Leadership for a Networked World :: Shared Services: the Zipcar story and cloud computing

Shared Services: the Zipcar story and cloud computing

Shared Services: the Zipcar story and cloud computing

Very interesting McKinsey interview with Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar today.

Zipcar offers rental by the hour from nearby in the neighborhood. That contrasts with traditional rental cars that typically offer by the day or week from the airport.

IT developed over the past twenty years makes this happen efficiently and effectively enough to make it a business. Customers, after all, have got to be easily able to find if a car is available, where it is, how to get in, how to solve any emergencies that may arise, how to pay, etc. Those are all information problems. Wireless networks and web services are essential, as is comfort in the population in handling similar web transactions.

I think you'll find the details interesting, here.

In particular note that Zipcar is increasing the utilization of cars that would otherwise be largely idle. Zipcar says that, in comparison to the normal rental car companies, they roughly double the revenue per car and double the number of cars covered per employee .

Theory suggests that, as the fleet gets larger, availability should increase and the walk to your "local" car should decrease. It also suggests that, as the community sharing the fleet increases, utilization per car should increase and the cost per person decrease. This is a basic economy of scale for shared services. It works to the extent that "customers" share in the savings and consider the process responsive to the individual needs. It apparently is working for Zipcar.

And, as we all have heard, it should work also for cloud computing, if the kinks can be worked out. What, after all, is the utilization rate for your laptop, or even your department's or your jurisdictions central servers?

I've not used a Zipcar myself, but know some friends who have and have liked the experience. Have you tried Zipcar? What did you think of the cost and quality? Zipcar says they are now renting the fleet management information systems to fleet managers such as governments. Is your government exploring this? Would it be a good move in tough times? Comment by following the link back to the blog here.

All the best,

Jerry

04:04 PM, 29 Oct 2009 by Jerry Mechling

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ZipCar is great

My ZipCar experience is very positive. What struck me most are the customer service routines that deal with drawbacks of the system:
You don't find the location of your car, the car is dirty or damaged or not in its parking place at all. All of these things don't happen with a traditional car rental. But Zipcar offers Internet and phone support for such situations.
The lesson to draw form this is: An innovative system will result in new problems that call for new solutions, and these are critical in making the innovative system work.

by Alexander Hunziker on 10/30/09
Zipcars for Indian metro cities

Bangalore, INDIA
Total population = 7.7 M
On Vehicle Population in Bangalore City ::
(Upto 31/03/09) visit
http://www.bangaloretrafficpolice.gov.in/bangalore_traffic.htm

Typically in Indian cities 2 wheeler population is much higher when compared to car population , so perhaps a ZIPBIKE!!! may work too.

On the need and demand for shared car services in Metro cities :
Yes the market exists and technology with skill is available.
We have idle cars parked in huge numbers in Govt offices / other work complexes too.Our Government though have restricted purchase of new vehicles for Govt use as an austerity measure , have not thought in terms of fleet management as such and may not opt for it because of the culture , car in India has a different connotation , especially in these days of growth.

In many places parking space is also in great scarcity.Zipcars can probably solve 2 of these problems : efficient organised parking with higher utility rate for the vehicles.

Taking cue from our Metros/subways , unlike Western countries, we witness great/increasing demand, just the sheer numbers absorb any alternate choice that is made available.

Zipcars would be welcomed initially by select groups and utilisation rate may not pose a bigger problem , what may actually surface are different issues, theft, tampering and how much the users might care for the unwatched vehicles etc.,

Currently, I guess most of the IT/ITES Companies manage fleet by using technology (mobiles) and perhaps it could be upscaled to be more efficient.

We also had a failed experiment of 'EASY AUTO' where the entrepreneur stakeholded with the State Dept by using technology for fleet management . The Trade associations saw to it that it ended.

For people like me, we welcome ZIPCARS.

by Unregistered Visitor on 10/30/09

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Recent Entries

Psst... tomorrow in Cambridge at 5 pm (with food, pass it on)...

Some would argue that the biggest NEW idea re: how IT can make a difference in government is aggressive sharing of data with the public.

Some argue otherwise, of course.

To figure out for yourself, you have a chance tomorrow to talk with some of the key folks involved with the DC Data Feeds program, the Innovations Award winner that has been at the forefront of "democratizing data."

Increasing Civic Participation Through Democratization of Data

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010 Time: 5:00 p.m.

Location: Ash Center, 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200N, Cambridge, MA

Designed to increase civic participation, government accountability, and transparency in government practices, the city of Washington, D.C. created an initiative making virtually all current district government operational data available to the public in its raw form rather than in static, edited reports.

Spearheaded by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), raw data from multiple D.C. government agencies is housed at the District's Citywide Data Warehouse (CityDW) and supplied via over 320 data feeds to online sites, citizens, and government agencies to increase civic awareness. In addition, OCTO launched an annual Apps for Democracy contest awarding the best applications that use CityDW data feeds. Its 2008 contest received 47 applications from software developers in 30 days-avoiding an estimated $2.6 million in internal development costs.

The program won the Innovations in American Government Award in 2009.

A light dinner will be served.

About the Speakers

Julia Bezgacheva is a project manager at the Data Transparency and Accountability Program (Citywide Data Warehouse) at D.C.'s Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Her responsibilities include coordination with the District agencies and other stakeholders, participating in developing recommendations, policies, and procedures related to the new practices implemented by the Citywide Data Warehouse, and managing application design and development.

David Strigel joined the District government in the summer of 2004 to lead technology projects for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Strigel comes to the District with over 16 years of experience in building Web applications, software, and technologies for companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. At OCTO, Strigel leads the Citywide Data Warehouse (CityDW) program planning and managing, technology direction and strategy, service development and rollout, purchasing and contract negotiations, training and deployment strategies, IT strategies and solutions, and customer/partner relationship management.

Innovations in Government Seminar Series This event is part of the Innovations in Government Seminar Series, which explores various aspects and approaches to the study and replication of government innovation. This year-long series seeks to educate and inform the next generation of government innovators.

All the best,

Jerry

04:27 PM, 14 Apr 2010 by Jerry Mechling

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After this, of course, it's back to work...

Hello hard workers --

Having not completely recovered from the "almost but not quite" Butler basketball extravaganza the other night (with proper congratulations to Duke fans for the hard fought victory), I offer a poem (?) that, if you've seen it before, you'll enjoy seeing again, and -- if it's new to you -- could make your evening.

Spell-checkers are sooooo useful...

After this, of course, it's back to work...

CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE
I have a spelling checker.
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished inn it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checkers
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.
Jerry Zar, 29 June 1992

===

Back to work!

And all the best to you,

Jerry

08:38 PM, 07 Apr 2010 by Jerry Mechling

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Congratulations, Teri Takai...

For those of you who have followed us lo these many years, you know that we've worked hard to keep the academic side of what we do connected pragmatically to what's happening in the "real world." A key tool for that has been the "Harvard Policy Group on Network-Enabled Services and Government."

And the key role within that group has been the Practitioner Chair held by Teri Takai, first as CIO for Michigan and now as CIO for California.

Good news for the country: With yesterday's announcement by the White House, Teri has been nominated by President Obama to become Assistant Secretary (Networks and Information Integration) of the Department of Defense.

For the HPG, Teri has been smart, pragmatic, well-respected, and... just what we needed.

For DoD, which is now struggling with strategic shifts to respond to new threats and possibilities, Teri will again be smart, pragmatic, well-respected and... just what is needed.

Congratulations, Teri! And congratulations, all of us. More here.

All the best,

Jerry

04:15 PM, 30 Mar 2010 by Jerry Mechling

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