Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) is being used extensively in virtually any industry that employs a fleet of vehicles. The benefits of AVL technologies are clear: AVL is a tool fleet managers and office staff can use to access real-time location information for every vehicle under their care. It can also indicate the status of each vehicle as well.
The information provided by using AVL helps managers make more efficient use of their resources; it also enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of fleet operations. While these are all great benefits for any fleet-based operation, AVL is only one part of a complete mobile workforce management solution. A mobile workforce management solution addresses not only vehicle location and status information, but goes further to streamline work order management, improve field operator safety and reduce manual data entry, as well as operating costs.
AVL is a small piece of a more important technological framework that mobilizes and automates your workforce. This white paper will discuss what a comprehensive mobile workforce management solution includes, the benefits of a complete mobile workforce management solution and provide guidance on how to select the right solution for your business.
Components and Benefits of a Complete Mobile Workforce Management Solution
A technology investment is meant to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, and a mobile workforce management solution that includes AVL will have a greater impact than an AVL-only system. According to a September 2010 Integrated Solutions article, a mobile workforce management solution “provides you with concrete data about the performance of your mobile workers and assets instead of wondering what happens when your workers drive away each morning… [and] real-time information allows you to make informed decisions on the actual use of your fleet instead of relying on guess work.”
The value of a mobile workforce management solution lies in its ability to mitigate common challenges faced by fleet managers, while at the same time, improving efficiency to increase revenue and reduce operating costs.
There are a number of components that make up a complete mobile workforce management solution. In its simplest form, it will consist of software in the office, a mobile computing device with integrated GPS in the vehicle and a cellular and/or satellite connection that exchanges data between the vehicle and the office. A mobile workforce management solution can also integrate with back-end platforms such as accounting, payroll, operations and maintenance.
Let’s take a closer look at the different components of a mobile workforce management solution and how they work together to improve your bottom line. (more…)
Here’s an informative podcast that discusses ten common challenges faced by fleet managers today, and ways to resolve them using strategies that are within reach of any company. Learn from an industry expert with hands-on experience helping companies in the fleet management industry find solutions to issues such as:
Data management
Inefficient communication
Asset tracking
Driver behavior
Operator safety
You will also hear how similar companies have improved the efficiency and safety of their fleets by using strategies offered in this podcast.
Listen and learn how you can boost productivity, increase safety and reduce operating costs by downloading the podcast here .
Here’s a helpful demo that shows you the many benefits of automating your mobile workforce. Eliminate inefficiencies and get a clearer picture of exactly what your mobile workers are doing and where your vehicles are. From speed and idling monitoring to real-time vehicle monitoring, these are just some of the ways mobile field services technology can be used to boost revenue, increase productivity and reduce operating costs. In general, this technology gives you a better way to manage your fleet, which is good for business. See how it’s done here.
Mentor Engineering and MyWebinars are partnering to present three expert-led, fleet management webinars in August and September. These educational programs will inform attendees about best practices, current issues and recent trends in the fleet industry. The webinars will cover topics such as mobile workforce management, vehicle telematics technology and fleet safety strategies. Detailed descriptions and session times follow below:
Top 10 Strategies for Resolving Key Mobile Workforce and Fleet Management Challenges August 16, 2011, 3PM EST
This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of how the right technology solution can help organizations tackle common mobile workforce and fleet management challenges such as inefficient data management, poor communication, lone worker safety, and wasteful driving habits. Attendees will learn new ways to better manage these common challenges while increasing revenue and reducing costs at the same time. Get solutions to key industry issues and find out how similar companies have improved their bottom lines.
Vehicle Telematics 101: How the Right Solution Can Impact Your Bottom Line August 24, 2011, 3PM EST
This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of how a vehicle telematics solution can increase efficiency, scheduling flexibility, customer service, and fleet transparency while saving your organization money. The speaker will discuss telematics topics such as monitoring speed and idling, instances of hard braking and rapid acceleration, as well asengine diagnostics, vehicle maintenance, route optimization, vehicle location and minimizing unauthorized use. Attendees will learn how these technologies combine to help fleets reduce empty mileage, minimize fuel consumption, and optimize vehicle use to save money.
