Océ-Technologies procurement account manager Huub van Rumund
is combining cost savings with team building by trying out ridesharing technology for
employees traveling among company locations.
The printing and hardware manufacturer, which Canon acquired
in 2010, has deployed Comovee, Sysware's carpooling technology tool, to
maximize use of rental cars and taxis. Company travelers move a lot between
headquarters in the Netherlands and a location near Munich, and van Rumund got
the idea to use the tool when he noticed how many travelers were driving around
those locations, each in his or her own rental car. "A lot of employees
are traveling on the same flights, renting a car for one person when two or
three other people are on their flight," he said. "Why couldn't we
share those rides?"
Employees who sign up for Comovee can let the rest of the
company know when they are renting cars and have extra seats. They also can use
the tool to look for available rides and "book" the seat, in which
case the tool shares contact information so the employees can coordinate.
Should employees' plans change, they can cancel within the tool, which will
notify all involved parties.
The tool also will help employees staying near the Munich
location. Some of the preferred hotels are a few miles from the company
location, so employees can use the tool to plan to share taxis, he said.
About 100 employees had signed on as of November, and van
Rumund expects that to grow among the company's 2,000 travelers. The tool is
intuitive enough so that it requires no training, so he is using the company's
quarterly newsletter to inform employees of the opportunity.
Cost reduction, albeit "minor savings," is one
goal. Should it generate enough interest, van Rumund estimates it could save
the company between €20,000 and €30,000 per year in car rental costs. Besides
that, a smaller number of car rentals lowers Océ's carbon footprint and gives
employees an extra opportunity to interact, he said. "You can meet new
colleagues, discuss a little about work and drop costs at the same time,"
van Rumund said.
Looking
ahead, he would like to integrate the tool into Oce's agency. That way,
employees could see the ridesharing option at the time of booking. Plus, should
a traveler cancel a flight, the tool would pick up the change in plans
automatically. "It's a problem currently because agencies are all
developing their own [ridesharing]programs and are not so fond of having an
extra system," he said. "But never say never. It could be
possible."