For a starter, if it is not fully e-business enabled now, today, it is not worth considering.

Secondly, if it is anything less than fully integrated in terms of the entire asset lifecycle it will never deliver true e-business capability. That means it must be capable of running all, not just some of your business transactions in an accurate and timely manner.

The Torque on demand solution detailed here is a unique offering and very different to the traditional solutions that may have been presented to you. Torque not only offers the most functionally rich application of its type, but a true breakthrough in e-commerce capability; a fully hosted and managed business solution deliverable over the internet to your users anywhere in the world.

It provides a feasible, affordable solution to your business system requirements. In other words, tier one leasing and asset management capability for substantially less cost than that associated with traditional systems investments.

Why you should consider Torque on demand

Success in the asset based financing and management model has largely come down to a combination of two things, “good people” and “good systems”.

This adage still holds true today but the leasing industry has changed. The risk margins that were once available have been eroded through competitive forces. Leasing and finance entities will therefore be forced to adopt new strategies for long term growth and systems will play an ever-increasing role. In our opinion these strategies will need to include,

• Delivering products and services via a wider range of sales agents. Torque on demand is capable of accurately managing and controlling dealer / merchant networks, providing reliable credit approval processes and professional contract documentation.
  
• Being able to develop and quickly deploy new / innovative products. Torque’s knowledge management, Business Rules and parameters can be used to define new products and services by the user.
  
• Financing and managing a more diverse range of asset types. Torque is not limited by asset type thereby eliminating the need for multiple systems.
  
• Reducing the cost of transactions through the use of e-commerce. A solid rules driven product is key in being able to manage the electronic future. Torque provides this today.
  
• Building smarter customer relationships. Torque’s fully integrated nature means better and faster information.

Not only will acquiring Torque give you the ability to implement all of these strategies, it will also deliver to you a working solution, which can be implemented in a very short space of time.

Eliminating Systems Risk

With full-blown deployment projects in three countries, Torque understands the systems risk area very well indeed.

When we designed the Torque on demand systems model, eliminating risk was one of our primary objectives. As can be seen from the following tables our strategy has been very successful in eliminating or limiting exposure to Financial, Technology, Contractual and IT Performance risks.

When you boil it all down, these are the key areas in any systems decision process.

So, what is Torque on demand?

Torque on demand is the culmination of 17 years of research, development and practical, hands-on experience in the Australasian leasing and asset management industry. It brings together the world’s most powerful leasing business engine and the worlds leading data storage and management technology.

As many in the industry are finding, the traditional new systems acquisition model, involving the purchase of software licenses, hardware and then funding lengthy, delay-prone implementations makes little sense in any rational cost benefit or R.O.I. analyses. Add to this the problems of finding and retaining the required IT skills and business understanding and it is clear that a fresh, innovative approach to systems is required ; one that fully encapsulates your immediate and future needs with a guaranteed on-time, trouble-free deployment.

We describe Torque on demand as a purpose built, Internet enabled, open systems, hosting environment.

Purpose built because the business applications have been designed and constructed specifically for the business of leasing. Internet enabled because it can be accessed by your users, clients, suppliers and other business partners using an Internet browser. Open systems because it operates in and supports open systems standards. Hosting environment because you will never have to worry about acquiring and managing specialist hardware, software and support services.

The Torque system is a fully integrated business solution designed to address ALL aspects of a leasing business. It has a Business Rules knowledge database, an integrated CRM system, a sophisticated financial modeling system for quoting, a total ‘cradle to grave’ asset management system plus a billings and collection system, accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking and depreciation systems. It also comes with a sophisticated asset reporting tool.

Yes it is a package, but unlike most others, the Business Rules database can be used to construct a unique system specifically for your business. These Business Rules allow you have control of how data is described, how it is presented, and how it is treated financially.

A Future-proof IT investment

Our partner, HDS, sums the situation up well: “access to the best systems technology is an imperative for you - owning and managing it is not.”

The outsourcing approach is in fact very similar to the one you deliver to clients – we buy better, we manage better and we get the best returns. What’s more we take the risks and ensure consistent product and service development.

Outsourcing is currently one of the fastest growing areas in the IT industry and when the economics are accurately viewed it is easy to see why it has taken such a firm foothold in the B2B sector. After all, why tie up hard earned capital in intangibles like software licences? What is the logical business case for purchasing computer hardware that is effectively redundant and without value within a three-year period?

