Today’s telematics systems can deliver a ton of data — Whether it’s big, small, quantitative or qualitative data, the insight it provides is crucial to the success of commercial businesses and can allow them to sustain business growth for years to come. After all, as the original data scientist W. Edwards Deming once said, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
Without real-time data, fleet management becomes totally inefficient. Some examples:
- Relying on drivers to manually provide proof of delivery
- Calling multiple drivers to determine who is available – and closest for a given customer call
- Relying on drivers to keep accurate mileage logs
- No insight into driver behavior such as speed, braking and steering
Modern telematics collect data in real-time and deliver immediate insight that benefits your bottom line. We all know the benefits that real-time data can deliver in terms of fuel savings, improved driving habits, and streamlined communications. But what are some of the other, less obvious, benefits?
1. Data Can Help Attract the Best Drivers
Attracting and retaining high quality drivers will make it easier to achieve business goals and improve customer experience.
The best drivers want to work for the companies that provide the best working conditions. Data gleaned from a telematics solution can be used to develop custom training programs, allowing drivers to boost the skills most relevant to their role, thus creating career development opportunities.
A telematics solution also reduces the need for drivers to engage in manual communications and administration, which can contribute toward improving safety and working conditions.
Solutions incorporating navigation also help drivers get to where they’re going quickly, while avoiding traffic and giving direct real time feedback on driving style.
2. Data Can Help Increase Safety
Telematics data can reveal dangerous driving practices such as harsh steering, heavy braking and speeding. By having access to real time and historical driver feedback, fleet managers can work with drivers to continually refine and improve performance that benefits both the driver and boosts the efficiency of the business.
3. Data Can Aid with Theft Prevention (of vehicles and fuel)
Real time analysis of every vehicle’s whereabouts plus historical data for up to 36 months provides true vehicle accountability. Geofencing can alert fleet managers if a business vehicle is removed or used off-hours. Fleet Management System (FMS) can also provide real time detailed information on fuel levels and detect fuel theft, potentially saving companies thousands. The right telematics system can help to verify this data is secure, safe and always up and running.
4. Data Can Contribute to Boosting Market Share
Efficiency within a company isn’t just about the bottom line; it’s also about perception. A telematics solution can harness data to cut idle time, improve punctuality and help drivers’ better meet customer expectations. In turn, businesses are enabled to deliver a more valuable service to customers, encouraging repeat business which in turn can lead to gaining market share.
There are, of course, many more benefits that a telematics solution can bring to fleet management, many of which are driven by the availability of data. Having the information is one thing, but knowing how to interpret it and turn it into tangible business benefits is another. Without a telematics solution, your business is essentially reliant on guesswork and assumption, both of which can be time-consuming and inaccurate. Data is vital to the success of your business and if you’re living in a world without real-time data, it may be time to look at ways to improve your visibility.
5. Being Transparent About Data for Happy Drivers
Many drivers initially have a negative reaction to telematics systems. Anything that tracks personal movements can initially seem like an invasion of privacy. But you can ease some of their fears by adopting an open and honest line of communication and address their concerns head-on.
For instance defining for what business purposes it will be used, setting up proper access authorizations on a need to know basis, lets drivers know how it will be used. In addition, allowing drivers to use privacy modes while out of hours, as well as engaging with relevant representative groups will all help allay unwarranted fears.
Covering these points off early, providing training and sharing the benefits that make a drivers job easier, means everyone is much better informed and creates a much more positive experience. Check out our detailed plan for building trust with your drivers here. Once the whole team is on-board, you’ll all reap the benefits.