something about cost savings you have been able to record for your clients?

J. Gould: I’ll give you the example of the French company Boulanger. They have 300 light commercial vehicles equipped with our Link 310 system and Pro-Navigation device. These vehicles deliver to end customers and also provide aftersales services. What they saw after they fitted our systems was a reduction in their fuel costs of 10%, from 6,000 litres to 5,300 litres per year in total. This was due to a number of factors. One was reduced kilometres, the second was the reduced amount of time spent in traffic jams, and the third was an optimisation in the way they organised their mobile workforce, also leading to reduced distances travelled.

Moving forwards, what might be coming next?

J. Gould: There is a big focus now in larger companies on how to improve their carbon footprint. At TomTom Business Solutions, we have already developed smart and easy to use tools for businesses to actually measure their carbon footprint. Using the TomTom ecoPLUS module, we are able to get fuel consumption information in real time from the vehicle, which is then combined with other information to provide a carbon footprint for the vehicle and the company.

Tim HARRUP

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

BMW Mobility Services: “Clients become smart users” With global urbanisation on the increase, mobility is in high demand. A development that has not escaped the attention of car manufacturers. Including the BMW Group. To respond to this trend, this German car manufacturer has launched a series of mobility services, both for private as well as corporate clients.

Joachim Kolling: “In 2013 and 2014 BMW will be launching the electric i3 and i8 who will be telematically equipped so that they can be used for different BMW mobility services.”

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even to eight years ago, we had already noticed signs of a growing urbanisation” said Joachim Kolling, Project Leader Private Car Sharing at BMW Group Mobility Services. “The result is that more than half of the world population now live in densely populated areas.

The arrival of the internet and the use of smartphones mean that people now have greater mobility possibilities. With the consequence that a lot of our clients have become ‘smart users’ with a strong need for ad-hoc solutions. Therefore the BMW Group defined a strategy with a dual objective: to be the leading premium car and motorbike manufacturer and also the leading provider of premium mobility services.”

DriveNow The BMW Group has now launched a number of different mobility services under the name of BMW i. The first to appear is DriveNow. “This is a car sharing project that has been running in Munich since June and in Berlin since September. DriveNow is a joint development project with the rental company Sixt and is targeted mainly at private clients. Anyone needing a car can use one of the MINIs or BMW1s parked around the inner cities bearing the DriveNow logo. They can be located by using a smartphone application or online or by hotline. DriveNow is supported technically by BMW ConnectedDrive among others, a series of applications that ensure more connectivity and telematics between the driver, the car and IT-Backends. “You will also find

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the same applications at AlphaCity, the car sharing project for companies”, added Joachim Kolling. “Barely 12 weeks after the launch, DriveNow had signed up 8,000 members. A totally positive success.” DriveNow has different types of users. “They use DriveNow for getting around town on a daily, flexible basis and like to drive a premium MINI or a BMW1. This makes us different from other car sharing projects where the client often has to sacrifice comfort”. BMW´s telematics is unique in terms of flexible access, remote capabilities and backend connection.

BMW i also focuses on anything and everything associated with electro-mobility. “In 2013 and 2014 we will be launching i3 and i8.” These cars will be telematically equipped so that they can be used for different BMW mobility services.

BMW I VENTURES In order to respond to the increasing needs for mobility, BMW has set up a venture capital company in New York called BMW i Ventures. The objective of the company is to invest in partnerships with high-potential mobility projects. Two of the projects have already been finalised.

One of them is MyCityWay, a mobile application that provides users with information about public transport and car parking possibilities in more than 40 major towns in the US. BMW i has also invested in Park@MyHouse. This application allows home owners in London to rent out their car parking space to drivers. Park&MyHouse has already been used by more than 100,000 drivers in England. BMW i is already planning an international rollout.

Stijn PHLIX

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

The mobility card is a powerful weapon in the War on Talent Efficient, cost-saving and environment-friendly mobility for employees. This is what companies are increasingly looking for. And a mobility card is the answer. This is why the Dutch company Wantogo launched the Radiuz Total Mobility card that offers corporate users a wide range of transport possibilities.

With the Radiuz Total Mobility card, users can choose whatever form of transport they want to use.

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he demand for a mobility card in the corporate world is growing by the day, ” Ralph Hooglandt of Wantogo explained his decision to launch this type of card. “The interest is particularly noticeable among young employees who are less interested in owning a car and more interested in mobility services so that they can avoid parking and traffic problems. The Radiuz Total Mobility card also reduces companies’ mobility budgets. Mobility cards also enhance the image of companies as attractive employers .”

The mobility card is an excellent weapon therefore in the War on Talent that is currently taking place in the labour market.

“We have also noticed that companies want to focus more on their core business. A mobility card, and by extension mobility budgets, are a great advantage in terms of the amount of paperwork they have to process and users no longer have to worry about saving their receipts or tickets. Each month the Radiuz card lists all the services used on one single invoice.”

Wide choice of transport options Two and a half years ago, Wantogo decided to launch the Radiuz card in the Netherlands. And one has to admit they did their homework extremely well. Ralph Hooglandt: “Our main strategy was to target clients who had to travel from door to door. In 80 to 85% of cases, travelling by car was the best option. But in the other 15 to 20% of cases, users were not offered convincing alternatives. This is why we contacted a

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large number of transport providers. A particularly wide range of transport options are now available and not only on public transport (train, tram, bus, tube), bikes or taxis. The Radiuz card can be also be used for electric bikes, scooters, car sharing or even on ferries, etc. and also for petrol allowances, car parks and on-street parking.” The Radiuz card allows employers to check how much time the employee has saved… and consult the carbon footprint of the journeys made.

TELE-CONFERENCING BY CARD Wantogo’s objective is to have between 10,000 and 20,000 mobility cards in the market by next year. “We are not just targeting large companies with them. We also offer specially designed services for the growing number of self-employed people in the Netherlands. Ralph Hooglandt wants to expand the number of options offered by the Radiuz card even further. “Depending on demand, we will include meeting locations or tele- and webconferencing in the card system, as well as the possibility of booking and paying for international travel, hotels and restaurants.”

Stijn PHLIX

MobilXpense: three key domains within travel management Managing a corporate travel policy and budget has become a critical part of any company’s operations. Expert suppliers have an offering able to take over much of the work. One such company is MobileXpense, and we asked Managing Partner Patrick Billiet to explain the added value of outsourcing travel management.

Patrick Billiet, Managing Partner, MobilXpense

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obilXpense operates in 35 countries and has hundreds of customers.

The company’s philosophy is based on streamlining the travel management function.

What are the developments relating to travel expenses and mobility management?

Patrick Billiet: There are three major areas for companies to consider: productivity, cost and environment. Taking productivity first, companies are looking to increase this. There is clearly a need for people to travel, but what companies today assess is the necessity to travel. If people travel for the wrong reason, it is not just a matter of the cost related to that travel, but a loss of productivity.

The second point is of course cost, and this is on two levels – the costs of the actual trip, and then the processing costs when people come back – they have to fill in expense reports, these have to be approved, and then they have to be reimbursed. The third element is the environment.

How does Mobilexpense start this process?

P. Billiet: We can play an important role in all three elements. If we start with productivity, this means both the travel request module and the expenses module. Beginning with the travel module, we begin with a template for pre-approval which people have to fill in. The criteria for this are determined by the company itself. If pre-approval is required, the manager decides whether there is a need to travel or not. If the travel is approved, the following step is ‘how’ to travel based on the company’s travel policy and environmental requirements.

The second element allows customers to regulate the expense reimbursement process, and our system is directly linked to the company’s own accounting system. Savings on processing costs can be as high as 65%. Another factor here is that because the company policy is integrated into the system, and each transaction is online checked with the policy (green or red flagged), people are encouraged to think twice before engaging travel & entertainment costs.

So we are able to provide savings of up to 10% in this area.

If we now look at the environment, our system is able to look at the proposed travel and ask the right questions. We are integrated with BingMaps, with the start point and destination, the distance is automatically calculated.

What is coming next in terms of the services and products?

P. Billiet: Firstly there is the concept

Patrick Billiet believes that a type of mobility card may come about which will respond to a company’s travel budget and take environmental considerations into account.

known as end to end, which means that today we can integrate with e-tools available in the travel buying business such as travel booking. We are fully integrated but open, so our customers can choose which booking system or hotel reservation system they want to work with, and we will seamlessly link this into our process.

