Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Improving Productivity with GPS Fleet Tracking

GPS fleet trackingSmall manufacturers need to be productive and efficient all the time ? for both the sake of time and money. GPS fleet tracking technology is very valuable in this respect, and has a variety of features for manufacturing businesses to take advantage of, from communication to management. Consider how your small manufacturing business can also benefit from this software, utilizing seamless communication and better fleet management.

Businesses mainly choose to implement fleet tracking technology in order to improve their customer service experience. They also use it to reduce service response times, reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and extend the life of their commercial vehicles (Improving Productivity and Profitability through Service Fleet Management, Aberdeen Group, March 2008).

Seamless Communication

The value of communication ? between your fleet, your company, and the world at large ? cannot be overemphasized. GPS fleet tracking technology makes communication easy, effective, and safe.

  • In-software messaging with the GPS system helps you avoid cell phone use on the road. In addition to making your drivers safer, it keeps them on the right side of the law where cell phone use while driving is illegal.
  • Custom real-time routing makes it easier for your drivers to get from point A to point B. They can even include recommendations from co-workers on ways to navigate specific routes or areas.
  • Traffic reporting provides drivers with up-to-the-minute traffic conditions so that vehicles can be rerouted easily and effectively. This helps your fleet avoid congested motorways, spend less time in traffic, and save money both in time and gas.

In 2008, the Lansing Board of Water & Light, a publicly owned municipal utility in Lansing, MI, added GPS tracking to 113 of its service vehicles. They found a 12% improvement in effective scheduling and dispatching of work crews in the first year. The improvements in communication also saved each technician 10 minutes per day, saving the company $750,000 per year (Service Workforce and Fleet Management, Aberdeen Group, May 2009).

?When employees are able to facilitate their data out in the field, instead of having to come back to the office all the time, it really cuts down on the expense of managing that particular resource.? ? Bill Brown, Business Systems Analyst, Lansing BWL

Better Management

With the price of oil currently on the rise, finding ways to increase efficiency and save gas is of paramount importance to large and small fleets alike. The fleet management and tracking capabilities of GPS tracking technology helps your business stay ahead by recording and analyzing details quickly and efficiently. Better management of the fleet can result in saved time, saved fuel, and saved money.

  • The GPS software tracks your fleets driving history, recording the number of routes and time efficiency of your routes, drivers, and vehicles. Is it more efficient to take three right turns rather than wait for a left turn signal? GPS software can tell you that and much more.
  • Supervisors can use the software to manage their drivers more efficiently. According to Ford Motor Company, every hour that a vehicle is idling is equal to approximately 25 miles of driving. ?GPS tracking can show managers when the vehicle starts, when it?s in motion and when it?s sitting ? details that can help cut down on idling time and increase efficiency.
  • Automated time sheets reduce the change of errors and give drivers less paperwork to worry about.

American Signature, Inc, a furniture company in the eastern US, implemented GPS tracking for 50 of its 130 total stores in 2009. As a result of the improvements made to their delivery systems through fleet management software , the company has since seen a 15% reduction in miles traveled per store, a 20% reduction in overtime for the delivery teams, and an 11% increase in dollars of merchandise delivered per mile traveled (Aberdeen Group, 2009).

The use of fleet tracking systems in the US is expected to double in the next four years, from 13.3 million to 30.4 million in 2016 according to ABI Research. ?The commercial telematics market continues to enjoy good overall growth as smaller fleets and new non-trucking segments such as delivery, service and public and private transportation are being addressed by vendors offering more affordable solutions,? said Dominique Bonte, VP of Telematics and M2M at ABI.

As more options for fleet tracking emerge, the communication and management capabilities of GPS technology benefits manufacturing businesses both large and small. Businesses can use it to find the most direct driving routes, adapt to current traffic conditions on the fly, and streamline their procedures to be both timely and cost-effective.

Photo credit:?gaebler.com

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Source: http://www.resourcenation.com/blog/improving-productivity-with-gps-fleet-tracking/35422/

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