What exactly is telematics and how can it help benefit your fleet operations?
The literal definition of telematics is the combination of telecommunications and the processing of information, so in terms of vehicles, telematics can play a key role in providing a range of valuable data.
Using GPS technology, sensor and vehicle data, telematics systems can monitor and gather information across vehicles and fleets by tracking vehicle locations, monitoring driver behaviour, tracking fuel usage and efficiency, identifying engine diagnostics and effective route planning.
However, what’s the true value of having access to all this information if you don’t do anything with it or even understand how you can fully apply it to make actionable decisions for your fleet operations?
To really maximise the benefits of telematics data for your fleet, you should consider integrating telematics into your fleet management system. This will allow you to access every valuable piece of data for your fleet in order to streamline your operations and ensure an efficient and productive fleet.
How can fleet management software and telematics work together?
Many businesses are now increasingly using both telematics and fleet management software together for managing their fleet operations.
However, there are still many fleet managers who believe that each do a similar job independently, without really understanding the benefits of combining the two technologies together.
Telematics systems can provide your fleet management software with real-time actionable information, which helps to improve the efficiency of your fleet through a range of intelligent data collection across all areas of fleet management.
Let’s explore some of the benefits of integrating these two systems together:
1. Visibility of real-time vehicle tracking
By having visibility of your entire fleet operations from a single dashboard, you can easily track and monitor the locations of your vehicles in real-time. This helps with journey planning, route optimisation, geofencing and job allocation; connecting every part of your vehicle’s journey while on the road and significantly improving efficiency.
2. Improving driver behaviour and safety
One of the key and most important additional features that telematics provides when integrated into your fleet management software is the ability to help driver performance and safety. Driving habits such as harsh braking, acceleration, and speeding can all be monitored in real-time and addressed for improvements. With the increased use of dashcams and driver-facing video, driving events can also be captured and used as evidence in case of accident claims.
3. Reduced costs
With fuel being one of the highest costs for fleets, the advanced use of telematics allows for the ability to change habits in fuel consumption.
Through a better understanding of data linked to vehicle acceleration, engine idling, poor route planning and vehicle maintenance, cost efficiencies can be made to reduce vehicle downtime and improve fuel economy. A fully integrated fleet solution can reduce overall fleet operating costs which can have a hugely beneficial impact on your bottom line.
4. Enhanced preventative maintenance
The ability to automatically streamline maintenance planning through generating real-time vehicle maintenance and service alerts can help to improve the accuracy of your preventative maintenance programme. This will allow you to quickly and easily identify any vehicle defects and servicing repairs that require addressing, ensuring your fleet stays safely on the road for longer.
5. Optimising your assets
Fleet tracking technology provides a whole wealth of information needed to effectively optimise your fleet. Being able to monitor where your vehicles and assets have been, how long they were there, how much fuel or energy is consumed and how efficient they are, helps to identify any vehicles which are under-utilised or need to be replaced.
Using the data, you can identify the key areas and vehicles impacting your fleet operations and make more informed business decisions to maximise the productivity of your fleet.
While there are advantages to both fleet management software and telematics, there’s no denying that for a really comprehensive fleet management operation, the integration of both technologies gives businesses a real competitive advantage.
In today’s connected world based around technology and digitisation, telematics systems can be easily and seamlessly integrated with your fleet management software, creating an opportunity to reduce costs and significantly enhance your fleet management capabilities whilst increasing productivity and efficiency.
How Prolius Fleet can help
As the fleet technology landscape continues to evolve, fleet management needs to adapt. The Prolius Fleet management system combines the option of telematics integration, providing businesses of all sizes with a fully comprehensive fleet management system from a single centralised location to effectively streamline fleet operations.
Schedule a demo to discover how our integrated fleet management system can transform your fleet.