The benefits for the Torque on demand client are twofold.

Firstly, the data and technology environment is managed by specialists. It is in the interests of our partner, HDS, to always have the most reliable and efficient technology available. This “best practise” methodology is therefore totally accessible to all Torque on demand users.

Secondly, the Torque software is maintained as one version. This means you will always be using the latest release and as a result, getting immediate access to new features and functionality.

A new systems investment model

Torque and HDS have not only revolutionised the delivery platform we have revolutionised the system investment decision process. Rather than complicate, we have simplified with a monthly fee from the date of deciding to deploy the solution.

The all-inclusive monthly management fee includes:

•  deployment into the organisation at user levels quoted
•  full data hosting and access
•  fail over and disaster recovery
•  technical help desk support
•  torque business applications support
•  current software release versions
•  on-going environment enhancements and upgrades.

Costs associated with connection options such as direct Virtual Private Networks, dial–up Internet or remote access are not included.

Systems capability that corresponds directly to your business growth

We have structured our monthly systems management fee to provide the ability to widen system access to users, clients and partners within your specific time frame and budget.

In addition to achieving maximum cost efficiency, this tailored methodology has the advantage of maintaining total control of systems expenditure during the entire deployment process and beyond.

With Torque on demand there can be no budget blow out because you choose the timing for user, client and partner access roll out and there is a finite corresponding increase in monthly management fee.

Fast deployment

We can meet very short deployment timetables and there are valid reasons why we alone can do it.

The Torque system is based on a highly structured parameter based knowledge database through which the majority of business decisions can be applied to the logic of the system.

Our experience in and understanding of the leasing industry in Australasia is far in advance of any other systems vendor. Torque’s sites have been working here for several years during which time further practical knowledge has been added.

By utilising our revolutionary delivery model and the technological prowess of HDS, we can deliver this system to your desk tops immediately and without incurring any hardware costs.

The major tasks to be completed during the deployment period are those of analysis of the business requirements and determining how best to use the parameters to achieve the business objectives.

From a software perspective we have relatively few changes to make. Our focus is therefore on reviewing standard processing documentation and implementing the required changes.

Technology overview

A: The Torque on demand delivery model

To deliver the Torque on demand solution we have put in place a highly sophisticated data centre platform. To set this up for your organisation alone would cost several million dollars to deploy and the same again to operate and manage on an annual basis.

Torque on demand delivers to its customers a secure slice of this leading edge technology for a fraction of its true cost.

At the core of Torque on demand is the Torque Application ZONE (see next section). This encompasses the Torque software systems and database repositories. Surrounding the Torque on demand application ZONE are a number of HDS competencies powered by world leading hardware and software products.

The Access and security ZONE

All forms of electronic access into the Torque on demand environment are provided for including Internet Browser, Virtual Private networks, dial–up and mobile communications.

Controlling access is a state of the art perimeter defence system that only admits authorised users as well as ensuring there are no viruses or unwanted intruders. The software products used to manage this activity are also deployed by the US military and most of the world’s top banks.

The Data ZONE

In providing the data storage requirements, the HDS data centres use their own state of the art fault tolerant RAID systems to ensure that you do not have the system down, disrupted or busy for even a few seconds.

The Safety ZONE

HDS and their partners build their products not to fail but in the event that they do, your data and systems will always be safe. HDS are market leaders in data back-up and storage management.

Anyone can back up data but it takes real technical mastery to restore that data in the event of a disaster.

The Performance ZONE

Monitoring and managing the total data centre environment is a suite of high end software whose job it is to ensure that the hardware and operating systems are operating at peak performance.

Not only is performance checked and regulated, immediate action is taken in the event that a hardware fault occurs.

B: The Torque Applications ZONE

Once inside the secure environment of Torque on demand, users are provided with either a Character based terminal interface or Graphical User Interface. It is these interfaces that interact with the “Torque Applications ZONE” to capture, process and report data.

To understand the reasons why the Torque on demand concept is so flexible you must first appreciate the components of “the Torque Applications ZONE”.

The Engine room applications software

Core to the Torque on demand delivery, this is what represents Torque’s particular Intellectual property. That is, the practices and methodologies used to capture, interpret, record, process and report the complex data requirements of the leasing and asset management industry.
These applications are the software that provides the character-based interface to the user. They take data from the character screens and process it according to the Business Rules, the same way, consistently, every time.

