Buyer’s Guide: Questions Banks & SACCOs Should Ask Before Choosing Great Traveller

Understanding Your Fleet Management Needs

Banks and SACCOs often run a fleet of vehicles for cash collection, member outreach, and executive transport. Before looking at any solution, clarify the specific problems you need to solve:

• Operational consistency – Do you need real‑time tracking of routes, driver behaviour, and vehicle utilisation?
• Regulatory compliance – Are there local transport regulations or internal audit requirements you must meet?
• Cost transparency – How will you measure fuel consumption, maintenance expenses and driver overtime?
• Member experience – Does your fleet support member‑face services such as mobile banking vans or loan‑collection trips?

Write these needs down as measurable objectives (e.g., reduce fuel waste by 10% within six months). This list becomes the benchmark against which you judge Great Traveller.

Question 1: What Core Features Are Included and How Do They Align With Your Objectives?

Great Traveller promises a "world class fleet management suite". Ask the vendor to map each feature to a concrete use case:

Feature	Typical Use for Banks/SACCOs	How to Validate
Real‑time GPS tracking	Monitor cash‑in‑transit vans to ensure safe routes	Request a live demo of the dashboard with a test vehicle
Driver scorecards	Identify risky driving that could endanger cash and staff	Review sample reports and ask for a trial period
Maintenance scheduling	Prevent breakdowns that disrupt member outreach	Ask for a maintenance log template and see if it integrates with your existing asset register
Route optimisation	Reduce mileage and fuel costs for routine collection runs	Provide a set of typical routes and ask the system to generate an optimized plan
Geofencing alerts	Receive instant notifications if a vehicle leaves a permitted zone	Test the geofence with a vehicle that briefly exits the defined area

If any feature is missing or vague, note it. A good vendor will demonstrate the feature live and explain how it ties back to your objectives.

Question 2: How Secure Is the Data and Who Controls It?

Fleet data includes location histories, driver performance, and sometimes financial transaction details. Security is non‑negotiable.

• Encryption – Is data encrypted at rest and in transit? Request documentation of the encryption standards (e.g., AES‑256).
• Access controls – Can you define role‑based permissions (e.g., only senior managers can view cash‑in‑transit routes)? Ask for a screenshot of the admin console.
• Data residency – Where are the servers located? For Ugandan banks, data may need to stay within the country or comply with specific regulations.
• Audit logs – Does the platform keep immutable logs of who accessed or modified records? Verify by asking for a sample audit report.

A vendor that cannot answer these points should be excluded.

Question 3: How Does Great Traveller Integrate With Existing Systems?

Your institution likely already uses core banking software, member management platforms, and perhaps an ERP. The fleet solution must talk to them.

• APIs – Does Great Traveller expose RESTful APIs? Request API documentation and a small test script.
• Pre‑built connectors – Are there ready‑made integrations for popular banking suites used in Uganda? If not, ask about the effort required to build a custom connector.
• Data sync frequency – Real‑time sync is ideal for cash‑in‑transit monitoring; batch sync may be sufficient for maintenance records. Clarify the cadence.
• Single Sign‑On (SSO) – Can users log in with existing credentials (e.g., LDAP or Azure AD)? Test the SSO flow during a demo.

Document any integration gaps and estimate the development effort. A solution that requires extensive custom coding may erode the expected ROI.

Question 4: What Is the Implementation Timeline and Support Structure?

A smooth rollout is crucial for operational continuity.

1. Implementation phases – Ask for a detailed project plan: pilot, rollout, user training, and post‑go‑live support.
2. Resource commitment – How many FTA engineers will be assigned? Will you need a dedicated project manager?
3. Training – Is there on‑site training for drivers and supervisors? Request a sample training agenda.
4. Support SLA – What are the response times for critical incidents (e.g., loss of GPS signal during a cash‑in‑transit run)? Ensure the SLA aligns with your risk tolerance.
5. Change management – How does the vendor handle updates or feature releases? Ask for a release calendar.

Having a clear timeline and support commitment helps you plan internal resources and avoid surprises.

Question 5: How Is Pricing Structured and What Are the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Factors?

Pricing is always scoped after a discovery call, but you can still ask the right questions to avoid hidden costs.

• License model – Per vehicle, per driver, or a flat enterprise fee? Compare the cost impact of fleet growth.
• Usage fees – Are there charges for extra data (e.g., high‑frequency GPS ping) or for API calls?
• Implementation fees – What is the upfront cost for configuration, integration and training?
• Support tiers – Does premium support cost extra?
• Hardware – Does Great Traveller require proprietary GPS devices, or can you use existing Android tablets? Clarify any hardware procurement costs.

Ask the vendor to provide a simple spreadsheet breaking down each line item for a 20‑vehicle pilot and a 50‑vehicle full rollout. This will let you compare against alternative solutions.

Question 6: What Are the Success Metrics and How Will You Measure ROI?

Before signing, agree on measurable KPIs that reflect your original objectives.

• Fuel savings – % reduction in litres per month.
• Vehicle downtime – Hours saved through predictive maintenance.
• Compliance incidents – Number of geofence breaches before and after implementation.
• Driver performance – Change in safety score.
• Member service speed – Average time to reach a branch or community centre.

Request that Great Traveller provides a dashboard template that displays these KPIs. During the pilot, track them weekly and compare against baseline data.

Question 7: What Is the Vendor’s Track Record With Financial Institutions?

While you cannot invent client names, you can ask for references from banks or SACCOs that have already deployed Great Traveller.

• Reference calls – Speak with at least two existing financial‑sector customers about their experience.
• Case study format – Ask for a brief document outlining the problem, solution, timeline and outcomes (e.g., fuel cost reduction, improved security).
• Local presence – Does FTA have a support office in Kampala that can respond quickly to incidents?

A vendor with proven experience in the financial sector will better understand your regulatory and security concerns.

Putting It All Together – A Step‑by‑Step Evaluation Process

1. Define objectives – List the specific fleet challenges you face and the metrics you will use.
2. Gather information – Send a discovery questionnaire to Great Traveller covering the seven questions above.
3. Score each response – Use a simple 1‑5 rating (1 = does not meet, 5 = exceeds) for each criterion.
4. Run a pilot – Deploy the solution on a small subset of vehicles (e.g., 5 cash‑in‑transit vans) for 30‑45 days.
5. Measure KPI changes – Compare pilot results against baseline.
6. Calculate TCO – Include license, implementation, hardware, training and support costs.
7. Decision gate – If the pilot meets ≥80% of your objectives and the TCO fits your budget, move to full rollout.

Following this disciplined approach reduces risk and ensures the fleet management suite truly adds value to your bank or SACCO.

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