2012-02-14 14:57:36 - Johannesburg 14 February 2012 Technology has changed the manner in which most industries conduct business and it has also affected the turnaround time in most industries. With a view to enhancing client service through improved internal efficiency and productivity, JSE-listed Eqstra Fleet Management (EFM) has set about improving its IT infrastructure.

EFM has entered into a partnership with Microsoft and PwC Exordia, (a division of the world’s largest professional services business, PwC) and is in the process of implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 which has been positioned as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for ERP for product-centric midmarket companies.

Choosing the right partner was of paramount importance to Eqstra and this partnership is best suited to take Eqstra to a new level. The decision to choose PwC Exordia was based on its good reputation and the scale of PwC in a support role and because Exordia has been awarded the Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for Microsoft Dynamics ERP AX implementations and has been elected to the Microsoft

Inner Circle for the past three years.

As an internationally recognised leading ERP product, Microsoft Dynamics AX delivers a seamless solution for EFM on which unique fleet management components can be developed. It is easily customised to cater for our fleet business requirements, and will be a base for ongoing product development. Says Murray Price, MD Eqstra Fleet Management: “As part of the project, EFM will implement a web portal that will allow customers and suppliers to transact directly on the ERP system, enabling them to keep track of all their individual transactions and reducing duplication of effort found in the traditional fleet management value chain. In addition the solution will be used to deliver a single point of access to the full array of fleet solutions delivered to the market by EFM on a single platform, providing more control to customers and better reporting capabilities covering all aspects of their fleet using the powerful BI reporting capabilities of Microsoft and standard Dynamics AX data cubes.

EFM aims to improve service delivery through the standardisation and simplification of business processes as well as consistent achievement of service levels, hence the partnership with Microsoft and PwC Exordia. Price says that, “through this partnership Eqstra will gain access to ongoing research and development from one of the world's most successful companies. “Our current production system is extremely stable but ageing and with the rapid growth of our fleet offering we have created islands of systems, resulting in duplication of effort and multiple potential points of service failure. A need has been identified to have a more robust and fully integrated system that is agile enough to accommodate ever changing business requirements,” adds Price. “EFM hopes through this system to control its costs while enhancing client service through the consolidation of multiple systems into one common platform.”

The transport and fleet management industry have been going through changes in recent times and with this investment, Eqstra aims to expand and grow its core offerings, to support a wide variety of unique fleet management requirements, in line with trends worldwide.

ENDS
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF EQSTRA FLEET MANAGEMENT
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ABOUT EQSTRA FLEET MANAGEMENT

Eqstra Fleet Management provides a full range of fleet management services underpinned by two core products, Full Maintenance Lease and Operating Lease. Originally known as Imperial Fleet Services, the company has operated in South Africa for 27 years. With an owned and managed fleet in excess of 40 000 vehicles and an asset base of over R1, 8 billion, EFM delivers a wide range of solutions to a diverse customer base.