One of the major challenges of fleet management is effectively harnessing the huge amount of data produced on a daily basis. This data contains vital information on everything from driver behaviour and driving style to vehicle performance, health and utilisation. If leveraged correctly, it can offer huge benefits to fleet managers and business owners.
Harnessing fleet data can lead to gains in productivity and efficiency, improvements in safety and lower operating costs. Yet despite this, those in charge of running a fleet can struggle to get a full picture of their organisation to understand exactly what their fleet data is telling them.
To find out why, Verizon Connect commissioned a survey of Ireland’s fleet managers, business owners and other decision makers in 258 fleet-reliant businesses.
We posed the following question: Do you believe harnessing the power of data is a key business priority for the coming year?
To which 65% of respondents said yes.
What’s more, 41% of decisions makers said they were aware harnessing fleet data can help control costs, 14% said they believe it could help to attract and retain customers and 10% said it could improve fleet safety and security when harnessed correctly.
Yet, despite these positive responses, many also cited potential barriers that could make this task difficult. In fact, just 25% of the decision makers we surveyed said there were no obstacles stopping them from successfully harnessing their fleet data.
These barriers included lack of funding, problems with siloed data and a shortage of expertise. However, a comprehensive GPS system can bring together disparate or siloed systems into a single portal. What’s more, while implementing a system does incur a cost, customers report that GPS solutions soon generate ROI and more than pay for themselves. Finally, modern fleet tracking systems are intuitive and easy-to-use, meaning the training required is minimal.
So, while these concerns are certainly valid, they can all be alleviated through the use of GPS tracking.
Read the full report here.
