Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
An article on Field Technologies Online.com discusses the many ways fleet tracking can improve the bottom line for fleet operators. The article begins by discussing how fleet tracking makes drivers more accountable for costly behavior, such as unnecessarily idling, speeding, and performing personal errands on company time and with company resources.
From there, author Brian Albright discusses how companies needing a fleet management solution must know in advance what functionalities they wish their installed system to have, instead of simply seeing what is available on the market.
Albright then details how the most successful fleet implementations involve a cross-section of the entire company weighing in on what the system is needed to provide. Billing, accounting, drivers, driver safety, maintenance, management, dispatch and customer service should all be present when examining possible wireless solutions to ensure the solution provides the functionality they need.
Finally, Albright discusses how there are many hidden ROIs within a wireless solution: for example, more efficient vehicle management from computer-aided dispatch could prevent hiring a new worker and purchasing a new truck. Electronic record-keeping also makes the company much stronger to withstand a federal audit should the situation arise.
To read the entire article about how field tracking improves business operations for fleet operators, click here.
Mentor’s demo on the hidden and unnecessary cost produced by wasteful idling can be viewed here.
Monday, October 5th, 2009
Access Calgary
Since 2001, Access Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, has been providing shared-ride, door-to-door transportation for people with disabilities who are unable to ride transit buses and trains. Dispatching trips to its various service providers, which include paratransit buses and taxi cabs, Access Calgary wanted a more efficient way to communicate with all of these providers, so they turned to an ITS solution. Karim Rayani, Manager at Access Calgary, reveals the highlights and challenges of ITS adoption.
1. Why did you decide to invest in an ITS solution?
You have to provide your employees with the tools to do the job well or you can’t expect them to deliver. Before ITS, we were relying on 2-way radios for communication. When you’re managing 230 vehicles in rush hour it’s challenging with a limited staff. We had no way of knowing the location of our vehicles so when a customer called to find out where their vehicle was it took a long time to get an ETA.
To meet customer expectations we needed to minimize wait times and provide them with accurate information on a bus’s location, rather than giving them a generic response. We saw an opportunity to improve efficiencies with better communication and real-time vehicle location information.
2. Can you give us an overview of how your ITS solution works?
We installed rugged in-vehicle computers in our paratransit vehicles. Drivers use the computer to login, get trip information or changes, and enter job details. That information is sent in real-time to our head office. The computer’s GPS gives our dispatchers an accurate view of every vehicle’s location.
3. How has your organization changed since implementing this technology?
Before, we relied on a driver sample size of 10 percent. Whatever those drivers had written in their daily manifest is all the information we had. Now all vehicle and driver information is automatically delivered to us, so we can look through historical data to see issues that need to be addressed or areas to improve efficiencies. Communication is faster and voice traffic has dropped significantly.
4. What do these changes mean to your organization?
On-time performance is one of the biggest benefits. We’ve been able to increase our productivity and minimize our budget. If we didn’t have this system we’d be paying more for the same number of trips.
Data entry time has been significantly reduced with the canned messages. Now drivers can just enter a couple of key strokes and messages are sent and received. Also, with a reduction in radio traffic we’re more productive.
5. What has been the response from your staff and customers?
Drives were initially concerned about the big brother aspect of the system, but now they appreciate not having to worry about paperwork. Instead, they just press a button on the keypad and it helps them do their job. This system makes work more manageable with fewer errors. Our staff appreciates that, and so do our customers. We’re able to give our customers more accurate ETAs so they can better plan their time. Everyone, from dispatchers, support staff, drivers, and customers are also enjoying a quieter work and vehicle environment with less radio chatter.
To learn more about Access Calgary’s technology solution, click here.
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
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.
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i.“Enterprise Mobility TCO—When Rugged Makes Sense.” by David Krebs. In Insight, Pg. 42, 2005.
ii.“Are Rugged Computers More Expensive?” by Ed Hess. In Integrated Solutions, September 2004.
iii. “TCO Insights on Rugged Mobile Computers” Market Analysis By: VDC, Pg. 5
iv.“Text Messaging While Driving can be Deadly.” by Faiza Elmasry. In VOA News, August 2009.
Friday, July 24th, 2009
When 40% of workplace fatalities result from fleet safety issues, ensuring that effective safety measures are in place is essential. Here is a six-part series outlining ways in which technology can contribute to a safer work environment.
Technology #1: Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
Using Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology, dispatchers and managers can see the precise location of their vehicles, and access real-time location information for every vehicle under their care. Combined with GPS integrated with in-vehicle devices, location information is sent back to the office where dispatchers can track vehicle movement on electronic maps, and multi-level grouping and filtering capabilities allow them to focus only on the vehicles relevant to the current situation. AVL benefits both customers and workers. Call times are reduced, the closest available workers will be dispatched immediately, and 911 responders can be sent to the precise location in case of an emergency.
