No More Confusion With Keys in Fleet Management. That’s How We Did It They resolved the issue with Keyguru

It’s 7:20 a.m. An employee is supposed to leave on a business trip, but the car keys aren’t available. The fleet manager hasn’t arrived yet.

Calls. Messages. Waiting.

In the evening, the opposite situation occurs—there’s no one to return the keys to, so they end up “somewhere out of the way.” The next day, everyone looks for them and tries to figure out who actually has the car keys.

This is no exception. It’s a common reality in companies with a car-sharing program.

And that’s exactly what we decided to tackle together.

We’ve integrated SmartFP and Keyguru boxes into a single, seamless solution—from reservation to key handoff.

Reservations, approvals, keys. A single automated process with no unnecessary steps in between

SmartFP also offers a module for reserving and managing company vehicles. Employees can easily request a car through the module, the company can view vehicle availability, and the entire process can be managed using predefined approval workflows. The result is greater transparency and easier fleet management.

The Keyguru box ensures the secure handoff and return of keys. This makes the key handoff process more transparent and easier to manage.

Integration of SmartFP and Keyguru provides a streamlined solution for vehicle management, from reservation to pickup.

What SmartFP Offers

The entire process begins in SmartFP.

An employee can request a vehicle reservation; the system manages the vehicle inventory and availability, and also allows you to configure the approval workflow according to your company’s specific policies.

A request can, for example, be routed through a supervisor and then to the fleet manager. The result is a clearly managed process in which the organization has an overview of who is using the vehicle, when it is available, and how individual requests are approved.

A major advantage is that the solution can be easily adapted to a specific company’s environment. It can be integrated with existing corporate systems and, at the same time, connected to Active Directory, for example, which companies commonly use for user and access management. As a result, it naturally fits into what the customer is already using within the company.

SmartFP fully integrates into the customer’s structure. This means it can work with existing users, access rights, and the company’s organizational structure. For example, if the approval process involves a supervisor, the system can use the organizational structure directly to automatically determine who the approver is for a given employee. In addition, users can authenticate themselves within the Microsoft Azure environment, so logging into the system aligns with standard corporate login and identity management procedures.

An on-premises deployment option is also available, meaning the system is deployed directly at the customer’s site. This is particularly important for companies that have their own IT infrastructure, specific security requirements, or wish to operate the system in their own environment.

SmartFP doesn’t just handle vehicle management. The same principles of booking, approval, and management can also be applied to other business processes. SmartFPis a modular, low-code web platform that offers a wide range of business applications and integrations, and we can customize it to meet specific customer needs. In addition to vehicle management, it handles tasks such as helpdesk support, travel orders, CRM, and onboarding.

What Keyguru Offers

The Keyguru box is a physical device for the automated issuance and return of keys—it is installed directly on company premises and operates unattended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each key and its accompanying documents are stored in a separate compartment. Access is granted via a one-time PIN code, which the employee receives automatically after the reservation is approved in SmartFP —no staff intervention, no back-and-forth, and no reliance on a specific person.

What does this mean in practice:

• Keys available 24/7— employees can pick up a vehicle early in the morning, in the evening, or on the weekend without having to wait for the fleet manager or make arrangements with anyone

• Full audit trail—every key pickup and return is automatically logged and linked to a specific reservation and a specific user

• No reliance on physical presence— the fleet manager does not need to be physically on site or available by phone

• Fewer mistakes, less routine— automation eliminates informal handoffs, hiding keys, or situations where no one knows who currently has the car on loan

How does it work in practice?

Fleet manager Hana Hronková from CCS describes the situation before the deployment of Keyguru openly:

“We used to have to meet in person and hand the keys over by hand. I kept them in my office, so handing them over in the evening or on weekends was a huge problem. Sometimes we even used secret hiding spots, but that wasn’t ideal at all.”

Lukáš Pavlík, a fleet manager at Innogy who manages over 200 vehicles, including 20 car-sharing vehicles, has had a similar experience:

“You can think of Keyguru as another coworker who doesn’t need to sleep, doesn’t need breaks, and has all the keys and vehicle documents at his disposal. The only thing it requires is an internet connection.”

From the vehicle request to the keys in your hand. No phone calls, no waiting, and no manual paperwork

In practice, the entire process is very simple for users. An employee submits a request to reserve a vehicle, and the system automatically takes into account vehicle availability and the configured approval process.

Once the request is approved, SmartFP will send all the necessary information for picking up the car, including where to pick up the keys, when they will be available, and what PIN to use to open the keybox.

The user then picks up the keys at the designated location and can take possession of the vehicle without any unnecessary delays.

Returning the keys at the end of the reservation is just as simple. The entire process follows a clear sequence, and the individual steps flow naturally from one to the next.

Who is this solution suitable for?

Our customers’ experiences show that this solution is most beneficial for companies that:

• they have a fleet of shared vehicles (typically dozens of cars)

• operate in multiple branches

• They need to operate even outside of business hours

• addresses the frequent transfer of vehicles among employees

• They want to reduce their dependence on a specific person

Typically, these are roles such as fleet manager, operations manager, or facility manager, who need to maintain an overview and control while minimizing day-to-day operations.

Benefits for businesses

The combined SmartFP and Keyguru Box solution simplifies operations for businesses, reduces the need for manual data transfer, and provides greater visibility and control over the entire process.

The main benefits include:

• The sequence of steps from reservation to key pickup

• more streamlined fleet management

• a clearly defined approval process

• less administrative burden

• the ability to adapt to a specific corporate environment

• Time and cost savings through the automation and digitization of routine tasks

Specifically from real-world experience:

• Fleet managers at our clients with smaller fleets (approximately 20–25 shared vehicles) will save 10–20 hours per month.

From the employees’ perspective, Keyguru boxes bring about a significant change in their daily routine:

• No more guesswork— employees don’t have to worry about the logistics of handoffs; everything happens automatically through the box

• Keys available 24/7— with shared vehicles, handoffs often take place early in the morning or in the evening; with a key box, these complications are eliminated

• Fewer errors and fewer phone calls— automation eliminates routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on more important matters

• Greater independence— the driver doesn’t need to call the manager, so he can stay calm and confident

From a fleet manager’s perspective, this integration provides full control over the movement of keys, directly linked to the reservation process—without the need for manual record-keeping or physical presence.

As Michal Valenta of CCS describes:

“Thanks to the implementation of Keyguru boxes, manual administrative work has practically disappeared. Data on reservations and key pickups is saved automatically, and the fleet manager has a clear overview of everything in one place.”

Another major benefit is the integration of a user-friendly reservation and approval system with high-quality hardware for secure key handoff. Companies thus don’t just acquire separate software or separate devices, but a single, fully implemented solution in which good software and good hardware truly work together.

Together, we give the process greater meaning

The integration of SmartFP and Keyguru creates a single, seamless system in which vehicle reservations, business trip approvals—including car rentals—and key handoffs flow smoothly from one step to the next. This provides companies with more transparent vehicle management, fewer manual steps, and simpler day-to-day operations.