We are also developing systems which will enable expense claims to be submitted and approved using mobile devices and a system which calculates the distance travelled on a mobile device.

Tim HARRUP

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Ready for the future …

Being ready for the future means being ahead of change. At Athlon Car Lease, we are taking pride in our innovative approaches towards new trends and opportunities. One concrete example: e-mobility.

With over 300 electric vehicles on the road and 350 more in backorder, Athlon Car Lease is the leading leasing provider of electric cars in Europe.

But just providing leasing for electric cars was not enough in our opinion. As a major player in the car leasing industry, we also acknowledge our responsibility to push new technologies forward.

Nom Mr Hans Blink Titre President Athlon Car Lease

Working closely together with our customers, we have realized that there are still several hurdles that prevent our customers from adopting the electric mobility as available today and fully include it into their fleet.

For this reason, Athlon Car Lease has taken on a more central role in the developments around e-mobility. The goal? Create and bind together a whole new value chain. And why? To help simplify the adoption of electric cars for our customers.

Athlon Car Lease has taken on a more central role in the developments around e-mobility.

“Being aware of the changing mobility needs of our customers, we are constantly trying to extend our CSR and innovation networks throughout the industry”, explains Hans Blink, president of Athlon Car Lease. “This is why we have spent the last years creating partnerships with important players in the e-mobility domain and worked on creating the new value chain needed to support the adoption of electric vehicles.”

Today, we are proud to have one of the most extensive networks on e-mobility available in the industry.

In addition to several strategic alliances with MOEs such as Renault, Nissan and Tesla, we have also extended our strategic network with energy providers through partnerships with E.On, Essent and e+, and continuously participate in initiatives to bring e-mobility forward such as sponsoring the EV Centre in the Netherlands, participating in a EV car-sharing pilot in Germany and even becoming the stakeholder in a project called ‘Streetscooter’, a consortium of companies that has come together to develop, produce and market an electric vehicle targeted for mass production and marketing.

Are you ready to take the next step in mobility?

At Athlon Car Lease, we are ready to take it with you.

For more information go to www.athloncarlease.com or contact an Athlon Representative.

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

Eurostar - meeting the business challenge Since the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994, Eurostar has been the only passenger train operator to use it. Although this situation is set to change over the next couple of years, Eurostar has been investing heavily in making sure that its business travellers receive an optimal travel experience.

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urostar is currently spending over 800 million Euros in upgrading and renewing the fleet, and as part of this, the new and refurbished trains – set to come into service in 2013 and 2014 – will offer access to high speed broadband internet. This access will be available throughout the whole of the Paris /Brussels to London journey, including when the train is in the tunnel (around twenty minutes). Alongside the internet access, passengers can pre-load or download entertainment and infotainment to their own mobile devices.

Booking…

A new Eurostar mobile app has also just been launched, enabling passengers to book tickets on the move. In addition, Business Premier passengers are guaranteed access to the train of their choice, even if it is not the one they originally reserved. The mobile booking system also extends to simpler, electronic check-in. Commenting on this, Eurostar Commercial Director Nick Mercer said: “Mobile technology has become central to our business passengers’ everyday lives. We are committed to taking advantage of the growth in this technology to ensure that our customers can book and manage their tickets quickly and easily use the very latest channels”. A further new benefit for Business Premier passengers is that they can now book taxi

Business Premier passengers are guaranteed access to the train of their choice, even if it is not the one they originally reserved.

transfers in Paris, Brussels or London from all Business Premier lounges, prior to boarding the train. This smoother service, which enables passengers to avoid taxi queues, replaces the previous chauffeur service. On top of all this, Eurostar is also to refurbish its business lounge at Brussels South station, doubling the capacity amongst other improvements.

Dining…

A train journey is not only about working, of course, even for business travellers. This is why Eurostar has worked with world renowned chef Alain Roux of the Waterside Inn (Bray, Berkshire) to produce a range of exclusive dishes for Business Premier passengers. These menus have been developed by the Michelin three-star chef using ingredients sourced locally in France, Belgium and the UK.

Choices No business travel company can take its success or its passengers for granted, something which Eurostar has clearly taken on board – Nick Mercer once again: “Our Business Premier class of service is a key priority for us and we will continually invest in it to ensure it remains the benchmark for short haul business travel.

Last year, we saw a revival in the business markets in the UK, France and Belgium and this translated into an increase in our Business Premier passenger numbers.

However, in the current climate many of our business clients have tough decisions to make about their choice of travel class, so the aim of these latest improvements is to highlight that Eurostar continues to invest in offering its Business Premier customers exceptional levels of flexibility, service and value.”

Tim HARRUP

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DOSSIER

Route optimisation

Integrated software support for improved mobility Offering an integrated platform for mobility solutions - that is what Go-Mobile is now doing in Belgium. In the future the business aims to expand its geographical reach to other countries and to steadily develop its product range.

“Go-Mobile’s mission is to stimulate networked mobility”, says CEO Jim Van den Rijse, “so that employees know ‘where’ they can be ‘when’ and how to put together their trips in the best possible way.”

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o-Mobile offers online applications that enable companies and employees to organise mobility in the best possible way. “We have divided our product range into product bundles. With these product bundles we aim to be the leading provider of connected applications throughout the whole mobility chain.

That chain goes from getting information to helping with reservations, analysis and reporting” according to Jim Van den Rijse.

“We develop applications for one or more steps in the entire process. This means that you as a mobility user want to know in real time whether there are queues, or whether there are delays in public transport and you can also use this information to plan the best route, not just by car but also by train or using a combination of transport methods. You have the aspect of ‘guiding’ where you are in the navigation market and where we have an excellent partner in Be-Mobile. Finally, there is the ‘reservation’ section, where we plan to offer a module next year that can be used within this process and that will be called Go-book.”

Automatic & personalised For businesses, there are two reasons for choosing a platform of this sort. First of all, it is interesting from a company policy standpoint with the central question being how we as a business can implement Mobility Management. The other perspective is that of the employee of that company who is looking for a personal mobility solution. “Indeed”, says Mr Van den Rijse.

“Moving from Fleet to Mobility Management can be achieved by visualising all alternative solutions for the car next to each other. If I have to prepare a business transport plan, it requires a lot of manual input from the HR service. Our applications can make this easier and automatically generated. We can design a personalised mobility offering for the employee with various options but leaving the final choice to the employee.”

Go-Mobile will offer these online mobility services in the form of a licence. The intention is also to make the applications accessible from a smartphone. The rate will depend on the number of

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Route optimisation, according to Jim Van den Rijse of Go-Mobile, is a story that can only succeed if it operates on a multi-modal basis and is easy to consult, for example using online and smartphone applications.

applications, their scope, the size of the business, the number of users within the business, etc. Today it is not yet exactly clear what time-saving and added value these services will generate for employer and employee, but towards the end of 2011 GoMobile will have completed this exercise.

Need for total solution Jim Van den Rijse believes in the future of Mobility Management: “The demand for mobility is growing and will continue to do so. There is therefore a need for an overview of everything that exists in terms of mobility offering and which combinations between the different mobility modes are possible, but unfortunately the information about the possible combined solutions is insufficiently clear, as a result of which the choice for the user is restricted to a single method of transport. Secondly, the cost aspect is not clear. I have a company car and I know how much it costs, how much fuel I use and what the tax charges are, but I don’t know what my mobility costs me every day. It would be handy if you could be sent your mobility cost each day on your mobile phone based on the number of kilometres travelled, time of travel, etc., along with a proposal of attractive alternatives.

That is important for both the employee and employer. And that is exactly what we want to map out for companies through our web portal, which has been live since the end of November.”

Steven SCHOEFS

STRATEGY

Starcite

Making process of meeting simple StarCite Vice President Enterprise Strategy Kevin Iwamoto has over twenty years experience in managing corporate travel and meetings programmes. He is also a former president and CEO of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and he took the time to explain to us his philosophy and the advantages StarCite can offer.

How would you describe the overall objectives of StarCite?

Kevin Iwamoto: StarCite is a global meetings technology company, the first in the market which was able to help corporations put together consolidated meetings programmes. Our system automates what have traditionally been very decentralised manual processes when it comes to meetings management. What we basically do is consolidate meetings spend and provide some very robust intelligence to corporations so that they can better manage programmes and negotiate better with their suppliers.

How do you see developments in the near future in this new smart, mobile, connected world?

