Overview
Coach Manager is a start to finish solution for the management of charter and contract work specially designed for coach, school bus, minibus, limousine and community transport operators. The software offers secure handling of bookings, easy and efficient allocation of vehicles and drivers, client confirmations, driver work tickets, invoicing and a built-in AR with extensive financial reporting facilities.
The first ever version of the system was launched in 1982 and very quickly established itself as the system of choice for operators of all sizes. Nearly 30 years later, although the basic principles remain much the same, the system has moved on almost beyond recognition from what it could do in the early days. The current Microsoft SQL Server based Coach Manager was launched in 2001 and is in daily use with over 500 companies.
Charters
The charter side of Coach Manager can handle anything from a straightforward requirement for a single vehicle through to a highly complex multi movement booking with multiple vehicles and drivers.
Contracts
The contract side offers a similar degree of flexibility, but adds a facility that allows the dates on which a contract operates to be entered on a year view calendar. The system can cope with any pattern or frequency and dates can be added or removed simply by clicking on the calendar. A wizard can be used to quickly schedule a contract for any number of future months or years. The times on which a contract operates can be easily edited for any given individual day.
Community Transport
Coach Manager also provides an ideal solution for community transport operators by allowing either a fixed or variable list of passengers to be associated with a contract movement. When used for this type of work the system can also record user definable special needs for each individual passenger.
Confirmation Letters
Coach Manager can automatically generate a letter of confirmation for every new charter booking. The system includes a built-in word processor which allows an unlimited number of letter templates, each designed to cover a different circumstance, to be created and stored. Letters are automatically selected for dispatch by post, fax or email according to the preference of each individual client.
Work Tickets
Driver work tickets are generated automatically from the booking details and can be selected for printing by date or individual driver. Work tickets can be printed onto plain or pre-printed stationery. They can also be emailed to a driver for remote collection and printing.
Invoices
Invoices are also generated automatically from booking details with clients being invoiced immediately, daily, weekly, monthly or on demand according to the setting for each client. Invoice details can be previewed on screen and, if necessary, the underlying booking details can be amended prior to printing. The system offers a choice of single or multiple bookings per invoice according to the preference of each individual client. Invoices can be sent to the client either by post or by email depending on client preference. All invoices are stored in a document database for future referral.
Accounts Receivable
All invoices are posted automatically to the built-in Coach Manager Accounts Receivable. The system handles all forms of payments and makes it very easy to allocate payments to invoices. The accounts receivable has extensive reporting facilities including a sales daybook, client statements and an aged debt analysis.
Scheduling
A powerful graphical scheduling system shows bookings which have already been allocated to a vehicle or driver alongside those that haven't. As each unallocated booking is selected, the required time slot is highlighted on the graphical display facilitating the choice of an available vehicle or driver. Bookings are then allocated simply by clicking on the chosen vehicle or driver. Bookings can be moved from one vehicle or driver to another using drag and drop.
Quotations and Pricing
Coach Manager combines a sophisticated but easy to use price calculator with a quotation management system designed for the rapid input, storage and retrieval of charter quotations. In conjunction with Microsoft MapPoint the price calculator makes it easy for sales staff to consistently and accurately calculate prices for the charter of vehicles under a wide range of varying circumstances, at different times of the year, for destinations both near and far. Quotations can be posted or emailed to a client and on acceptance can be converted into a firm booking in a matter of seconds.
Fully Integrated
Coach Manager is fully integrated with our Vehicle Maintenance System. As vehicles are allocated to bookings the system automatically checks with VMS to ensure there are no conflicting workshop commitments or outstanding defects. The system is also fully integrated with our Tour Booking System.
Coach Manager Express
Coach Manager Express is a simplified version of Coach Manager aimed at operators with smaller fleet sizes. By removing a selection of features designed for some of our larger clients, we've made the system much easier to use. At the same time it is still extremely flexible and is capable of delivering everything a smaller operator could need in a booking system. Coach Manager Express can be upgraded to the full Coach Manager system when and if required.
For further details, or to arrange a no obligation demonstration, please phone us on (646) 448-9981 or email nasales@distinctive-systems.com.