36
ACT
OCTOBER2014
TECHNOLOGY
FLEETMANAGEMENTSOFTWARE
From a land down under
Newon the scene isAustralian company
Baseplan. Founded in1986, Baseplan’s
fleetmanagement software startedout
with forklift companies.Afterwinning a
bid forMotorola, theyopenedup shop
inSantaMonica,CA. Technology is their
forte.
“People see their
existing software isn’t
really cutting it,” said
MikePatrick,CEOof
NorthAmerica, Baseplan.
“Wekeep everything in linewith the
newest technology, especiallymobile.”
Patrick said they’ve already inked a few
major crane companies, thenames of
which cannot be releasedyet, but they’ve
been speaking to them for an extended
periodof time. They shouldbe fully
operational by the endof the year.
As far as the sizeof aproject goes, the
bigger thebetter forBaseplan. They
control roughly80percent of themarket
shareof fleetmanagement software in
Australia andbelieve they’rewell on their
way tograbbing a largeportionofNorth
America.
“We’re speaking to asmanypeople aswe
possibly can,” saidPatrick. “Someof these
businesses arehuge.Hundredsof branches
scattered around the country. Butwe’re
used to that. Some firmshave a similar
scattering inAustralia.”
Unlike some serviceproviders, Baseplan
allows for thepurchaseof individual
modules of their software, referred to
as “gatewayproducts.” Say, for instance,
you’re interested in invoicing andCRM.
You couldpurchase that portionwithout
themaintenance and service side. But like
all of theseprograms, the entiretyof the
softwareworks together and thebenefit
of each aspect of businessmanagement
talking to eachother only enhances the
offering.
“WithoneERPprovider you canget rid
of all theseother things becauseBaseplan
does everything and it talks to everything,”
saidPatrick. “It’s ahugedifferentiator.”
These services all provide a level of
detail previously incalculable in the
crane andheavy transport industries.
Theypreach automation, integration and
communication and theiruse is becoming
more andmore standard.As technology
continues to advance it feels like the sky
is the limit inwhat they can accomplish.
Whether ornot they can convert the
technologyholdouts, now that’s adifferent
question.
■
The Fleet Cost & Care Atom
2.1 app can be used in
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deepsouthcrane.com
A leader in
HEAVY LIFT AND TRANSPORT SERVICES
for
46 years, Deep SouthCrane &Rigging continuously provides
innovative solutions and excellence in customer service
throughout North andSouthAmerica.
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