K. Iwamoto: It is a natural progression of technology that things are moving towards mobile solutions – there are a lot of people who don’t even go into an office any more, and a lot of people on the road who need to manage their business. So a lot of business is being transacted in a mobile and virtual manner.

And for the young people now entering the workforce, this is their primary way of conducting their personal lives as well as their business. So I think we’re at a sort of crossroads right now – suppliers have to go where the end-users are, and where the end users are is on mobile devices! On-line resources have moved on from being an optional resource to a day-to-day requirement. We seem to be about half way along the road to this new mobile-enabled world at the moment.

What will StarCite be offering in the future?

K. Iwamoto: Instead of a buyer or planner physically going to the supplier’s premises to examine the facilities on offer, he will do this virtually, with 360° visualisation of the venue and the site.

It gives a great deal more freedom and flexibility. And in terms of offering a green solution, we have partnered with an organisation called Green Hotels Global which provides environmental ratings. The meeting planners can therefore access this. In terms of our specific solution we have also launched a mobile attendee system. All of this happens from our technology platform.

But alongside our corporate solutions we also have a public product called M-Point which enables people to get on and transact their business directly rather than using a designated company location.

What about security?

K. Iwamoto: Our corporate solution is obviously very heavily secured and access to it is limited to authorised users. The open public platform enables anybody to jump on and look for the solution they want.

What would your key messages be to travel buyers and planners?

K. Iwamoto: I would say that our whole mission is to make everybody’s life easier. If you step back and look at our theory, our platform and our technology, you see that you can enter your meetings information just once, and this infor-

Kevin Iwamoto sees the business world becoming ever more mobile.

mation is stored in the database, and you never have to enter it again. The platform documents the entire process right from sourcing to selection to execution, followed by supplier payment and reconciliation and reporting. We therefore think that process efficiency along with cost savings are two key factors in a meetings buyer’s world. Automating all of these processes, tracking and managing the information, this is what it is all about. I should also add that there is a duty of care element – Europe has been affected by some very adverse weather, and then there was the ash cloud… Companies have a duty to care for their employees when they are travelling, and this type of information can be of great help especially when time is of the essence.

Tim HARRUP

“Suppliers have to go where the end-users are.”

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STRATEGY

Car Leasing

New Alphabet opts for new mobility Since the 30th of September the takeover of ING Car Lease by Alphabet is a fact. The new Alphabet now has more than 460,000 cars in management, is operational in 18 countries and has expanded to become one of the five largest leasing companies of the European market. The provision of flexible mobility solutions will be one of the key assignments. That is what the co-CEOs of the new Alphabet, Norbert van den Eijnden and Ed Frederiks, say.

Ed Frederiks: Our ambition is to be a high-performance player among the top 5 in Europe within 2 years, by providing excellent coverage and service. We will be a market-leading leasing company, the activities of which are clearly noticeable by customers, employees and partners, and we wish to grow and be a benchmark for the industry. After those first two years, our objective is to reach at least a top-3 position.

Norbert van den Eijnden: Customers and competitors who are afraid or hope that we will fall asleep during the upcoming two years are wrong.

We want to maintain all of our existing customers, as well as our employees.

The merger will take approximately 1.5 years in a number of countries, but we also expect an autonomous growth during this period because we will remain active, while some competitors may have to slow down a bit due to the unstable financial situation.

How will the integration proceed?

Norbert van den Eijnden: The integration will proceed at different speeds. In the Netherlands it concerns one large and one small player, so we believe that the local integration here can proceed quickly from a technical point of view, while the situation in the UK, with two companies and more than 40,000 vehicles, is somewhat more complex.

In the first case it may take 9 months, while it can take up to 18 months in the

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other case. We will, however, push for a high pace in order to achieve a good integration.

Ed Frederiks: Just as in the past, and despite the integration process, our customers will continue to be our first concern. We have taken the decision not to change any of the Account Management teams. Every customer will continue to receive the same service from the same contact person. ‘Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road’ is the slogan, which is of prime importance for the new Alphabet.

The new Alphabet wants to play a pioneering role in the area of mobility.

Can you be more specific on this?

Ed Frederiks: The identification of a person with the possession of a car erodes in the long term. This means that you evolve to a different model of car use, whereby car sharing, carpooling and a combination of various transport modes become more interesting. In line with the plans of our shareholders, we believe that we can play an important role in providing adapted mobility. And then we are not only talking about e-mobility, but also about the corresponding financing and service.

Norbert van den Eijnden: We want to make possible a flexible use of cars and mobility concepts/We want tot make a flexible use of possible cars and mobility concepts. Certainly with the

Ed Frederiks and Norbert van den Eijnden aim for a top 3 spot among the players in the European auto leasing market, by offering flexible mobility solutions through Alphabet.

introduction of electrical vehicles, such flexibility becomes a must. We are busy developing software and other IT as well as telecom applications, with the objective of a flexibilisation of our entire fleet.

Do you believe that the full-service leasing product will become more expensive in the future?

Ed Frederiks: It should not be put that way. The total cost of ownership is important. The price fluctuations of certain cost components are subject to the offer of homogenous and flexible packages. Currently you have, for instance, the phenomenon of ‘mobility budgets’, which is a somewhat harder way of fixing costs. But if you as a customer will be talking to the new Alphabet in the near future, then I believe that we will be capable of proposing flexible mobility solutions that integrate new vehicle technologies, which may even be more advantageous with regard to costs.

Steven SCHOEFS

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CASE STUDIES

Christiane Decleyre, 3M Europe

Sustainable mobility leads the way 3M which is active in the chemical industry, has made the environment and sustainability its priority. A great deal of effort is invested in this aspect throughout all the different levels of the company: from production, logistics all the way through to distribution. Even the travel and fleet policy has turned a serious shade of green and these efforts have been duly rewarded: 3M Europe won the International Fleet Green Award and the International Fleet Mobility Award 2011.

“3M

is rightly described as ‘global sustainability leader for many years to come’. We ranked 11th on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index,” said Christiane Decleyre, European Sourcing Coordinator-Travel & Fleet Services at 3M Europe. “Our mobility strategy focuses on Travel & Fleet as well as on the Electronic Tools Policy. As part of our Travel Policy we will start circulating an EMEA Travel Policy Guideline from 2012 in which we encourage our employees to travel as efficiently and ecologically as possible. It is now possible to calculate the carbon footprint of a journey to be undertaken on our EMEA online booking tool via a CO2 Calculator and compare the difference for instance between taking the train or travelling by plane. And in France 3M in partnership with SNCF, the French railway company, has listed train routes that take under three hours. We noticed that this list encourages our staff to switch to the train. We point out that they can work on the train, which is not the case when travelling by car.

A brief survey among train users also showed that productivity increases considerably when using this means of transport,” added Christiane Decleyre. 3M Europe now encourages its employees to take the Thalys/TGV wherever possible. “You can now check on the Thalys website how much CO2 you save depending on your choice of route.

Another option is carpooling.” 3M also offers its employees in the Benelux carpooling possibilities. Working at home moreover is also becoming increasingly popular. “To encourage this, a whole range of tools are made available (laptops, mobile phones with separate data lines paid by 3M...etc.). Web-conferencing is used intensively and most branches have rooms that are specially designed for video-conferencing.

Following the existing US-headquarter policy on Meeting & Events, we plan to roll out an European Meeting & Events

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policy after a successfull pilot. Christiane Decleyre: “How to get to a meeting or an event is a question that does not come up often and we intend to include this in our pilot project on Meeting & Events.”

A greener fleet 3M’s dedication to sustainable mobility is manifested in a Fleet Policy that has resulted in different concrete measures being taken recently. “3M Germany replaced this year their existing poolcar portfolio, ie. 46 cars that produced an average C02 emission of 137 g/km by 45 vehicules that produces an average of 107 g/km plus four electric Citroën C-Zeros , which are mainly used for traffic between 3 branches in Germany located at a distance of 20 to 25 kms away.

Each office has a battery charging point for these. If the e-fleet

3M uses electric cars for transporting employees between three branches in Germany.

“Our mobility policy is based on sharing best practices.

Local initiatives such as ecodriving courses in Germany for instance will be rolled out to other countries if they prove successful,” said Christiane Decleyre.

is successful, we will consider roll-out in other countries.”