It is our product’s job to interpret your organisation’s Business Rules as they are defined in the “knowledge database”.

The Knowledge Database

The knowledge database holds all of the unique Business Rules and parameters that encapsulate the effective intellectual property of your own organisation. An invaluable data resource we’re sure you will agree.

This is where the business of leasing “as you wish to transact it” is stored, managed and enhanced as you continually develop your business. It is “user definable” and what is most important it is your data, no one else’s.

The Transaction Database

Once we have a knowledge database and a set of applications we can generate business transactions. The transactions database is the one that holds all the assets, contracts, and business activity created by you on a day to day basis.

This comprises another significant part of your intellectual property and access to this vital information is what will give you the freedom to do what you do best, the business of leasing.

The Object Database

The object database is being developed to support our growing GUI applications. They are the equivalent of the applications software for use in the character-based environment. Objects manage the way data is manipulated and allows us to rapidly develop independent GUI front-end applications.

The GUI front end

These are user interfaces (external & internal) that will be used for the e-commerce functions.

The Reports System

These are the scripts and requests that extract both hardcopy and electronic data.

C: Customisation of the Torque Applications ZONE

The Torque engine room applications and object database will be continually enhanced as we add new parameters in the knowledge database or change the software and objects for new functionality.

These core applications will not be available for individual customisation as the Torque on demand model is based on our philosophy of building and maintaining one application.

To enable the all important process of individual enhancement and customisation, there are three distinct areas within the Torque Applications ZONE that are left open and wholly flexible.

Knowledge Database

Perhaps the most important, as it is in fact this information repository that is the main area for customisation within your business. During the implementation period we model your business through these parameters. This data is yours, it is unique to you.

Reporting

All of our standard reports are replicated for your use. You are immediately able to stamp you own branding on them as required and request new reports as you need them. All of your initial reports will be developed for you during the deployment period. These reports are yours for your exclusive use. We can include some database manipulation in these reports to produce customer specific effects in the database.

e-business strategy and benefits

The way data is collected is through a disciplined approach as information is often complex and accuracy is vital. Essentially there are two types of data being recorded.

Torque’s current engine room product allows for collecting and managing both of the above data types. The interface for loading this data is presently being re-positioned into a GUI environment.

Our development concentration has been to develop GUI product where it is best served and in our view that is in e-commerce capability.

The on-going evolution of e-business will see the elimination of many of the data recording processes we use today. Reference data will be sourced from suitable parties and interfaced directly into the database. Transaction data will be generated not only by the company’s internal users but also by clients and suppliers who will perform these functions themselves using secure Internet access.

Torque’s engine room product is the rock solid foundation from which our GUI technology has been launched. Not all GUI developed products are in fact that sophisticated. Most are simply character-based systems in a Windows environment. In contrast we have adopted an “Object Orientated” approach to GUI development, as we believe this gives us better technology options and provides a more refined user interface.

The key differences between our approach to GUI functionality and that of our competitors are as follows:

a) Torque is based on the strongest of underlying functional substance and not feel-good window dressing that adds little or no value to actual system processing in the business environment.

b) The look and feel of all GUI applications have been and will continue to be designed for client specific customisation so that it consistently reflects and enhances your brand equity at the point of client interface.

c) Torque on demand is currently focused on e-business capability since this is the future of computing in the Business-to-Business marketplace.

Building GUI applications is a relatively straightforward task, particularly with the advent of Rapid Application Development (R.A.D.) tools. On the other hand, building fully integrated, Australasian specific functionality is not. It requires business knowledge, industry specific IT skills and an in-depth understanding of local market nuances.

During the past 12 months Torque has advanced our system’s GUI application development with the express intention of delivering full e-business capability. The partnership with HDS has greatly aided our success in this regard and we recently commenced forming a strategy for GUI development for system-wide functionality.

Full enterprise wide connectivity

The same technology that delivers Torque’s client / supplier / partner e-business access can be deployed to remote offices and sales forces at effectively no extra cost. The benefits of this capability are immediate in terms of productivity, control and cohesion.

Full e-business capability in the areas of procurement and supplier management will deliver significant cost efficiencies to your business. Perhaps more importantly, it will significantly enhance Client Service standards, which will ultimately lead to improved client retention and market penetration.