The Top 5 Fleet Telematics Capabilities Your Solution Should Have
In a recent survey conducted by Bobit Business Media, the publisher of Automotive Fleet, Government Fleet, Fleet Financials, Work Truck, and Business Fleet Magazines, on the adoption of telematics and usage within the light- and medium-duty fleet market, fleet professionals were asked a variety of questions about telematics and the effectiveness of their current providers. This article highlights the top 5 capabilities fleet professionals thought were lacking in their fleet telematics solution that could improve their use of the technology.
1. Alerting Functionality
The #1 capability fleet professionals thought was missing from their current system was advanced alerting capabilities. Alerts allow fleet managers to take action on time-sensitive events like if drivers are speeding, vehicles are moving where or when they shouldn’t be, vehicles are excessively idling, and more. If you feel your system’s alerting functionality could be better, you are not alone!
2. Better Integration
Let’s face it, in a perfect world, we want to see all of the information relevant to doing our jobs in one area or one screen. Working in multiple systems to get a clear picture can be frustrating, which is why another key capability that fleet professionals thought was lacking in their current system was integration. Integrating fleet telematics data with other business applications provides a complete view into your operations and allows you to make better business decisions. Fleet telematics systems should be able to send and receive information with your other back-end systems through APIs, Webhooks, data connect, and/or data dump.
3. Driver Scorecards
The third highest response that fleet professionals thought could improve their telematics system was driver scorecards. Scorecard reports rank vehicles and drivers based on speeding, idling, harsh braking, fast acceleration, and other metrics to provide management an overview of driver performance. If you are not using driver scorecards, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to coach drivers on better behavior and create internal incentive programs to help achieve your goals.
4. Simplified Administration
Another top response provided in this survey was the need for simplified administration. Advanced fleet telematics platforms are moving towards simplified interfaces to increase usability across the board for their users. Providers should be focused on making the lives of their customers as easy as possible. Changes happen every day, whether it is new jobs added, drivers changing vehicle assignments, territories changing, etc., and telematics solutions should be able to easily mirror those changes. The goal is to make what used to take hours of admin time turn into minutes. It is possible! You just have to know where to look.
5. More Reports
Coming in at #5 was that not enough reports are available. Selecting a telematics provider with the reports you need and the ability to customize reports is crucial to delivering the information you need to see about your fleet when you want to see it. By using a flexible platform with customizable reporting options, you won’t just be receiving more reports; you will be receiving more specific reports with the relevant data you need to take action on.
To ensure the maximum ROI in telematics, keep your eye on these 5 issues within your solution to ensure your current provider is not falling short of expectations. Using a telematics system that doesn’t offer the best technology on the market will cause your business to miss out on the benefits that make tracking your fleet worthwhile.
To learn more about how these capabilities will help you capitalize your telematics investment, contact GPS Insight!
Thoughts on Emerging Solutions to Complement Fleet Telematics Capabilities
While these are all key functions for a fleet telematics solution, you can also take your mobile asset management event further. Two emerging opportunities focus on safety and managing people rather than mobile assets.
More and more fleet managers are turning to in-cab smart cameras to get a more complete picture of their drivers’ habits. These cameras deliver quick, lasting results to improve safety metrics.
On the people management side, field service management solutions are equipping businesses to get more organized, get paid on time, and grow their revenue.