Between 2010 and 2013, 3M aims to continue the greening of its fleet. The goal is to reach a CO2 emission of 130 g/km. “As part of this objective we have sent out guidelines to the different countries,” said Christiane Decleyre. “But it’s easier said than done because not all countries offer tax advantages to encourage an ecologically-friendly fleet. The commitment and support of 3M Europe executive management was helpful and needed to produce the desired results.”

3M Europe’s goal next year is to focus on influencing driving behaviour . “This is one of our absolute priorities. Eco-driving and safety courses are already being held in Germany and some local initiatives have been taken in other countries, but a more streamlined approach will be considered next year “, added Christiane Decleyre.

AWARD WINNER On 27 October 2011, during the annual Fleet Europe Awards, organised by its sister publication Fleet Europe, 3M Europe walked away with three prizes, the International Fleet Green Award as well as the International Fleet Mobility Award and silver in the International Fleet of the Year category. Participating in the awards is also an opportunity to share best practices with other candidates.

Holger Wiegand of 3M Europe receives the International Fleet Green Award and the International Mobility Award.

3M EUROPE IN BRIEF > F ounded in 1902 as a mining company in the US, 3M has now developed into a diversified technology company with worldwide operations in the chemical industry. > Headquarters 3M Europe, Middle East and Africa: Brussels > Number of employees: 18,120 > Fleet (EMEA): +- 5,000 vehicles

Stijn PHLIX

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CASE STUDIES

Michael Schwarz, Cisco

Networking & communication Cisco is an American origin company specialising in hard- and software systems for business. Michael Schwarz, Director, Cisco Internet Services Group, tells us how a company so heavily involved in new technology is changing its own working methods.

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mploying over 60,000 people across the world, and with a turnover in the region of 30 billion Euros, the stakes are very high for Cisco when it comes to optimising working and travel arrangements. A clear change has been identified.

What changes in working arrangements have you seen at Cisco in recent times?

Michael Schwarz: Given its origin, Cisco has always been very oriented towards networking and communications. Homeworking, for example, was not just accepted, but encouraged.

In my particular case a typical week would normally include working one or two days from home. What has further developed over the last couple of years is the amount of next generation video-working. Cisco now has more than one thousand video points in its premises globally. And this is HD video, so you really have the impression that the person talking to you from the screen is sitting alongside you. We call it TelePresence. We have enormously increased our utilisation factor with this new equipment. When we had the original type of video equipment, the usage factor – the amount of time per day the equipment was in use – was well below 10%.

Now, with the TelePresence system, it is running at between 60 and 70% usage. So this is a tenfold increase in utilisation.

TelePresence provides an experience which is as close as you can get to a physical meeting.

And what is the next step?

M. Schwarz: We are starting to see that more and more of this type of equipment is being installed at executive’s home.

This enables the personnel who have this to link up to any of the one thousand Cisco video rooms from home. I expect to see this further increase, making home working even more productive, more inclusive. Also, we are starting to see more Business-to-Business video communication – let’s say between a Cisco supply chain manager and a supply chain partner – taking place.

Do you rent temporary offices?

M. Schwarz: Not particularly, although in certain areas we are able to use the facilities we help to set up for some of our clients, such as the smart work centres in Amsterdam.

Is there a shift in mindset in the way people think about this type of working and this equipment?

M. Schwarz: I would go as far as to say that what I call ‘digital natives’ rank having the latest smartphone or other device even more highly than they rate their cars. This means that when asked which piece of equipment they consider as most important or useful in their working lives, the smartphone tops the list. What Cisco is doing is introducing a “bring your own device-policy” to its workforce. As a Cisco employee I am empowered to decide on which device I want to work – Cisco IT is providing the interfaces, support mechanisms and policies to make all of this secure, efficient and effective.

“Digital natives rank having the latest smartphone or other device even more highly than they rate their cars.” smart mobility management - n°4 I 32

Michael Schwarz: “Cisco is making home working even more productive, more inclusive.”

A Cisco Campus

You still have company cars of course. Do you have any policy in terms of alternative drive-trains?

M. Schwarz: We have always had a car policy which enabled people to choose from a certain budget level. What we have done recently is to remove cars which have too high emissions of CO2. We are therefore going cleaner and greener.

Then we introduced a further category of even cleaner cars, and employees opting for these would get a certain incentive.

This includes both hybrids such as the Prius, and also traditional internal combustion engines with low emissions. We are looking at the feasibility of bringing in all-electric vehicles, but we do not believe the market is yet ready to provide us with electric cars for regular use. We may trial some cars as a first step, but not yet introduce them as normal fleet cars. On top of all this, I think that when you consider some of the apps that are available for car use – such as parking locations, navigation, car rental/sharing – OEM’s are going to have to go further down the technology route themselves. They are going to have to ‘digitally enhance’ the car by equipping it with seamless docking of devices via Bluetooth, WLAN. The user interface is crucial for ensuring compliance with the law while driving…

What about alternative forms of transport?

M. Schwarz: We have a travel policy which makes all bookings on line. You go to a particular portal and enter the destination

you are looking to go to. But it is up to the individual employee to decide which mode of transport to use, train, plane or car.

However, you do receive an alert which tells you the implications in terms of cost and CO2 emissions, of the transport mode you have selected. There are some parameters within the system which produce this information. We want to make people aware that there are alternatives which may be greener.

We do recognise that there may be a particular reason why people choose to travel by a particular mode, so we are not forcing them to change, just increasing awareness levels.

What effect has all of this, especially the increase in home working, had on the Cisco travel budget?

M. Schwarz: It has decreased spectacularly. During the crisis of 2008 and 2009, our CEO John Chambers cut the travel budget in half. He has also said that it is never going to return to pre-crisis levels, it is going to stay at the new low level. But at the same time he approved the policy for deploying all of the TelePresence video points I mentioned earlier. For a while we had a mandatory policy which essentially did not allow travel for internal meetings. This has eased somewhat now, and the travel budget has increased slightly, partially of course because we are growing.

Tim HARRUP

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“In order to commute on the vast company site of Waver bicycles are made available to the personnel,” says Antoine Minot.

MOBILITY MANAGER At GSK Biologicals a Mobility Manager is employed full time. “Charlotte Dallemagne of the traffic and mobility consultancy agency Traject first of all outlines our mobility strategy,” says Antoine Minot. “She furthermore manages our carpooling and company bus system and checks if the company and road infrastructure are adjusted to the mobility needs of our personnel. Examples of that are optimising the parking capacity at our company sites or more efficient management of the traffic streams from and to work. Upon expansion of the company buildings, the Mobility Manager also checks what the impact is on the mobility of the employees. Then the necessary measures are taken there.”

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GSK BIOLOGICALS GSK Biologicals forms part of GlaxoSmithKline. This multinational employs about 100,000 employees and makes medicines and vaccines available worldwide.

The number of employees of GSK Biologicals in Belgium is 7,000.

The establishments in Belgium are in Waver, Gembloux, and Rixensart.

CASE STUDIES

Antoine Minot, GSK Biologicals

Mobility Management

as motivator

The Belgian establishment of the vaccine company GSK Biologicals annually invests one million Euros in its mobility policy. This is a sizeable amount which demonstrates that GSK means business. “Guaranteeing efficient mobility is among other things an essential agent to make us known as an attractive employer,” according to Antoine Minot, Manager Security & Mobility at GSK Biologicals.

from the station to our company establishments, we appeal to Eurobussing for this.

The durable domicile and labour transport is furthermore stimulated by giving discounts for rail passes of the national railway company NMBS. GSK Biologicals fully reimburses these passes. The principle operates as follows. The employer pays 80% while the Belgian government contributes the remaining 20%.

Carpooling has already strongly been established with us. For this we created a database which helps interested people carpool with others. Car-poolers also receive privileged parking spaces.

Antoine Minot: “The revision of the car policy, with possibly the introduction of a multi modal mobility budget, is one of our greatest priorities next year.”

Which mobility measures did GSK Biologicals design for its employees?

Antoine Minot: In 2008-2009 with the help of the consultancy agency ‘Traject’ we implemented a company transport plan. The purpose of such a plan is to streamline the mobility of the employees as well as improve the accessibility of our company sites. However, for that purpose we had already implemented different mobility measures. The company transport plan allowed us to optimise the previously taken measures. Thus 8 company bus lines are operating which ensure the movement of our employees from the station to our different offices in Waver, Gembloux and Rixensart. The idea behind this is that more specifically the branch establishment in Waver is located rather isolated and quite inaccessible with public bus transport. Moreover we dispose of a bus we share with other companies at our site in Gembloux.

