Key Benefits of Fleet Management Systems

What business isn’t interested in technology that can help increase efficiency and productivity, while simultaneously helping to improve the safety of their fleet vehicles and drivers? Well, fleet management systems are turning these dreams into a reality. They are beginning to revolutionise how businesses strategise and coordinate their workforce, thanks to Telematics.

Fleet management software solutions  offer businesses of all shapes and sizes multiple benefits. For a start, it allows them to monitor fleet operations efficiently, serving as a digital blueprint for promoting efficient and safe driving. This can help with risk management and drive down operating costs—a win-win. In many ways, fleet management software  has become an essential tool for businesses.

Before we get stuck into the benefits of fleet management software, let’s take a quick look at what fleet management is all about.

What exactly is fleet management?

Essentially, fleet management services involve managing commercial vehicles such as cars, vans and trucks to ensure they’re used efficiently and safely, and are well maintained. Depending on your industry, it can also include asset management and tracking of  all kinds of equipment, from heavy cranes and bulldozers to trailers and generators.

The main goals of a fleet management system are to improve the efficiency and productivity of a fleet, as well as improving the safety conditions for its drivers. This is normally achieved using a combination of vehicle GPS tracking , fuel consumption reporting, monitoring driver behaviour, and vehicle maintenance management. 

That’s where fleet management solutions come in. Let’s dive into the details of the benefits it brings to business owners.

What are the benefits of fleet management software?

Fleet management software can help businesses to enhance their operations in a number of key areas.

1. Improve driver safety

Driver safety and fleet safety is of paramount importance to fleet managers. A recent study concluded that speed is “at the core of the road safety problem” and that “in around 30% of the fatal accidents speed is an essential contributory factor."1 Because of this, driver performance and behaviour is one of the key focuses of a fleet management system. 

A major benefit of fleet management software is that it produces near real-time alerts and notifications about dangerous driving habits such as speeding, hard braking or cornering. 

This kind of technology is designed to help improve road safety, which is much needed. For example, during the first semester of this year there were 203 road deaths in New Zealand. Last year, there were a total of 319 road deaths, and the number of accidents this year shows an increasing trend. With that in mind, the importance of continuing to work hard to improve road safety is clear.²

This is where fleet management technology can help. By keeping track of their drivers, businesses can more easily monitor, deal with and ultimately help reduce the incidences of dangerous driving.

2. Lower fuel consumption

Ever-fluctuating fuel prices make fuel management and budgeting for fuel costs a challenge. Fuel consumption is about more than just KM/L though, and easy access to fuel card transactions and fuel efficiency data is another benefit of a fleet management software solution . Using this, fleet managers can easily identify cost savings. 

Take engine idling for instance. In-depth fuel tracking data reports will separate necessary engine idle time from excessive idling, so that fleet managers can identify and resolve problems. After pinpointing the problem, you can coach drivers on more efficient driving. According to a recent study, “just a 10% reduction in fuel costs can result in a 31% increase in profit”4, which can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

3. Real-time updates and insights

GPS vehicle tracking software allows fleet managers to track their fleet in near real-time and redirect vehicles when necessary. Clear overviews of where vehicles are, their job completion status, estimated arrival and delivery times will give a deeper understanding of what’s going on out in the field. This will not only make dispatchers more efficient, but will also help improve customer service and save fleet managers valuable time calling. No more having to call drivers for updates.

4. Custom reporting helps increase efficiency and cuts costs

Increased efficiency is one of the biggest benefits of a fleet management system. Fleet management  software provides custom reports that help  fleet managers turn metrics into actionable information.Share detailed reports to give team members the opportunity to understand where improvements can be made.

5. Improve vehicle maintenance

Expensive fleet maintenance and short vehicle lifecycles can often put a heavy strain on a business’s finances. Thankfully, fleet management systems provide everything needed to develop a preventative maintenance schedule that works for a fleet, helping you manage maintenance costs. 

Kilometres travelled, engine hours, fuel usage are just three of the many  data points that can be used to create a preventative maintenance schedule. Fleet management software also allows managers to track vehicle downtime caused by breakdowns, jumpstarts, tows, and emergency repairs. This can help to identify potential problem areas and repeating patterns that may need addressing or adjusting in the maintenance schedule. 

Making an initial investment into fleet management software means businesses can put a preventative maintenance plan in place that has the potential to save them a significant amount of time and money in the future.

6. Improve customer satisfaction

Using fleet management software, fleet managers can streamline  bookings and automate appointment reminders. Fleet managers can receive notifications if a technician is delayed on a job or hasn’t yet viewed a job assigned to them. And customers can benefit from improved ETA accuracy through GPS tracking data, as well as receive confirmation of appointments and reminders shortly beforehand.

7. Improve route planning

Fleet tracking systems help businesses plan the days, routes and distribution of their fleet efficiently. Getting more out of the resources that they have available has the potential to save a great deal of money in the long run.

Helping the fleets of the future

With these key benefits and advantages in mind, it is clear that fleet management has the potential to positively impact all kinds of businesses. In an increasingly digitised economy, fleet management software is emerging as a powerful tool to help companies compete more effectively. 

Schedule a demo today and learn how world-class fleet management software from Verizon Connect can help you get more from your fleet.

1 SafetyNet, “Speeding”, 2009, https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/sites/roadsafety/files/specialist/knowledge/pdf/speeding.pdf
2 https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-road-deaths/
3 https://data.oecd.org/transport/road-accidents.htm
4 Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, https://www.idae.es/uploads/documentos/documentos_10232_Guia_gestion_combustible_flotas_carretera_06_32bad0b7.pdf