Necessity of Big Data
Over the past several years, fleet management has evolved from a basic operational function to a strategic asset that can drive efficiency and improve productivity and profitability using big data. As an enterprise fleet, you deal with an avalanche of data points generated by your vehicles, equipment and various systems on a daily basis. This deluge of information can oftentimes be seen as too much fleet data, making it challenging to derive meaningful insights and take informed actions.
To overcome the challenges associated with big data, it is essential to centralize and consolidate your fleet data into one accessible, user-friendly system. Enterprise fleets can use a fleet management system, like fleet management software (FMS), to automatically consolidate and interpret big data for quick, data-driven decision-making.
What to Look for in Scalable, Integrated Software
The mobile, fast-paced nature of fleet makes the ability to streamline operations and access accurate and timely data crucial for success, especially for large fleets with widely scattered assets. This is where integrated solutions come into play. Integrating telematics, fuel systems and other fleet and business solutions into FMS creates a secure connection between these solutions and consolidates data from disparate sources into one centralized platform.
FMS integrations enable fleet managers to improve fleet-wide visibility and optimize daily workflows through automation, ensuring preventive maintenance (PM) schedules stay on track while surfacing engine faults, diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), NHTSA recalls and failed inspection items in real time so these issues can be addressed promptly.
The scalability of business software, including FMS, is an important factor in how well the software will perform during significant growth periods — or even periods of decline. Scalability not only includes the ability to keep up with an influx of assets and employees, it also includes the ability for fleets to create their own integrations as needed by utilizing an application programming interface (API) to enable seamless data exchange between fleet and other business systems. Integrating fleet data using scalable FMS enables enterprise fleets to harness the synergy of interconnected tools, and paves the way for smarter, more efficient fleet management.
Customer Support and Onboarding
Let’s get real for a minute: even the best fleet and business solutions are only as valuable as the user makes it, and without proper business-wide adoption of and training for the solution, you could potentially be wasting time and money on a dud. Customer support and onboarding programs can ensure a seamless transition and uptake of FMS and other business solutions and maximize the solution’s potential. Choosing a software product that offers robust onboarding eases the implementation process by providing training resources and offering ongoing assistance.
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Additionally, a solution with strong customer support will assist you in quickly transferring your data into the platform and configuring your account to align with your fleet’s unique needs. This ensures a hassle-free setup process, enabling you to hit the ground running and encouraging real-time collaboration to ensure successful adoption.
Batch Updates
For enterprise fleets, the thought of adding so many assets to a new management system can seem overwhelming. FMS providers that allow for batch updates, enable efficient and synchronized data entry. Instead of manually inputting data for each asset, you can streamline the process by uploading information in bulk, saving valuable time and effort.
FMS makes bulk fleet management easier and allows fleets to bulk add — or add individual — assets using a VIN decoder that automatically retrieves over 90 vehicle specs and details. This feature streamlines data collection, providing fleet managers with accurate information on dimensions, weight, payload, fluid levels, capacity, OEM-recommended maintenance schedules and more.
Custom Permissions
While fleet-wide data transparency is a must for fleet managers, not everyone in the fleet needs the same access. With scalable FMS, fleets have the flexibility to assign custom permissions to different users — or user groups — within the organization to enhance security, reduce data overload and ensure that employees can only access the data and functionality relevant to their roles.
Improved Maintenance Management
Effective fleet maintenance is critical in minimizing downtime, maximizing asset performance and ROI, ensuring safety and increasing productivity. Using FMS for enterprise fleet management simplifies maintenance management by providing automated alerts for scheduled maintenance and streamlining work order management. This proactive approach helps prevent breakdowns and allows for maintenance schedule optimization based on automatically recorded service histories.
A key benefit of using FMS to manage maintenance is in managing external repair orders and approvals. FMS’s integration capabilities allow for direct connections with trusted maintenance shops for those outsourcing maintenance, streamlining the approval process and eliminating the time-consuming game of phone tag. Using outsourced maintenance automation in FMS helps enterprise fleets reduce shop delays and driver wait times, and managers can set automatic cost and/or service item approval thresholds to further expedite the process.
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When it comes to servicing assets in house, fleets can use digital work orders in FMS to record active job times and detailed line items, as well as categorize maintenance for improved insights into scheduled, unscheduled and emergency maintenance. Furthermore, FMS includes inventory management functionality, helping fleets optimize inventory stock and track inventory movement and associated costs.
Automation and Data Reporting
Being able to actually use collected data in a timely manner is critical in addressing fleet issues. FMS automates data collection and analysis, saving time and effort by generating real-time, configurable fleet reports that provide valuable insights into operational and maintenance KPIs, including operating costs, fuel consumption and vehicle utilization. Plus, managers can set these reports to be automatically sent to stakeholders at custom intervals, ensuring everyone has access to the necessary data for informed decision-making.
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Stay Ahead of the Competition
In the ever-evolving landscape of fleet management, leveraging advanced technology is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity — especially for large fleets. Fleet enterprises can utilize FMS to harness the power of big data and integrate solutions that drive operational efficiency and allow for improved cost control. By consolidating data, automating processes and enabling data-driven decision-making, FMS empowers enterprises to stay ahead in a competitive industry.
Looking to streamline enterprise fleet management for improved insights and enhanced operational efficiency? Start your free Fleetio trial or schedule a personalized demo today!