Employees can also move from one to another company site by taking a company bus. Just as with our busses which drive

Other measures in force are bicycle reimbursement (in Belgium 0.15 Euro cents per km). Moreover in order to commute on the vast company site of Waver bicycles are made available to the personnel and electric carts for employees with a specific function (maintenance, safety etc). There are already 30 bikes available but due to the success we would like to double the number next year.

Can you already present actual results?

A. Minot: Our company busses, which drive from the station to our company sites, have average seat occupancy of 30%.

This is an average because at rush hour these small busses are virtually occupied.

We are also satisfied with the carpooling. About 15 to 20% of our employees participate in this. This is a positive result, knowing that the average in Belgium is between 5 and 8%.

One of the reasons of this success is due to the lack of public transportation. With the increasing petrol prices, the person who carpools has an added financial advantage as well. At the moment we are looking into how we can make carpooling fiscally attractive for the users.

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CASE STUDIES

Antoine Minot, GSK Biologicals

“We work closely with the different governments.”

Together with the authorities, GSK Biologicals is studying how to simplify accessibility towards the company site.

A better company mobility also requires a contribution from the government. What about that?

A. Minot: We already have an excellent collaboration with the different local and regional governments and we still want to expand this. An example: the number of employees at our establishment in Waver has doubled the past 5 years from 2000 to 4000. Needless to say this leads to new challenges when it comes to maintaining our site easily accessible.

Together with the Service Public Régional Wallon, which is the authority regarding the traffic infrastructure, we study how we can simplify accessibility towards the company site.

Were specific measures taken to reduce the number of business trips?

A. Minot: GSK Biologicals has a large number of business travellers. For them it is recommended to keep the ecological footprint of their trips as small as possible. Video conferencing is thus promoted a lot. For this purpose we make an appeal to two Microsoft systems, namely Office Communicator and Live Meeting which enable teleconferencing meetings with several teams. The fact that we have developed an online tool which allows our business travellers to share a taxi for the distance to be travelled from the company to the airport or from the airport to a hotel is also worth mentioning. . The tool is not only already active at GSK in the United Kingdom and the United States, but for some Belgian departments as well. Upon positive evaluation a complete roll out is to follow.

Have initiatives already been taken in the area of tele-working?

A. Minot: Since 1 July 2010 an official policy is prevalent in the area of tele-work at GSK. Two options are offered to our employees. If so desired, a person can work from home one day. The supervisor has to give permission for that. Besides that a tele-work arrangement can be worked out long term whereby for example the employee performs home working one day a week. Our Facility Management department is also

smart mobility management - n°4 I 36

looking into whether employees can work on shift basis in so called smart work centres. This initiative is still under evaluation at the moment.

What about fleet management? Is the accent here also on mobility?

A. Minot: We are already working according to a budget related fleet policy. In other words, those who select a CO2 favourable car model shall see their budget grow. With this his or her car can be outfitted with additional options. However, we are still in the starting block. At the moment we are revising our car policy with regard to a durable mobility of our company car drivers. This new car policy is immediately becoming one of the mobility department’s greatest priorities next year because there is a lot of profit to be made in this area, for the company and its employees as well as for the environment.

One of the possible tracks is introducing a multi modal mobility budget an employee can spend freely on different transport modes, such as train, bus, bicycle, etc., in addition to a company car or not. On the other hand we are thinking about asking our employees to get to work in a smaller car, such as for example a smart car while a larger car can be used during the weekend. With this measure we would need to lease fewer parking spaces.

ATTRACTIVE EMPLOYER “One of the important motives for far reaching mobility management is the fact that GSK is involved in a strong increase in the number of its employees,” says Antoine Minot. “The result is that it is difficult for GSK to find qualified personnel. That is why GSK has to make itself known as an attractive employer. In this, guaranteeing an efficient mobility of the employee plays an essential role.”

Stijn PHLIX

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Providing innovative urban mobility solutions Following the successful launch of the car2go mobility service in the German city of Hamburg, car2go GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, and Europcar, Lyon will become the first French city to enjoy the benefits of the unique car2go mobility programme.

Starting in 2012, car2go will provide Lyon residents with a fleet of 200 low emission, self-service smart fortwo cars which will be available for “on-demand” rentals throughout the city. Members can easily locate the closest available vehicle within a defined operating area of 44 square kilometres via the internet at www.car2go.com or with the help of a smartphone application. They can rent a vehicle spontaneously without the need to reserve it in advance. car2go allows its members to use the vehicle for as long as they like, without committing to a specific return time or location. Members pay only for the time they use the vehicle, with rental periods as short as one minute. More than 45,000 people in Germany and North America have already become members of car2go, the world’s first one-way carsharing service.

«With Daimler’s car2go, Europcar is exploring new ways to combine urban mobility services with short term car rental services.»

“Innovative urban mobility solutions like car2go offer a way to help meet the challenges of urban congestion, reducing carbon emissions and improving quality of life,” said Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon and President of ”‘Grand Lyon”. “Following the actions we initiated in 2005 with Velo’v, the first self-service bike sharing system, Lyon is innovating again with car2go, a new approach to car sharing which is complementary to other initiatives enabling our residents to move around town. Choosing Lyon, Europcar and Daimler strengthen the role of our city being one of the European leaders in terms of sustainable mobility.”

“This roll-out marks an important step of car2go into the European market and we are proud to name Lyon the first home of car2go in France,” said Robert Henrich, CEO of car2go GmbH. “The overwhelming success in Germany and North America shows that car2go offers what people are searching for a very convenient and flexible mobility solution for short and spontaneous one-way trips.” car2go complements the existing transportation infrastructure in dense urban areas and aims to reduce the burden on city-center traffic, parking and the environment by using the smart fortwo “car2go edition”. The vehicle has been specially developed for the purpose of carsharing and is manufactured at the smart plant in Hambach, France.

Unlimited mobility The idea of car2go was born at the Business Innovation Department of Daimler AG. Today, with a total of more than 45,000 members and 1,100 vehicles worldwide, car2go has proven success in four cities: Ulm and Hamburg in Germany, the Texan capital Austin in the US and Vancouver in Canada. Since the first launch in the southern German city of Ulm in March 2009, more than 900,000 trips have been made and approximately 9 million kilometres have been covered.

Experience shows that customers highly value the possibility to do one-way trips.

Nine out of ten car2go rentals end at a different location than where they began, further showcasing that customers value the car2go model of point-to-point mobility.

After successfully launching car2go in Hamburg, car2go and Europcar will continue their strong partnership in Lyon.

“Together with car2go, we are providing innovative mobility solutions to serve urban communities and reach new categories of customers,” said Phillipe Guillemot, CEO of Europcar International.

“For more than 80 years, Europcar has been building the expertise the undisputed European leader in car rental services. Through this partnership with Daimler, we are exploring new ways to combine urban mobility services with short term car rental services, to provide comprehensive mobility solutions to urban customers.

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INDUSTRY

News

Orange launches geo-location tool

Thalys: More flexibility for travellers

Thalys’ customers won’t need a ticket anymore.

Orange Business Services has announced a new tool designed to assist fleet managers. This ‘geo-location’ service enables the current position of vehicles to be seen by the manager in real time, along with the exact time at which vehicles arrived at their appointment destinations. With the benefit of assisted navigation, it is also possible for fleet managers to increase the number of calls a vehicle can make in a day. Orange Business Services also points out the ability to react to emergency situations more quickly, and the fact that through route optimisation, both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be reduced.

The ability to see where vehicles are is also a way of protecting them against theft.

Peugeot launches mobility audits for its B2B customers Following Mu by Peugeot, in October the French brand launched a new service for its professional customers in the shape of mobility audits. The aim is to provide solutions tailored to the mobility needs of each B2B customer following an indepth analysis. The mobility audits offered by Peugeot in 9 countries (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands) enable a company to obtain an in-depth analysis of its employees’ mobility, activities and journeys. The audit is performed for Peugeot and its customers by LeasePlan Consulting Services and based around a day examining both daily and occasional journeys: means of transport used for the home-office commute, business trips, expenditure related to this mobility, infrastructures currently in place, etc. On the basis of the audit’s findings, Peugeot is then ideally placed to offer a package of professional solutions which dovetail with the customer’s expectations and objectives thanks to the most extensive range of products and services on the market.

