Investing in a mobile computing solution is an important step for fleet-based operations. Your objectives in implementing such a solution most likely include greater operational efficiency, lower fuel use, a safer driving environment, and happier customers, to name a few. But what are the key features to look for in a mobile computer that will help you achieve these objectives? While it’s tempting to look only at the sticker price, it’s critical to look at other factors that lead to a device’s total cost of ownership, or TCO, over the product’s life span. Here’s a guide to other important considerations:
Durability
Durability is key given that: “on average, 4 percent of rugged mobile computers installed to support enterprise mobility applications in “harsh” environments fail per year. Conversely, the annual failure rate for commercial grade devices in similar harsh conditions rockets to 36 percent.”(i) When you factor in device replacement rates (12 to 18 months for commercial devices versus 7 plus years for quality rugged devices) and downtime costs, the price of commercial grade devices can far exceed their initial price.
Look for rugged computers that meet MIL-STD 810-F and IP54 standards to ensure that they can handle vibration, shock, dust, and water exposure, as well as temperature fluctuations, all things very present in the vehicle environment.
Support, Training and Upgrades
Because commercial-grade devices, like smartphones, are geared towards the consumer, their support programs may not account for the urgency of mission-critical situations. Rugged devices are more likely to be backed by fleet-focused companies who understand real-time needs, with 24/7 support plans and comprehensive training.
Also consider how upgradable the mobile computer is in order to protect your initial investment and keep your organization current. “Rugged units are typically designed to offer users an upgrade path. Because non-rugged units are primarily targeted at the consumer and white-collar markets, industry-specific upgrade paths are far less compelling.” (ii)
Information Accuracy
With mobile computers such as smartphones, you rely on the driver to charge it, turn it on, and keep it with them. There is the potential for drivers to cut off GPS reception by putting the computer in a foil bag or deactivating the tracking software. There have also been cases where the driver gives the computer to a colleague and takes the day off, thereby giving the impression that they are still at work.
A computer installed in the vehicle is turned on with the ignition and is much more difficult to tamper with. Integrated with the vehicle, rugged devices let you track OBDII data, which includes odometer monitoring, problem codes, fuel consumption, RPM, and oil temperatures. With this real-time data managers can address unnecessary idling and excessive speeding, automate maintenance and safety checks, and warn drivers about safety concerns, such as loose equipment.
Data Security
When compared to mobile computers that remain with the driver, in-vehicle rugged computers are much less likely to be lost, stolen, broken or tampered with. Plus, the information captured by the devices is sent to head office in real time. You maintain control of the device and information being sent or received on it, versus the driver having control, so company-sensitive data is protected.
Hardware/Software Integration
Though the initial cost of a commercial device is often less, the cost quickly rises when you start to integrate it with things like card swipes, lights, sirens, PTO and RFID readers. By choosing a rugged device that connects to these you can create a complete mobile solution without spending additional time and money on integration.
As well, choose a rugged device manufacturer who has multiple software applications and can tailor a solution to you. These companies are also more likely to have relationships with back-office software suppliers so integration is simplified.
Message Transmission Rates
According to a study by VDC: “Wireless transmission failure is almost three times as much for non-rugged notebooks when compared to rugged notebooks. Each failed transmission leads to 5 to 10 minutes in lost productivity and as a result can significantly add to TCO, not to mention employee frustration.” (iii)
Remote Programming Capabilities
Selecting a rugged in-vehicle computer that lets you program and update software programs from the office versus going to each vehicle individually or having to collect devices from each driver saves considerable time and money and minimizes downtime.
Safety Concerns
Commercial-grade devices, such as smartphones, are difficult and dangerous to view while driving, and managers have no control over how or when drivers are using them. That’s alarming when you consider that text messaging while driving increases the risk of collision by more than 23 times. (iv) Instead, by choosing in-vehicle computers that let you set parameters around their use, you can better manage fleet/passenger safety. These computers can be programmed so the screen is only visible when the vehicle isn’t in motion, or to only offer very limited functionality when in motion. As well, the driver’s messaging capability can be suspended while driving.
Ease of Use
Look for rugged fixed-mount computers that take into account limited in-vehicle real-estate, while still being large enough for easy viewing in any lighting condition and provide easy data entry with canned messages. Easy to use computers are more likely to be utilized to their full potential by drivers. Commercial devices, such as smartphones have a small keypad and screen, making it difficult to quickly send messages or view navigational maps without excessive scrolling.
