Simon Pavey
Website Marketing Manager
Since vehicle telematics was introduced, there has been a debate about whether the technology benefits fleets and whether they should use it.
There are common objections to vehicle telematics; however, many businesses believe this technology should be used. The benefits experienced in their operations, like increased productivity and efficiency and an overall reduction in costs, make the choice to use vehicle telematics an obvious one.
Before we can jump right into the arguments for and against, for anyone who may be new to the concept of telematics, here’s a quick breakdown of what telematics is.
Telematics is a technology that uses a small in-vehicle device (often called a black box) to collect and transmit data such as location, speed, driver behaviour, fuel use, faults, and idling time. This gives fleet managers detailed insight into vehicle performance and driver activity, helping improve efficiency, safety, and cost control. For a deeper look at how it works, this guide explains what telematics is and how it improves fleet management.
Here are some of the common arguments you’ll probably come across when you’re deciding whether or not to introduce telematics to your fleet - let’s break them down so you can see the true costs and benefits to help make your decision. From cost saving to driver safety, there are so many advantages to adopting telematics - here are 10 benefits of using telematics for fleet management that our customers are already experiencing.
One of the larger concerns for businesses when debating whether or not to implement vehicle telematics is that drivers may think it will be an invasion of their privacy or a sign of distrust from management. Many fleet managers have a close relationship with their drivers (some may even be former drivers themselves) and may not feel it is necessary, to do more harm than good.
However, it’s important to understand what the going vehicle telematics is. It’s not to get employees into trouble or intrude on their privacy; the goal is to improve your business.
Measuring driver performance is simply another way to help your fleet become more productive, safer on the roads, and increase your company’s bottom line. If a business isn’t evaluating employee performance, then it’s likely that the fleet isn’t at its optimum performance.
Some fleet professionals believe that vehicle telematics is too expensive and that they don’t have room in their budget to implement this technology. If finding a solution is not a priority for an organization, then it might not seem important to take the hit on this cost.
While there is an upfront cost to a quality telematics solution, it’s just as important to consider the long-term benefits that this might present. Quality vehicle telematics software has the capability to deliver at least 500% return on investment when it is used to its fullest.
Through increased efficiency, fuel savings, decreased labour costs, and theft, businesses have achieved a 100% ROI in just a few months of rolling out telematics technology to their fleet. Vehicle telematics helps businesses save money in a multitude of ways, and it should not be considered an expense but rather a tool to reduce cost and increase overall revenue.
Want to see how much your business could save? Contact our team for a tailored telematics cost-savings assessment.
You may feel that there simply isn’t enough time to devote to managing the software or even adding to your daily routine. It might also seem like a significant inconvenience for your vehicles to have downtime while the devices are installed. These are legitimate concerns to have about adding more responsibility to your workload. But telematics can significantly improve your fleet’s safety on the road.
It is one thing to know where your drivers are, but it’s a different matter altogether to know how safely they are driving. Are they speeding? Are they maintaining their vehicles correctly? These are key issues that cannot be addressed without the assistance of vehicle telematics. At the end of the day, any hassle you might experience by implementing the technology is vastly outweighed by the benefits to your company’s safety. Real- world case studies have shown how telematics boosts safety and efficiency for fleets of all sizes.
Big data tends to be a conflict issue for fleet professionals. On the one hand, they know it encompasses valuable information about their fleet. On the other hand, they don’t know what to do with all that data they have access to. Nobody wants to spend hours looking at information that is irrelevant to their responsibilities.
However, the issue isn’t too much data; it’s that the data isn’t being filtered or presented in a way that makes sense, or even more frustratingly, it isn’t being filtered at all. If you consider your accounting department, they don’t need to view the same data as dispatch or maintenance, so what would they need access to that information for?
Filtering relevant data to whoever needs it will allow your business to best use the information gathered and turn it into actionable intelligence. Giving people the information they need, when they need to see it, will help your business become more efficient, cut unnecessary costs and generate the best return on your investment.
If you want to know exactly what kind of information can be collected, here’s a breakdown of what Motia Telematics technology tracks.
When considering the merits of telematics and whether it is right for your business, think about the challenges you face at the moment and your long-term business goals. Telematics can give you the information you need to overcome today's challenges and prepare to be more profitable in the future. Remember that your competition will implement telematics to their fleet operations, if they haven’t already, so don’t fall behind!
Discover how Motia Telematics can reduce costs, improve safety and give you greater control over your fleet. It’s a flexible, fully customisable system that can be completely tailored to your fleet's needs. It’s easy to use and fully supported by our dedicated UK-based team. Contact the Telematics team today to find out more.
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