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The first step is to thoroughly assess the current fleet management operations and identify those areas in need of improvement. From this assessment, a list of requirements pertinent to selecting a solution that will solve the contractor’s challenges and reduce operating costs will come to light.
Second, it must be understood that fleet managers and their staff will likely have to change their current processes somewhat. Too often contractors look for fleet management software that exactly mirrors their current processes. If their current processes are that good, then there is no need for a new system, explains Massey.
Third, a staff member needs to be made the owner of the fleet management system with that person becoming an expert on its uses. This individual will be responsible for training others and developing new uses.
Finally, the contractor needs to establish the key measurable operational aspects and continually monitor how effective the staff is in controlling those measures.
“Viewing access should be open to a wide audience, including the staff associated with budgeting, maintaining, repairing and operating the machines,” says Ken Calvert, Director of IT Support for Komatsu. “The ability to administer the software, grant viewing rights and input data should be controlled by a system [owner].”
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| Do you know where your trucks are? With a glance at your fleet management screen, you’ll see that your service trucks are enroute, along side a couple of parts and service trucks. Knowledge at the click of a button. |
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All systems come with different security protocols and data storage parameters. It is important that the contractor establish a minimum level of acceptable security (it may be necessary to engage an IT expert or consultant for this) and have the software provider clearly demonstrate compliance with those levels.
Fleet management technology helps managers prioritize,” says Worman. “Understanding simple utilization standards and providing exception reports on usage and expense can reveal a lot of crucial information. After analyzing these reports, a fleet manager should scrutinize individual units as needed. This might lead to reassigning units, re-evaluating replacement cycles or adopting certain practices fleet-wide based on units that are performing well.”
Assembling the Fleet
While the Equipment Equinox is an archaic form of fleet management, it does have one advantage — uniformity. All the equipment — new and old — assembled at the same location. Unifying your fleet under the same fleet management system isn’t as simple. Many new machines from manufacturers such as John Deere, Hitachi, Caterpillar and Komatsu come with optional fleet management hardware and software. The dilemma comes into play when trying to unite those systems with an already-implemented OEM or aftermarket system.
There are a couple of ways for a contractor to unify the fleet: 1) Install common technology on each unit in the fleet. So if you have an aftermarket system, it’s easiest to install that hardware on the new or new-to-you machines. 2) Extract common data points from the different systems and unify the data within an enterprise business system. This would be additional software that works in tandem with the existing fleet management software.
“It has been difficult for fleet managers to unify their fleets,” says McGough. “There are some partnerships out there between equipment and service providers, but there are only one or two companies who share that information with others. The ideal solution would be to have a fleet management solution that integrates all your different manufacturers into one system automatically for you.
 The Season of Software
Conjuring Up a System That Meets Your Needs
- Discovery — Identify your business problems and set the goals you want to reach with the system you seek.
- Select the right vendor — After you have identified all of your needs, make sure that the vendor you select will:
- Provide you with 24-hour, 7-days-a-week support when you run into any problems
- Provide you with the level of personal customer service you would expect
- Integrate with all of your suppliers and other software vendors
- Integrate with your multiple equipment providers to provide all of your information in a central location
- Meet all of your goals and solve all of the problems you have identified
- Take action — After you have selected your vendor, make sure that they will work with you in implementing your solutions and continuously help you solve any future business problems you might have.
Q&A
10 Questions to Ask Potential Fleet Management Vendors
- What can you offer our business that other vendors do not provide?
- What intuitive solutions or more advanced features do you offer that will allow us to track, manage and route vehicles more efficiently?
- What new software tools or mapping technologies do you use?
- Outline the individual benefits we will obtain from implementing your solutions. What type of customer service do you provide?
- How many customers do you have that are like me?
- Is your solution all inclusive or modular?
- Can you integrate data from other providers?
- Can you integrate my accounting system into yours?
- How quickly can I implement this?
- What kind of support do you provide?
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If that is not possible, having the ability to export information from the hardware manufacturer and importing it into the fleet management software is the next best choice. If either of those are not possible, the fleet manager is stuck with managing the fleet across the various systems.”
Before choosing a costly and time consuming solution, it’s best to talk with your existing fleet management service provider beforehand. They can offer advice and guidance on how to go about uniting your fleet.
When all is said and done, you’ll have made a significant fleet management investment. Some service providers offer monthly subscriptions — ranging from $10/month to annual subscriptions of $360/year, depending on features, account preferences, etc. Then there’s the hardware cost for the physical GPS units, which is generally a one-time payment of $200 to $800 per unit, depending on how advanced a system you’d like. But with your fleet manager trained on the system — he or she will be able to wield the data to increase productivity and the company’s bottom line. No longer will the Equipment Equinox be a solitary event when managers can organize and send out their fleets, but a celebration of the efficient power of a well-managed fleet.
Jason Morgan is Associate Editor of Utility Contractor.
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