From managing vehicles on spreadsheet to a no-code Neptune App - developed in a day using the power of the Cruise Accelerator.
Spreadsheets - the original no-code solution for business
Spreadsheets have long been the go-to tool for managing business data. They offer a simple and accessible way to organize, calculate, and analyze data, making them an ideal solution for many non-core business business needs, including fleet management.
If your business runs SAP and is licensed for Plant Maintenance, maybe you want to consider managing your fleet using plant maintenance. Here is a SAP community blog that provides and overview of the configuration needed.
Deciding to put a process into SAP needs to be carefully considered, it requires:
- Complex master data and associated process knowledge
- Relevant SAP licenses for accessing the functionality
- Training and security authorizations set correctly, some of the process participants (drivers, mechanics, safety inspectors may not have access to a workstation and be able to capture relevant information.
Expected business benefits
Of course the specific reasons in your business may be different, but it is likely your business wants better control and management of their fleet, including:
- Which department has been allocated the vehicle
- Logging trips and associated refuelling costs (via telematics)
- Scheduling license and permit renewals
- Allocating specific drivers and ensuring their driving licenses and permits are correct
- Logging any incidents and notifications for the vehicle
- Having access to the maintenance records and instructions to ensure vehicle is kept compliant
Why create an App to manage your fleet?
Again there can be many answers here, but the most likely are around mobility, simplicity and workflows. Examples are:
- Capture sensor information e.g. tracker data from a vehicle
- Add workflows and simple notifications to manage licenses and permits
- Allow drivers and passengers to use phone to take pictures and review documentation of a vehicle
- Ensure check lists are followed e.g. safety checklist before operating a fork lift
So then the million dollar question becomes in which technology should you build this? Considering that the core master data exists inside SAP. In this blog we will show you how we built this solution in under day.
Step-by-Step Guide to Developing a Fleet Management App in Neptune
Creating a fleet management app using a no-code platform like Neptune DXP can be accomplished in a single day by following a structured approach:
1. Identify your data and app requirements: For this part you will need to work with your plant maintenance expert and identify the various data requirements and scope of your application. Deciding which fields are needed in your app and what and who can update them are key part of the design process.
2. Build an API for Vehicles: Once you have identified the data and requirements next step is to model your data requirements in our application modeller in Cruise. Following a lean core approach, your Neptune developer will generate a single class for vehicle API management and release it for cloud development.
3. Expose the Data to your low-code App : After you have developed your API, next is to expose this application to Neptune DXP (Open Edition) this will then connect to your API.
4. Build the application: Depending on how your low-code team is structured you could now hand the API over to your UX / Front-end development teams as they have all the SAP data to work with. Here they can leverage all the functionality that is baked into a single Neptune stack (Offline, Forms, IoT data, Workflow etc).
5. Set up custom workflows and non-SAP objects: Now the supporting application elements are created e.g. workflow, attachments, dashboards, notifications etc are created. If needed the entire application is then wrapped into a mobile application for distribution to your users.
6. Test and deploy the solution: Conduct thorough testing and if you are happy use the rich deployment manager to promote your solution into the QA and production systems.
Demonstration of how this was built using the Cruise Accelerator
The following videos show how the application was built using Neptune Software and the Cruise Accelerator.
Summary
Low-code tools are becoming extremely powerful, Neptune Software with its certified 'SAP Native" integration provides a mechanism to quickly build mobile and UI5 Applications. The Cruise Accelerator is a tool we provide to our clients are part of implementation and delivery. Please contact us for a personalized demo or allow us to build a proof-of-concept based on your specific needs.
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