Customer Satisfaction
Delays in service due to failed computers can negatively impact your customer’s experience, leading to poor customer satisfaction rates and lost business. A rugged device with integrated GPS capabilities lets your dispatchers deliver accurate vehicle location information to customers, improving their experience with your organization.
Ultimately, you want to think about your objectives in implementing a mobile computing solution, and then determine the best computer to meet those objectives. This shouldn’t simply be based on the devices’ upfront cost, but on the overall value they will bring to your organization. A mobile computing solution has the potential to streamline operations, and take your organization to a whole new level of productivity so it’s important to pick the right device for your needs.
Here is a great article from Power & Energy discussing the increasing importance of mobile computing for remote workforces, from a productivity and competitive standpoint. Find out the critical factors you should consider when choosing a mobile computer, and how your business and fleet technology can progress together. Click here to read more.
For many public transit agencies, the route scheduling process is time consuming and prone to errors. Functions such as changes in services levels, route optimization and accurate reporting are difficult to do efficiently. There is also increasing pressure from customers who want online options for trip planning like those available with Google Maps Transit.
Scheduling software can make this process much easier, with electronic worksheets, automatic schedule validation to prevent mistakes, and a simple, clear overview of data for route optimization. Unfortunately, most scheduling software is prohibitively expensive for small- to mid-sized transit agencies. In addition, producing the data required to get schedules on Google Maps can require increasing development/technical staff resources and a significant investment in time and money – something that we all seem to have less of these days.
However, there are some affordable options for small and mid-sized agencies. Here’s a short demo of scheduling software with a one-click Google-compatible export feature that makes putting schedules on Google Maps simple, and it won’t break your budget either. Click here to watch now.
York Region Transit (YRT) serves the transit needs of residents in the nine municipalities of the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario. YRT offers Mobility Plus paratransit service for riders unable to access conventional or bus rapid transit due to limited mobility or disability. Mobility Plus connects riders with dedicated transit services in the City of Toronto, and surrounding areas. Rajeev Roy, Manager of Transit Management Services at YRT gives us some insight into the way ITS technology influenced how his paratransit operation runs and has improved the experience for Mobility Plus riders.
1. What changes has your organization seen as a result of using this technology?
With this system there is the flexibility for dispatchers to add an ad-hoc call to a route since they can see where all the buses are. Passenger safety has also improved with the addition of security cameras and vehicle tracking.
2. What improvements has your staff seen with this system?
We did a survey of the staff who all agreed that service has improved. The vehicle tracking is definitely one of the most beneficial features and, from a management perspective, we also like that we can monitor driver’s speeds.
Since implementing the system, YRT staff have experienced benefits ranging from faster response times, to improved vehicle productivity. The staff have seen at least a 35% time savings improvement in scheduling same-day trips, and supplying riders with travel information has been made at least 50% faster.
3. How do your customers benefit from this system?
When customers call to ask, ‘Why isn’t my ride here?’ dispatchers can instantly give them an accurate ETA, as they can see where their ride is. Before, the dispatcher would have to conduct a series of calls to get this information to the customer.
4. Have you seen a Return on Investment? If so, how much and how quickly?
The implementation was completed in the spring of 2008, and since then there have been improvements in incident response times, safety, trip scheduling and vehicle productivity.
There has been a 24% increase in revenue trips per hour and dispatching functions have been streamlined by at least 50%. A reduction in “deadhead” kilometers traveled by YRT’s vehicles resulted in a reduction of approximately 57kg of CO2 emissions in one month of operation.
Green is in the air, literally. According to an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) report, public transit produces 95% less carbon monoxide and about 50% less carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger mile, as compared to personal vehicles. That’s big news for the public transit industry. What steps can individual transit agencies take to reduce their environmental impact while remaining efficient? Check out this free white paper to see how ITS technology and going green go hand in hand.
Great blog article discussing the differing sides of the raging transit data debate. Rafe Needleman writes: “In local blogs and on transit sites, outrage over agencies and companies that claim ownership of the data is growing. The core argument against locking down such data is that it’s collected by or paid for by public, taxpayer-funded agencies and thus should be open to all citizens, and that schedule data by itself is not protectable content. The argument against is that the agencies might be able to profit from using the data if they can maintain control of it. The counter to that is the belief that if the data is open, clever developers will create cool apps that make transit systems more usable, thus increasing ridership and helping transit agencies live up to their charters of moving people around and getting as many private cars as possible off the roads.”
