Headlight: A Shared Responsibility Model

At Headlight, we adopt an automation-first approach to fleet operations, in which highly efficient fleet management is a shared responsibility¹ between Headlight and the customer. Below, we want to outline our vision on the differentiation of responsibility between the software and the customer.

Introduction

Our Headlight solution helps relieve the customer’s operational burden. Headlight is offered in different modules, to provide flexibility in terms of functionality and pricing. In what follows, the full scope of functionalities is included, and certain tasks descriptions might not apply to customers who are subscribed to less advanced modules. As a reference, below are the short descriptions for each of our modules:

1. Headlight.Ops: A Headlight module focused on asset management. Features include consolidation and integration of various supplier data sources, policy configuration and analysis, analytics/reports, and invoice control.
2. Headlight.Flow: A Headlight module focused on process automation via Headlight workflows. These workflows are highly flexible and no-code configurable by the end user, allowing to virtually automate and digitise every process within the fleet operation practice.
3. Headlight.AI+: A Headlight module focused on more advanced automation. Features include evaluation of documents and text within Headlight workflows, and mailbox integration with interpretation of e-mail body and attachments.

 

 

These modules can be combined according to the customers need, where higher-level modules always require the lower-level modules.

Independent of the exact choice of Headlight models, two main principles remain valid in our proposed shared model:

1. Unless explicit support packages are included, Headlight is a self-service platform, in which the customer, after the initial configuration during the onboarding, manages both the operational aspects as well as the configuration side of Headlight as the go-live. Our Help Pages are there to support customers in using Headlight, and of course, our support teams are ready to help them with technical problems.
2. As a general rule of thumb in our shared responsibility model: Headlight is responsible for executing tasks, and the customer is responsible and accountable for its outcome. 

Headlight responsibility: execution of operational tasks

In the proposed model, Headlight assumes the responsibility for, and thus operates, manages and controls the following technical components:

1. Data Collection, Consolidation and Updates²: Headlight provides the secure infrastructure (from APIs to upload forms) to enable seamless and automatic data consolidation: gathering, processing, and syncing from your suppliers and drivers, providing up-to-date and actionable overviews without manual intervention.
2. Processes and Tasks: Headlight provides off-the-shelf process building blocks such as information requests, approvals, custom scripts, notifications, automatic triggers and more, which can be leveraged to enable automating low-value tasks. After configuration, Headlight is responsible for correct execution of the different steps, according to the client configuration.
3. Detection of “events”: Certain events in fleet management require follow-up actions. Examples include a new driver, a change in delivery date of the vehicle, reaching e.g. 6 months before the end of the contract, and many more. Headlight is an event-driven platform, and automatically detects these events. These can be used to automatically trigger processes.
4. Interpretation and responding to questions: Our digital fleet assistant interprets driver questions (via chat, or via email) and generates appropriate human-like responses based on your company-specific information and processes, stored in a dedicated knowledge base. Answers generated to questions can be send directly to the drivers, or via chat support with optional approval in the fleet managers account.
5. Interpretation and evaluation of documents: Human-like interpretation of e-mail content and attachments, extracting data and pre-evaluating contents based on your configuration.
6. Data processing and fiscal calculations: Headlight processes information such bulk quotes, individual lease quotes, invoices and energy transaction reports. It provides TCO analytics and car policy analysis results, and Headlight automatically generates fleet-, payroll and other reports.
7. Car configurator: Headlight provides an up-to-date car configurator, with latest models, catalogue prices and configuration possibilities. Furthermore, Headlight is responsible for applying the configured filter sets on the car configurator, so that employees only see the vehicles that they are eligible for in the car configurator.

Customer responsibility: configuration, approvals & validation, operational management

While automation can handle routine processes, the customer assumes the responsibility and management of the correct customer-specific configuration of the application, and validation of the Headlight output. 

Apart from strategic decisions, such as supplier choice and car policy decisions, here’s where the client remains responsible:

1. Car Policy and (Ordering) Process: Correct configuration of vehicle budgets, ordering methodologies, car configurator filter sets, processes, and various procurement settings
2. Approvals and Decision Making: HR decisions, validation of output, reviewing orders, and process approvals (with automated systems providing recommendations) remain the responsibility of the client. For now, Headlight adopts a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) approach³ for automated A.I. interpretations and evaluations.
3. Managing operations: The customer is responsible for supervising the ongoing processes, including reminding, intervening or troubleshooting in case of stalled or failed processes.
4. Service-level towards the internal stakeholder: Fleet managers remain responsible for user questions about their specific process, handling unforeseen issues that require empathy, negotiation, and nuanced problem-solving skills.

 

A RACI-table to describe responsibilities

The RACI method, an acronym for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, is a commonly-used tool  in project management to clarify roles and responsibilities. It helps ensuring accountability by defining who does what in a project. Below, you can find the RACI-principle applied to fleet management via Headlight. You’ll notice the general rule of thumb: responsibility of execution lies with Headlight, and the customer is accountable for the its outcome.

 

Task	Headlight	Fleet Manager	HR / payroll	Finance / Procurement	Accounting	Supplier
Up-to-date client data (HR, finance,..)		R	A	C	C	I
Automatic data- integration (not data quality)	R/A	I	C	C	C	C
Asset/supplier data quality	I	A				R
Configure/Update car policy	I	R	A			I
Correct TCO/fiscal calculations	R	A	I	C		C/A (based on contract)
Confirmation of order	I	R	A			C
Calculation of unbundled services	R	A				C
Supplier Relation Management	I	A		R		C
Generation of payroll reporting	R	A	I		C
Payroll reporting correctness	R	I	A			C
Lease quote: correct data extraction	R	A				C
Manage orders	C	R	A			I
Solve technical issues	A/R	I
Consolidation of IFRS report	A	I			C/I	R
Completeness of IFRS report	R	I			I	A
Correctness cost center data	I	R		A
Collect invoices from main suppliers	R/A	I		C
Configuration accounting rules	I			R/A
Processing invoices according to configuration	R/A			I
Invoice control	R			A
Invoice approval	I			R/A
Provide an answer to policy-related driver questions	R	R/A
Provide an answer to user-specific (process) questions		R/A
Correct configuration of processes	R	A
Maintaining processes after go-live	I	R/A
Dealer and lease quote: correctness of content	C	A				R

 

Conclusion

At Headlight, we envision a future where advanced software and AI are seamlessly integrated into operations, enhancing efficiency and productivity. However, we firmly believe that the human element—characterized by expertise, judgment, and leadership—will continue to be the cornerstone of success. This implies clear agreements are required on the responsibility of each of the parties. In summary, Headlight is a self-service platform, in which Headlight has the responsibility for executing tasks, and the customer holds the responsibility and accountability for the outcomes.

 

Notes:

¹ Based on https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/shared-responsibility-model/

² On the condition that the supplier is or can be integrated with Headlight, and that an automatic data-exchange with the HR-data system can be put in place with the customer.

³ https://hai.stanford.edu/news/humans-loop-design-interactive-ai-systems