Transport Technology Today November 2010 : Page 6
Feature Kurt Ballard ■ Contributing Editor Tracking Mobile Improves Efficie Solving the productivity dilemma with GPS fleet management technology Doing more with less has be-come a necessity for businesses of all sizes. If you find it difficult to manage your field worker productivity, GPS fleet management technology may be a viable solution for your organization. Fleet management software makes it easier than ever to account for your vehicles and the per-formance and behavior of your mobile workers. Efficiency and productivity are vital fleet management metrics to measure, but mobile worker productivity can be elusive to track accurately. GPS technology has made it possible to easily and effi-ciently increase organizational productivity. Businesses that implement GPS fleet management software report that they are able to accomplish more jobs each workday without adding additional headcount or vehicles. Some businesses have reported up to a 20% increase in work orders completed. This increased produc-tivity adds significant revenue to the top line, as well as profits to the bottom line of businesses in all industries and sizes. Think of your business operations and answer the following ques-tions. What if you: • Added one more revenue-generating activity per week? • Could save five miles a day for each vehicle in your fleet? • Reduced overtime by just 15 minutes per worker, per week? What impact would these seemingly modest changes have on the per-formance of your business? Here are some formulas to help you calcu-late the increase in productivity. What does a mile cost you? Cost per mile $____ x ____vehicles = savings per day How much does each minute of overtime cost? Overtime cost per hour $____ x ____ field workers = $____ overtime saved What about revenue generated per activity? Revenue activity $____ x 4 weeks = $____ additional monthly revenue Fleet management software increases the productivity of your business by: • Monitoring the start time and end time of your mobile worker’s day— add lost hours to the workday • Dispatching jobs to the closest vehicle—send work orders and changes 6 November 2010 T3/TMW Systems
Tracking Mobile Workers Improves Efficiency
Kurt Ballard, Contributing Editor
Doing more with less has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes. If you find it difficult to manage your field worker productivity, GPS fleet management technology may be a viable solution for your organization. Fleet management software makes it easier than ever to account for your vehicles and the performance and behavior of your mobile workers. Efficiency and productivity are vital fleet management metrics to measure, but mobile worker productivity can be elusive to track accurately. GPS technology has made it possible to easily and efficiently increase organizational productivity.<br /> Businesses that implement GPS fleet management software report that they are able to accomplish more jobs each workday without adding additional headcount or vehicles. Some businesses have reported up to a 20% increase in work orders completed. This increased productivity adds significant revenue to the top line, as well as profits to the bottom line of businesses in all industries and sizes.<br /> Think of your business operations and answer the following questions. What if you:<br /> • Added one more revenue-generating activity per week?<br /> • Could save five miles a day for each vehicle in your fleet?<br /> • Reduced overtime by just 15 minutes per worker, per week?<br /> What impact would these seemingly modest changes have on the performance of your business? Here are some formulas to help you calculate the increase in productivity.<br /> <br /> What does a mile cost you? <br /> Cost per mile $____ x ____vehicles = savings per day <br /> <br /> How much does each minute of overtime cost?<br /> Overtime cost per hour $____ x ____ field workers = $____ overtime saved <br /> <br /> What about revenue generated per activity?<br /> Revenue activity $____ x 4 weeks = $____ additional monthly revenue<br /> <br /> Fleet management software increases the productivity of your business by:<br /> • Monitoring the start time and end time of your mobile worker’s day— add lost hours to the workday<br /> • Dispatching jobs to the closest vehicle—send work orders and changes based on worker proximity to increase the number of jobs per day<br /> • Optimizing routes—dynamic routing helps drivers steer clear of obstacles like accidents, construction and other traffic challenges<br /> • Tracking the location of your fleet—each vehicle is a potential job or delivery stop; knowing their location increases productivity<br /> • Reviewing fleet summary and detailed driver reports—track metrics, trends and patterns of workflow to uncover opportunities to drive more production for your organization<br /> An import aspect of improved productivity is the ability to have tangible information to modify your driver behavior. A GPS Fleet Management system can provide you with speed alerts to notify you when a driver is speeding. Once drivers realize they are being monitored for these types of infractions, speeding is virtually eliminated. The same holds true for unauthorized driver activity. Are drivers following their scheduled routes, are they arriving on time and do they complete the work in a timely manner? <br /> More importantly, are your organization’s assets, your vehicles, being used for purposes other than work? Many GPS clients find that they are able to identify “after hours” use of vehicles for a driver’s own personal gain. What does this mean to you? Increased fuel costs, liability issues and potential theft of a vehicle or the assets within the vehicle. All of these behaviors can be monitored and improved upon with metrics that only a GPS fleet management solution can provide.<br /> Another important aspect of improving your productivity is improved job validation. Service, delivery and transportation operations validate their work on a daily basis. It’s vital to know that the job was completed or the package was delivered to the correct address. This is where GPS fleet management software comes into play as a means to mark the location of the vehicle, worker or delivery, effectively validating that the job was completed and the package delivered accurately. <br /> Finding the right GPS technology for your business can have a tremendous impact on your productivity. It’s important to find a system that is easy to use to encourage user adoption. If the system is confusing or difficult, the adoption will be very low and the return on investment will take far too long to realize real savings. Be sure you learn about the implementation and deployment process for the system you are considering.<br /> Turnkey rollouts produce rapid ROI and significant productivity gains over a short period of time. Sales demos provide valuable insight into the system usability. Ask your potential vendors for case study information from their customers. Relevant industry and results information can help reduce the risks of buying the wrong solution for your business.<br /> As businesses automate processes to gain operational efficiencies, GPS fleet management technology can drive productivity gains in numerous ways. Like any other technology investment, if it is not fully leveraged, it will never fully deliver your desired results. Get the productivity you need to drive your business forward. T3<br /> Kurt Ballard is senior vice president of distribution and marketing at Discrete Wireless, Inc. www.discretewireless.com
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