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In 2011, Thalys became one of the first railway services to dematerialize tickets completely. 20% of Thalys’ customers travel with Ticketless. A few months ago, there were two possible means of identification: showing a loyalty card Thalys TheCard or showing a printed confirmation email.

In June, MobileTicketing became the 3rd means of identification with the Train Manager. A true revolution in railway habits, through the use of a mobile phone. The traveller can be identified with a 2D-barcode which appears on the screen of his/her mobile phone and which contains all travel information. The Train Manager has simply to scan the bar code. Reservation of a Ticketless ticket with MobileTicketing is free and can be done via websites www.thalys.com and www.thalysthecard.com.

Europcar: “Drivers less attached to owning their cars” The fourth edition of the Transport and Mobility Observatory published by Europcar has revealed a new era in European mobility.

Pushed by the crisis and the development of new mobility options, drivers are beginning to change their habits.

In particular, there is a trend for being less attached to a driver’s own car than previPushed by the developments ously. Some 46% of those of new mobility options, there is a trend for being less attached to a surveyed at European level driver’s own car. (over 6,000 in 7 countries) are beginning to see the renting of cars when required as an attractive alternative. In terms of modified driving behaviour, 91% of respondents said that they had changed over the past year.

GBTA launches KPI’s

“GBTA’s new toolkit enables company travel managers to measure business travel“, says Paul Tilstone (GBTA).

The GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) has developed and launched a programme of KPI’s for professionals to use in order to measure business travel. It takes the form of a toolkit which will be made available to GBTA members in November, containing a list of core questions and metrics, with guidance on linking the metrics to company programme goals. This enables company travel managers to establish a scorecard, with guidance on how to treat abstract elements such as risk management. GBTA Europe’s MD Paul Tilstone spoke of the input of members representing an ‘example of true industry collaboration at work’.

Peugeot’s multi-purpose HX1 concept car At the IAA in Frankfurt, Peugeot presented the HX1concept car. The specification for the HX1 produce a vehicle for up to six people, while offering strong styling, that is sporty and efficient, giving unique driving sensations. To achieve this, the HX1 transcends the notions of adaptability in all areas, with its extreme aerodynamics (“flaps” are deployed to optimise aero efficiency according to vehicle speed), its tapered, low MPV architecture and its Hybrid4 powerplant integrating “plug-in” technology.

Peugeot’s Hybrid4 “plug-in” technology will be integrated into its HX1 concept car.

Hans-Georg Lutz, Senior Manager international Corporate Sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars, handed over the first prize to Ivor Johnson (Pfizer).

Ivor Johnson (Pfizer) is the International Fleet Manager 2011 On October 27th, a record attendance of 550 international fleet business professionals gathered together for the ceremony of the Fleet Europe Awards 2011 in Madrid. Ivor Johnson, EMEA Regional Fleet Director at pharmaceutical company Pfizer, was elected as the International Fleet Manager of the Year 2011.

The International Fleet Manager of the Year Award rewards the person or the team having most successfully developed an international fleet management strategy and implemented an efficient car policy, leading to an optimized TCO and taking into account local differences and actual fleet trends.

Ivor Johnson came in ahead of Holger Wiegand, Sourcing Operations Manager of 3M Europe, who took the second place. Ralph Ruckgaber, Manager EMEA Lead Cars & Car Lease at IBM, was given the third prize in the category International Fleet Manager of the Year Award by Bruce MacLaren, Category Manager at Microsoft and International Fleet Manager of the Year 2010.

The company 3M Europe not only ended second prize in the category International Fleet Manager of the Year. It also won the International Fleet Green Award as well as the International Fleet Mobility Award 2011. On page 30 of this magazine you’ll find out how 3M Europe could convince the jury and take home these two awards.

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INDUSTRY

News

3 Questions to…

Francesco Muzio, (M. Kyburz)

Francesco Muzio: “The Kyburz DXP offers very low maintenance costs. Our own calculations point to a cost saving to 50% compared to the traditional mail delivery service systems.”

Cash incentives not the answer to EV sales

The Kyburz DXP has been meeting with a great deal of success in the postal industry. The combination of payload, ease of operation and parking, and electric power is proving to be a winning formula. We asked Francesco Muzio, Head of International Sales, Ing.Bureau M.Kyburz AG, Switzerland, to explain.

1. Tell us about the electric vehicles your company produces.

“The Kyburz DXP with trailer is a sturdy tandem for postal delivery. This three-wheeled towing vehicle remains steady on the road thanks to a low centre of gravity, while the spring-mounted and braked trailers transport loads of up to 270 kg speedily, flexibly and safely. It has been designed especially for postal delivery and has undergone rigorous testing. The Kyburz DXP combines the easy manoeuvrability and efficiency of a two-wheel vehicle with the safety and stability of a multiwheeler. The automatic parking brake removes the need to put the vehicle on a stand – a tiring, time-consuming process. The postman therefore saves time and is able to focus on his/her actual work: delivering post. The Kyburz DXP is driven by a reliable three-phase current asynchronous motor – quiet, high-performance and environmentallyfriendly.”

2. Can you explain some more of the advantages of this vehicle?

“Firstly, because it is electric it is very quiet. It is also particularly safe as one of its features is that the brakes operate on all three wheels, reducing the risk of accidents. In addition, compared to other small delivery vehicles, the Kyburz DXP is extremely efficient, its 270 kg payload is at least 5 times more than bicyles or scooters. And its extended range means that longer delivery trips can be undertaken.

3. Are there any other benefits in terms of TCO? “The Kyburz DXP offers very low maintenance costs. Our own calculations point to a compounded cost saving of 30% to 50% compared to the traditional mail delivery service systems (bicycle, scooter, car). We also calculate an overall productivity improvement of approximately 30% for public postal operators currently operating mainly with mopeds and scooters. The greatest cost savings come in reduced non-productive time due to the automated brakes etc., and longer tours.

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Despite some hefty subsidiaries currently on offer, sales of electric vehicles across Europe during the first half of 2011 amounted to just over 5,000 vehicles.

Research by Jato appears to indicate that price is not an overriding factor in the decision to purchase electric vehicles.

Despite some hefty subsidiaries currently on offer, sales across Europe during the first half of 2011 amounted to just over 5,000 vehicles. Germany heads the list, with around 1,000 of these, despite having one of the lowest subsidies, an almost negligible € 380. This compares, for example, to a potential saving of up to € 20,000 in Denmark, which only managed to register 283 vehicles. Subsidies in Spain and the UK amount to around € 6,500, but registrations varied wildly – 599 in the UK against 122 in Spain. The findings would appear to point to the fact that other considerations, especially recharging and driving range, are still uppermost in buyers’ minds.

Digest M ore air travellers using smartphone services The use of smartphones as part of the flying process is very much on the increase, according to a survey by SITA entitled Air Transport World Passenger Self Service. The survey questioned passengers in seven major airports across the globe.

Just over half of all passengers possess a smartphone, with the number moving up to three quarters for business, first class and frequent travellers.

AirPlus Meeting Card AirPlus, the supplier of solutions for business trip management, is offering its customers a new service for settling the costs of meeting and event management. With the AirPlus Meeting Card, companies can pay the costs of congresses, meetings or events and subsequently analyse these. “Companies can benefit from savings possibilities that have not been fully used up to date, because expenditures on meetings and business trips had not been sufficiently coordinated”, states AirPlus.

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INDUSTRY

Air Travel

Can air travel ever be green ?

Looking out of an aircraft window and seeing the size of the engines, or seeing the aircraft hurtling down the runway… is not a very promising start to answering this question. And a fully laden Jumbo jet weighs around 400 tonnes, a quarter of which is fuel.

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espite the generally accepted idea that air travel must be environmentally-unfriendly, the industry is also playing its part in trying to reduce emissions. Here, we look at some industry association thoughts, and at what three airlines from different parts of Europe are actually doing.

Firstly, the Association of European Airlines puts the problem into perspective. It says: “AEA recognises that the airline industry must take responsibility for its environmental impact and drive a balance between these and the social and economic benefits it provides. In this context, the airlines’ contributions to man-made greenhouse gas emissions have been widely misrepresented. Globally, airlines emit just 2% of global CO2…

If all aircraft of European airlines were to be grounded, the reduction of global CO2 would be 0.5%. Nevertheless, reducing airlines’ environmental impact has become a key priority of this sector. Airlines across the world have contributed to reducing CO2 emissions by measures including: promoting the development of, and investing in, state of the art aircraft and engines with significantly less fuel consumption per passenger; deploying operational measures to reduce fuel consumption in flight.”

