Think about the current credit crunch. Consider the rise of unemployment in some of the world wealthiest countries (the latter not entirely unrelated to the former). House prices, fuel prices and food prices are all going through the roof. For those with a persuasion towards prudence, this would be a time to look at the various ways to save money, perhaps by spending a little bit of money, even if the amount is but a fraction of what one would consider ‘worthwhile’. This is of course also applicable to computer software and more specifically those in the chauffeur business.



Yes, there is a market for chauffeur software and it has shown to be a profitable and extremely efficient one, assisting those within the business to manage their resources and time to the best and most economic way possible. But that is of course just marketing speak, seeing as there are many different flavours and versions of chauffeur software available. So let’s take a closer look at what to expect from reasonable to good chauffeur software.

Take the basics you’d expect from chauffeur software into account first. These include the scheduling of drivers and vehicles, quote generation, online routes, training and support. Next up, think about those things that you’d like to have but are not sure that they exist. A key thing to remember here is the fact that there is already such a multitude of chauffeur software in existence that, due to the resulting competition, additional extras are often what makes one better than the other, aside from functionality. These include aspects that aid in the management of the business such as contact management, Fuel Duty Rebate (FDR), Working Time Directive (WTD) compliance, human resources functionality and the list goes on.

Another thing to take into account, aside from the extras and functionality, regarding chauffeur software is of course the support offered on the package. Is support offered only between 8AM and 5PM or do you have the option of 24 hour support? Most people who make use of chauffeur software operate 24/7, so finding a package with an associated support schedule within the same time frames is important. Additionally, how much do you expect to pay for support?

As you may well know, computers can start acting up at the worst of times so it’s best to look for a software package that provides for your business needs.

The above is a functional list of which questions to ask when considering chauffeur software. Get yourself a pen and a piece of paper to get a clear picture of what your requirements are. And when you’re done, simply log on to the Internet and type ‘chauffeur software’ into your favourite search engine.