Element Last Mile Rental: Modernizing Vehicle Reservations and Fleet Operations with Autofleet

Element Last Mile Rental (Element LMR) is a specialized rental solution that provides vehicles to meet specific business and physical requirements set by renters. Offering both vehicles and fleet management services to tens of thousands of vehicles, a modern, streamlined rental and reservation solution was required to meet these needs.

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Modernizing the vehicle ordering and reservation experience to match market demand 

To enhance their clients' experience, Element Last Mile Rental (LMR) needed to transform their fleet management operations. The existing systems operated in isolation, creating information silos that limited efficiency and cross-team collaboration. 

To address these challenges, a unified digital vehicle reservation and ordering system was designed, modernizing fleet management infrastructure and enabling the Element LMR team to:

• Launch an end-to-end digital reservation and fleet management system
• Drive utilization through real-time visibility into out-of-service vehicles 
• Improve governance and ensure compliance with historical reports 
• Implement standardized processes across the entire operation
• Automate and streamline workflows 

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Creating a fully customizable digital vehicle reservation and fleet management solution 

Together with Autofleet, Element LMR created a tailored solution that addressed multifaceted challenges, centered around three key modules working in concert to optimize operations:

• The Reservations Module provides a streamlined booking experience with real-time visibility into vehicle availability and status across the entire fleet. 
• The Tasks Module uses automated workflows to streamline vehicle ordering, maintenance, repairs, and other key operational processes, allowing better vehicle utilization and uptime.
• The Integration Hub creates a unified ecosystem by connecting Autofleet's platform with Element’s legacy systems. This eliminated information silos and enabled seamless data flow throughout the organization to take actions that ensure high performance rates.

This is complemented by an app (for both Android and iPhone) that facilitates the check-out and check-in process, provides tools for easy vehicle inspections and damage reports, and ensures standardized data collection.

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Successfully meeting strict deadlines 

Implementation followed an ambitious timeline driven by client deadlines. On-time delivery became the project's north star, with the team successfully meeting critical milestones that prevented a potentially devastating six-month operational delay.

The team deployed a “Minimum Viable Prodcuct” (MVP) within just three months, establishing core functionality and demonstrating immediate value. This was followed by a two-month hypercare period during which the technical implementation was fine-tuned to match operational requirements and workflows. The entire solution was delivered in under five months, reflecting the team's focused effort, precise planning, and commitment to meeting the deadline.

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Smooth operations with full governance

• ‍Improved governance, ensuring better vehicle utilization. One immediate benefit of implementing this modern vehicle reservation solution was improved governance. It ensures only eligible vehicles are valid to rent, while transaction controls verify customer eligibility based on contractual parameters. These safeguards have significantly reduced errors and improved compliance and performance across the organization

• Unprecedented transparency into fleet operations. This allowed real-time reporting to both internal and external stakeholders, creating unprecedented transparency. Custom dashboards allow continuous monitoring of fleet health and utilization, substantially reducing vehicle downtime through proactive maintenance and rapid issue resolution.

Meeting Element LMR business requirements

The mobile-first approach adopted for this project catered to Element LMR's needs. It allowed staff to manage operations from anywhere, dramatically improving responsiveness and operational flexibility. 

This fully customizable business-led approach enables quick adaptation through automated workflows, comprehensive operational reporting, and established APIs for seamless integration.

The project's success stemmed from several critical factors that distinguished Autofleet's approach: executing under pressure to meet tight deadlines and adopting a phased implementation. It began with an MVP followed by hypercare, which allowed progressive improvements while delivering immediate value and completing the entire project in under five months.

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The path to modernizing and digitizing fleet management

Autofleet's adaptable and digitized vehicle reservation platform streamlined Element LMR's fleet operations. The implementation resulted in increased visibility across the entire fleet, improved vehicle utilization, and allowed for the automation of previously manual, inefficient, time-consuming workflows.

Furthermore, the platform's mobile-first design provided Element LMR with the agility and responsiveness necessary to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern marketplace. By partnering with Autofleet, Element LMR has not only optimized its current operations and increased utilization but also established a strong foundation for future growth and innovation.