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Bio-fuels Speaking at a recent sustainable development conference in Copenhagen, Paul Steel, Air Transport Action Group executive director, made another comment which puts air travel into perspective. He pointed out that aviation bio-fuels could be a ‘quick win’ solution. This is particularly true as there are only 1,700 airports to re-fit, which compares to hundreds of thousands of vehicle fuelling stations… And bio-fuel can be put straight into existing aircraft engines. To answer the problem of diverting agricultural production from much-needed food across the globe to aircraft fuel, LanzaTech, a supplier of clean fuels with offices in China, New Zealand and the USA, has calculated that there is enough carbon monoxide generated by steel mills across the world to create some 7 billion gallons of aviation bio-fuel. And USA based clean energy company the Solena Group, which works with British Airways, Qantas and SAS, has said it could locate plants in every major airport in the world to convert municipal waste into aircraft bio-fuel. Taking these and other initiatives into account, the calculations are that producing aviation bio-fuel need not take up one single field of agricultural production.

The Flybe philosophy written on the side of one of their planes.

Putting the objectives into practice If we were speaking about any other area of activity in the world, we would doubtless say ‘what is actually happening on the ground?’ But in this case ‘in the air’ is more logical… The airlines themselves are taking concrete steps. To start with, one of Europe’s most northerly airlines, Finnair. It has set the objective of reducing emissions by 24% per seat between 2009 and 2017. Finnair starts by pointing out the simple truth that flying the shortest possible route (taking the wind into account) automatically saves fuel. Having newer aircraft means more efficient operating, although there is clearly a hefty financial implication here. More frequent engine washing leads to a saving of 1-2% in fuel burn, and optimising the amount of fuel actually taken on board can reduce the overall weight of the aircraft.

The ‘green landing’ or continuous descent operated by Finnair whenever possible (and in 60-80% of cases at its home airport of Helsinki) means the aircraft stays higher for longer, before

continuously descending and therefore requiring less engine thrust to maintain lower heights. Avoiding circling around airports is also a way of reducing fuel consumption. Back down on the ground, Finnair recycles 46% of cabin waste and has energy and water saving programmes in its offices.

Turbo-props and eco-labels British-based Flybe, the largest regional airline in Europe, has put a great deal of environmental effort into operating the most ecologically-friendly aircraft. It has thus invested over two billion Euros in this type of aeroplane, in its case the Bombardier Q400 and the Embraer 195. Flybe points out that its decision to operate the Bombardier aircraft is based on the philosophy of ‘rightsizing’, and that this decision makes it one of the largest operator of turbo-prop aircraft in the world, this at a time when other airlines are moving to small jets. The jet it has chosen for its own fleet – the Embraer – also achieves very good CO2 ratings.

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INDUSTRY

Air Travel

A Brussels Airlines short haul jet.

Finnair cabin crew – here in their new uniforms – recycle cabin waste.

Flybe has also become the first airline in the world to introduce an eco-labelling system for its aircraft, of the same type as those found on new fridges and freezers. This system assesses the aircraft’s noise rating, and CO2 emissions. The certification also takes into account passenger comfort including leg-room and the number of seats on the aircraft. This last point is an interesting approach, and reflects the criteria in, for example, the much used BREEAM certification system for new buildings, where ‘user comfort’ takes its place alongside energy efficiency and other elements more obviously linked to environmental performance. Commenting on all of this, Flybe Chief Executive and Chairman Jim French said: “Our eco-label initiative is designed to help consumers identify which type of aircraft or which type of route is the most sensitive choice to the environment. We believe that through the provision of information to consumers they will exercise choice.”

Offset Located at the heart of the European Union’s administrative bodies, Brussels Airlines also has an ecological programme named b.green. This includes operating smaller (50 to 70 seat) aircraft on some routes, and avoiding using fuel to fly empty seats wherever possible. Where possible, aircraft parked at the gate use alternative energy-saving methods of air conditioning and electricity rather than the aircraft’s own system. Food trolleys have become lighter, and less drinking water is carried, again reducing weight. On top of this, the gradual replacement of seats by lighter models is set to reduce the overall weight of an Airbus 319/320 by 700 kg, which equates to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 238 tonnes per aircraft per year. A further reduction in weight of 176 kg has been achieved by removing the air stairs from Boeing aircraft. In operational terms, Brussels Airlines pilots take off at reduced power, the airline flies as short a route as possible, and optimises the amount of fuel carried. Engines on almost all of the A319 fleet use a Double Annular Combustor technique which reduces NOx and CO2 emissions. Further CO2 emission reductions are obtained by engine-washing, wing flap adjustment and winglets.

Tim HARRUP

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BRUSSELS AIRLINES OFFSET In conjunction with CO2Logic, Brussels Airlines is running a carbon offset programme. This enables passengers, for a small fee, the possibility of offsetting their CO2 emissions by contributing to the development of green projects at African destinations. These include a project for efficient woodstoves in Uganda, which use 50% less wood and therefore also contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions.

The first aircraft eco-label from Flybe (Flybe eco-label)

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INDUSTRY

Automotive

Car-makers to embrace mobility concepts Under the influence of societal and technological changes, the automotive industry will undergo a true metamorphosis over the next 15 years.

That is the conclusion of consultancy bureau Roland Berger Strategic Consultants following a study involving more than 60 automotive experts around the world.

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ne of the first trends that Roland Berger has identified is ‘demotorization’. According to the study bureau car ownership worldwide is losing its appeal as a status symbol, especially among younger people. Alternative mobility concepts such as “going by bike”, “using a car pool” or “going by public transportation” are strengthening their competitive positions.

The implications of this small but growing trend are manifold. “To make the most of the trend, the automotive industry has to embrace integrated mobility concepts.” According to Berger, car sharing in the developed world will soon be providing first and last mile connectivity for congested urban areas. That will lead to car sharing evolving to become a proper business model. Modern technology supports this development and makes it possible for car sharing to operate flexibly and conveniently for the customer. Serious players such as independent providers, rental companies and OEMs will soon be adding these services to their portfolio.

Other solutions such as micro-mobility – e-bikes, electric two- and three-wheelers, and so on – may also gain mass acceptance.”

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By 2025, many vehicles will always be online, sending and receiving information via the Internet.

The future will be hybrid Roland Berger also looked at the electrification of the propulsion system.

“Globally, the share of pure electric-drive vehicles will increase to a maximum 10% of global new vehicles sales in 2025 in our best-case scenario, provided no breakthrough in post li-ion battery technologies occurs before that timeframe, which is not very likely”, according to sources at Roland Berger, which is a greater believer in hybrid vehicles. “With their driving autonomy, which is still greater than electric-only vehicles, they will be much more popular, achieving a 40% share.” Roland Berger believes that the growing overall share of electric drive trains will reshape the current mobility value chain in all segments. The pure electric power train itself is much simpler to design, manufacture and service – apart from the challenge of high voltage.

Established suppliers will expand into the parts and components needed for vehicle electrification. Many third parties will also want to turn the growing share of electrified cars to their benefit. These

players will offer a variety of mobility services such as car sharing or even entire cars.

The intelligent vehicle A third trend that will present the automotive industry with great challenges is the arrival of the ‘intelligent car’. By 2025, many vehicles will always be online, sending and receiving information via the Internet. “Vehicles will communicate with one another and their environment – although we do not know exactly how”, Roland Berger sources say. In line with this development, OEMs are increasingly introducing “open” infotainment systems in their vehicles. This is true for both premium and volume players. In most cases, drivers will be able to order additional services such as location-based information, navigation on demand and SOS calls. Most often a device such as a smart phone or a TomTom will be docked in the car. The systems will usually be controlled by voice, touch screen or from the steering wheel.

Stijn PHLIX

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INDUSTRY

Travel

“Travel costs will rise” Trips to emerging markets helped push corporate travel to prerecession levels this year, and travel to those same markets is expected to buoy the industry in 2012, despite economic malaise in Europe and North America, according to the 2012 Industry Forecast released in September 2011 by BCD Travel consulting unit Advito.

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dvito interviewed industry experts and analyzed aggregated transactional data, as well as figures from the International Monetary Fund and other economic and travel industry organizations. The result is a roadmap for the year ahead, complete with strategic directions for travel buyers.

