Ebbon Group enhances moDel ready for easing of lockdown
With pressure growing for vehicle delivery restrictions to be lifted, Ebbon Group has further enhanced its market-leading electronic vehicle delivery and collection solution, moDel.
moDel, Ebbon Group’s leading vehicle delivery solution saw a record year in 2019 with over 343,000 vehicle movements and has benefitted from two new releases in recent days to improve customer messaging and support in anticipation of the lockdown easing.
The BVRLA has been amongst organisations recently urging for dealerships and other delivery agents to start moving vehicles again in order to unclog the thousands of cars and vans that are congesting the automotive supply chain.
Meanwhile, the Department for Transport has made it clear in a letter to the logistics sector that logistics, including the collection and delivery of vehicles, should carry on during the lockdown, provided that it can be done in accordance with the government’s safety guidelines.
Michael Terry, Head of Commercial at Ebbon-Dacs, said: “We are starting to see pressure being applied to ease restrictions on vehicle movements and for vehicles to start being delivered again.
“Our message to customers is that, behind the scenes in lockdown, we have been enhancing the functionality of moDel so that we are ready to help and support that process with new features – and currently have several more projects in the pipeline.
“Alongside these developments, we have also put together a best practice guide for the safe use of moDel, which details how the system can be utilised effectively whilst social distancing measures remain in place. ” he said.
moDel, which is now available on both Apple and Android platforms, has seen continued and major investment with seven new releases in the last 12 months, and a further 12 – around one a month – planned for this coming year.
The first of the two latest releases improves upon the recently released Geo Comms vehicle tracking module, which provides end customers with the ability to track the delivery of their new vehicle.
The Geo Comms tracking capability is available through the moDel portal to suppliers on every delivery, including leasing companies, dealers, logistics companies and end users, thus improving transparency and communication.
Now, following customer feedback, users have the option of sending the tracking link via SMS text message to end-customers to inform them of the delivery driver’s location. This follows the same process as the current email functionality, and means that users now have more options to keep in touch with their customers.
Also new is a standard messaging suite within the moDel portal that enables users to send messages to customers or drivers based upon the status of key jobs within the portal. For example, communication can be sent to the end user confirming that their delivery has been arranged and booked.
At the same time, Ebbon Group developers have upgraded the moDel support console with changes to the internal support system, which allow support staff to answer and help deal with moDel queries more effectively.
Development is also under way to upgrade the standard integration feature between moDel and customers’ back offices. Ebbon Group is working to introduce this in an API (Application Program Interface) format which will help drive further efficiencies and keep the product up-to-date with market leading functionality.
More news on this latest development should be available in the coming weeks.
Michael Terry added: “We continue to invest heavily in the ongoing development of the moDel solution with exciting new functionality and features, and provide guidance for our customers in anticipation that lockdown will be eased and vehicle deliveries will start again soon safely and in accordance with government guidelines.’’