Curious about engine diagnostics monitoring and data collection, but unsure how it will benefit your company? One of Mentor Engineering’s Senior Project Managers, Shubh Sidhu, sat down to talk with us about the many possibilities engine diagnostics brings to fleets. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: What is engine diagnostics exactly?
A: Basically, engine diagnostics is the ability to pull information from the vehicle’s built-in on-board computer. This real-time data lets you diagnose vehicle issues. The data collected can supplement your vehicle monitoring program or it can be standalone data. Another important piece of information that engine diagnostics delivers is engine hours, or the amount of time the engine has been running. This data is crucial for things like maintenance and repairs.
To sum it up, engine diagnostics is the interface to your vehicle’s built-in computer that gives you access to vehicle monitoring and maintenance data that you couldn’t ordinarily get.
Q: What are the benefits of engine diagnostics monitoring?
A: The ability to monitor engine diagnostics remotely saves staff time and company resources. You can collect all the engine diagnostic information, pull it out of whichever back-end software application you are using, and you now have direct access to mileage reports, or hours run, whenever you want them. This allows you to better schedule vehicle maintenance, and gives you a clear view of what vehicles are up to.
From a cost standpoint, the maintenance piece is a big advantage. By integrating engine diagnostics monitoring with your maintenance program, you can collect vehicle Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), which can greatly improve the efficiency of maintenance staff. For example, if your maintenance team knows there is a faulty component on a vehicle in advance, they can have the parts ready when that vehicle comes into the shop. Downtime is significantly reduced and the vehicle is back on the road a lot quicker. In addition, the ability to know that there’s something wrong with one of your vehicles before it becomes a major problem equalsbig savings.
There is also a safety benefit. Engine diagnostics can send certain pieces of information to show the safe or unsafe use of a vehicle, like airbag sensors, or seatbelts being fastened/unfastened. You have the necessary information to let drivers know when equipment on their vehicle isn’t properly fastened.
Q: Do you have any real-life examples to help illustrate the benefits?
A: Let’s look at American Electric Power (AEP). One of the diagnostic pieces AEP collects is Boom Up/Down status.
With engine diagnostics, they know Boom and PTO (Power Take Off) activity relative to the total mileage of their trucks. A truck might have half a million miles on it and need to be replaced, but the boom has only been used twice. They can just take the boom off the old vehicle and put it on the new vehicle. A lot of money is saved by not replacing lightly used equipment.
Q: Are there any challenges that go along with engine diagnostics monitoring?
A: Regular commercial vehicles, pickup trucks, and even paratransit vehicles all use an interface called OBDII, or On-Board Diagnostics, which makes it relatively easy to collect engine diagnostics. Heavier duty vehicles and transit buses, on the other hand, use two interfaces: J1708 and J1939. The information on the interfaces of this latter group is more detailed. There are literally hundreds of pieces of information that can be retrieved, from the hydraulic oil temperature to the oil pressure. It’s challenging because it’s harder to predict what pieces of information you can get from your fleet as it changes based on vehicle make, model and year.
Q: Without engine diagnostics monitoring, what kind of business problems might companies run into?
A: Well, they would definitely experience more vehicle downtime, their maintenance department won’t be able to use their resources as efficiently, and if they do run into situations where a vehicle breaks down because the maintenance data wasn’t available, they’ll likely see money lost in both repair costs and lost productivity.
Imagine if you could reduce your operational costs by 20% based largely on existing resources and communications infrastructure. The American Public Transportation Association has indicated that poor data quality can potentially add between 10 and 20 percent to your operational budget. They have put together a self-assessment questionnaire that underscores best practices and helps organizations to identify areas of inefficiency. It is designed to generate discussion and help stimulate action. Click here to take the questionnaire
This fun animated demo explains how speed and idling monitoring works, how it saves you money, and illustrates what kind of ROI you can expect. Click here to check it out.
Is it better to put tracking technology in the fleet vehicle or to put the technology on the person? The pros and cons are discussed in this article. Click here to read.
A blog for those of us who live and work in fleet management. Topics include engine diagnostics, driver safety, mobile workforce management, CAD/AVL, vehicle maintenance, truck distribution, global computing, work order management, and field services.
Free White Paper: Decreasing Driver Distraction
With driver distraction being a leading cause of vehicle accidents, selecting an in-vehicle computer for your fleet that lets you control when drivers/device interaction is crucial to your fleet’s safety, as well as your bottom line.