Steep increases in oil prices in the first half of 2011 led to equally steep increases in the price of travel this year. “The price of oil has moderated in recent months, but travel buyers will still need to budget for moderate airfare and hotel rate increases”, says Bob Brindley (Advito). “A barrel price of 100 dollars is the ‘new normal,’” he said. “But there will be additional factors at play in 2012, including the growing power of consolidated airline entities and higher distribution fees in some markets.”

Emerging markets Based on the provisional assumption that economic growth will continue in 2012, bolstered by strong demand for travel to Brazil, Russia, China and India, Advito expects business travel demand to increase by medium to high singledigit percentages in growth markets and by low single-digit percentages in North America and Europe. Across all regions, Advito predicts the price of travel to grow by 4 percent to 6 percent.

According to BCD Travel, oil prices, airline consolidation and emerging market demand will push up trip costs.

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Stijn PHLIX

RISE OF RATES The Industry Forecast predicts a rise of rates in different domains: •A irfares will rise 3 percent to 5 percent worldwide, pushed by rising demand, carrier consolidation and capacity control. In general, airlines have been slow to restore capacity since the depths of the last recession, but the transatlantic market is a noteworthy pocket of oversupply. The price of air travel also could be driven up by fees for payment by card, as other carriers follow the lead of British Airways and the Lufthansa Group, and new carbon emissions regulations in Europe.

•H otels are bullish about their ability to raise rates in 2012, with finalized increases likely to be from 2 percent to 6 percent, depending on location. But in gateway cities such as New York, another year of double-digit increases is probable.

•M eetings demand rebounded in 2011 and is expected to be strong again in 2012, assuming continued economic growth. Consequently, rates will rise in 2012 and accelerate in 2013 based on strong forward bookings. Rate rises will be greatest in gateway cities.

•N egotiated car rental rates in the United States — by far the largest car rental market worldwide — have not moved upwards for two years because of intense competition. Something will have to give, so Advito expects rates to rise by 4 percent to 6 percent in 2012.

•R ail travel prices in Europe are likely to increase around 5 percent, similar to 2011.

Deregulation of the cross-border market will bring about some new services and routes, but pricing is unlikely to be affected.

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Peugeot Telematic Offers designed for B2B needs.

In an interview with Dirk Marco Adams, Director of Peugeot Professional Europe, we get into the real detail of Peugeots telematics offering for B2B customers.

First of all, to cover off the product element, can you outline which B2B specific vehicles are available from PEUGEOT Dirk Marco Adams, Director of Peugeot Professional Europe

Peugeot have a special B2B version for cars including 308, 3008, 508, 5008 named Business Line (although different names exist in certain countries e.g. SR for UK), with low CO2 engines, and Park distance control to reduce TCO. There is also Navigation, Bluetooth, and for telematics, PEUGEOT CONNECT SOS / ASSISTANCE – a real breakthrough product.

So exactly what is the PEUGEOT CONNECT SOS service?

This is Peugeots embedded Telematic service with a direct connection to an SOS or ASSISTANCE Platform. Simply, a direct and automatic call to the Emergancy Services if needed e.g. in the case of an accident. A transfer of information takes place (e.g. location of the vehicle), which is performed by Peugeot. The Euro NCAP organisation (the reference in terms of security), has given Peugeot the ‘Euro NCAP advanced’ award recognising innovation and enhanced security of the occupants.

What Telematic Equipment is involved?

There is a black box, Peugeot Connect Equipment with: GPS module, SIM Card (valid for 27 countries), Microphone and Loudspeaker, Separate battery (for e-calls if the car battery is out of order).

What is the value for the customer?

There are many benefits…

First, its easy to use and free of extra charge Peugeot Connect SOS system is designed to connect the vehicle automatically with an emergency call centre immediately following an accident. Crash sensors detect when a car has been in an accident, based on vehicle safety devices such as airbags. If an accident is detected, Peugeot Connect SOS first sends an SMS message to a Peugeot Connect SOS call centre, giving the precise location at the time of impact and the last ten known positions of the vehicle, in order to help emergency service for intervention. Peugeot Connect SOS can also be activated by pressing SOS button for 2 seconds. Once Peugeot Connect SOS is acquired, the service is free and remains operational 10 years guaranteed.

Secondly, there is European coverage … in 10 countries (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, and United Kingdom). For other EU countries, calling 112 is activated upon a crash or by pressing on SOS for 2 seconds,the car owners native language.

Thirdly, there is a Voice connection … between the car and the call centre. The operator qualifies the need of notifying emergency services.

If this communication fails or if neither the driver nor the passenger can answer the call, the call centre immediately notifies the emergency services for action.

What are the results?

In Europe between 25-40 % (% depends on the country) of Peugeots B2B sales are BusinessLine models. In Europe PEUGEOT has delivered more than 550,000 cars with PEUGEOT CONNECT and we have already received more than 4000 emergency calls since 2003.

What are the next steps?

With this equipment, PEUGEOT CONNECT FLEET is able to send automatically twice a week all necessary information to assist with Fleet Management. Also, PEUGEOT France have launched a new offer ‘PEUGEOT GREEN CONNECT’ which is a Leasing product with Peugeot FINANCE including PEUGEOT CONNECT SOS, ASSISTANCE and CONNECT FLEET plus a ECO – DRIVE TRAINING for each Driver with an external Agency Mobigreen.

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INDUSTRY

Europcar

Europcar - meeting changing needs As the concept of mobility becomes a reality, car rental companies are finding themselves taking on even more importance. In the case of Europcar, this translates into new thinking and a new range of services. In charge if group marketing, partnerships, innovation and new services at Europcar is Pascal Klein. He explained to us some of the changes now taking place in the brand.

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verybody accepts the move towards mobility solutions, and Pascal Klein also sees enormous potential here, including financially. Mobility and connectivity will go hand in hand, with the New World of Work becoming a reality for the workers of tomorrow. For this reason, Europcar sees itself as being part of a larger whole, open to the exterior and providing services for people who need to both move about and remain connected. There will be a gradual shift away from an emphasis on car ownership towards car use. The use of a car will become one of the many services workers and consumers demand.

And with an increase in remote working and tele-conferencing etc., the use of the car is likely to become focused on leisure pursuits. But Pascal Klein is realistic, and sees car rental as a complementary service to car ownership, not as something which will replace it completely.

Value for money, value for time “We are in an ever more instantaneous world”, Pascal Klein explains. “People are more likely to talk about their recent holiday than about their new car… desire has become as important

Car2go and Europcar extend their partnership Europe-wide”: the 2 CEO’s of the Joint-Venture partners Philippe Guillemot (Europcar) and Robert Henrich (car2go).

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’Moving your way’, the new baseline of Europcar translates the company’s strategy to accompany the mobility needs of individuals during their whole life”, says Pascal Klein.

as need”. To illustrate the changing mindset, certain figures from the mobility observatory undertaken each year are useful.

These show that 47% of European city-dwellers are really thinking about giving up car ownership, a figure which is growing (as is the percentage of the world’s population which lives in cities). Almost the same number believe that car rental is a service which can replace car ownership, and 35% believe it is cheaper to rent a car than to own one. And some 61% of those surveyed think that having a car available on a ‘self-service’ basis is an extremely interesting mobility option.

Moving your way This is a phrase Europcar uses to demonstrate its move from a pure car rental operation to a supplier of services designed to stay in line with the changing lifestyle of its clients. From the moment someone is first able to drive, through all of the lifestages of getting a job, getting married, having children, moving house, seeing the children grow up, retiring, mobility needs constantly change. And it is Europcar’s objective to accompany all of these phases. This objective applies both to B2B and to B2C business. Having a suitable fleet of vehicles and services available across Europe to meet these varying needs, and both understanding and responding to changing needs, form part of the Europcar strategy.

Complementary services The Car2go scheme in a number of cities is another mobility initiative, where the use of the car is complementary to public transport services. And as the car used (smartfortwo) is the smallest on the roads, and under the scheme can be parked and left anywhere in the city limits, the service really is ultra-flexible and convenient. In terms of connectivity and technology, no key is required, and Car2go locates the point where it has been left.

Other initiatives will follow, including a partnership with Renault involving electric cars. Quite clearly, mobility is at a turning point, and so is Europcar with all of its new services.

Caroline THONNON

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