Strategies for Managing a Safer, More Efficient Fleet September 14, 2011, 3PM EST
This webinar will provide essential information on strategies that can be put to use to make fleets and drivers safer, while improving efficiency. The speaker will discuss major fleet safety issues including the cost of driver distraction and corporate liability in the event of an accident, strategies for keeping lone or remote workers safe, new legislation requirements pertaining to EOBRs (Electronic On-Board Recorders) and Hours of Service (HOS) compliance as well as how to manage unsafe driver behaviors in an effective manner.
To get more information about the MyWebinars complete fleet management series, visit the MyWebinars website. To learn more about Mentor Engingeering, click here.
Issues such as inefficient data management, poor communication and wasteful driving habits make it hard to manage a mobile workforce safely and effectively, and are commonly experienced across the Oil and Gas industry. Making your operation more efficient can be achieved with a mobile workforce management solution. This free, on-demand webinar will show you ten new ways mobile technology can work to increase revenue and decrease costs. Learn how to manage key issues such as: data management; inefficient communication; asset tracking; driver behavior and operator safety.
Issues such as inefficient data management, poor communication and wasteful driving habits make it hard to manage a mobile workforce effectively. Luckily, there is technology out there that can help fleet managers overcome these challenges, while increasing revenue at the same time. This video’s knowledgeable narrator explains how deploying the right technology can improve operations and transform your business.
Managing a mobile workforce in the Oil and Gas industry is not easy. Whether you are in production, liquid transportation, pipeline and facility construction, or are a service organization making your operation more efficient is a challenge.
If you want to discover ten ways mobile technology can address operational challenges to increase revenue and save costs, you won’t want to miss this free webinar coming up soon. Also up for discussion are solutions to key issues such as:
If someone were to ask you where a specific vehicle in your fleet is right this moment, would you have the answer? What if they asked you how fast that vehicle was traveling last Thursday? Do you know? If you don’t know, a mobile workforce management solution can make sure you have those answers, and more. Here is a useful demo that shows you how this technology puts Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL/GPS), vehicle telematics, driver behavior monitoring, reporting and maintenance capabilities at your fingertips to help streamline operations and increase efficiency.
If you think fleet management technology only benefits companies with large fleets, think again. Here is a great article from Integrated Solutions (September 2010) that discusses how fleets of any size can benefit from fleet management technology. The article explains how the benefits of a fleet management solution – reduced operating costs and increased efficiencies – are seen across large and small fleets alike.
How can smaller sized fleets afford a fleet management solution? One of the reasons put forth is that the technology has come down in cost, making it more accessible to more budgets. But a lower price point is not the only reason for deploying a fleet management solution: improving your bottom line is also a compelling reason.
A fleet management solution can improve your bottom line through speed and idling monitoring, which save on fuel costs, real-time information, which helps you make better, more informed decisions, and more efficient dispatching, just to name a few.
Click here to read the entire article. To learn more about fleet management solution options out there, go here.
It’s not the best pun, but it’s certainly fitting. Drivers who make “fuellish” decisions are ones who can cost organizations millions of dollars a year simply by leaving their engines running when their vehicles are not in use.
An article by Mike Antich on Automotive-Fleet.com discusses how, in addition to simply wasting gas, vehicles that idle for an hour also add the equivalent of forty miles of engine wear-and-tear. Multiply that by five and suddenly your vehicles have driven an extra 200 miles in a single week. Extrapolate that figure to a year and a vehicle has traveled over 10,000 miles going nowhere.
It’s not hard to see how costly this type of driver behavior is to an organization. If you’d like to learn more about the hidden costs of poor driver decisions, the article can be read here.
If you’d like to view a short demo on how expensive an idling vehicle can be for your fleet, click here.
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.
