If your company has yet to bring in any mobile technology, you'll have to admit you're more than a couple years behind. For fleet management, it's become an essential, even if you think you can still run things the old way. In truth, it's impossible to manage all the demands of fleet management today without some kind of mobile tech at the helm.
It's time to think of acquiring mobile technology more as a mindset rather than a mere tech term. Even though mobility has become a part of managing fleets, you'll want to think of it in different terms now in bringing more efficiency.
Take a look at how mobile works in fleet management and how to apply this new state of mind.
Reducing Paperwork
Before the age of mobile technology, fleet management meant a lot of paperwork involved in transporting goods. You can eliminate all of that using mobile devices since most to all data gets stored in the cloud.
This means those in your fleet have immediate access to all data they need, no matter where they are. When you need to relay information to your entire fleet, they also receive it in real-time.
Any kind of processing they have to do is usually done on a tablet or smartphone, finally eliminating paper from the equation. Having this mindset is already going to change decades of how you've done things. Consider how you're helping the environment by cutting paper out of your company. Also, think about how much office space you'll save.
Creating More Efficient Transportation
To keep coordinated, you need some method to know what's really needed in your transportation, when it's needed, and for how long. As Verizon points out, using wireless technology streamlines all your communications through unification.
Otherwise, you'd have to depend on landline calls in the office to coordinate routes. Even using cell phones can have limitations, something more complex mobile devices solve.
Using Mobile for Analytics
Thanks to all your business data being available in the cloud, you can even access analytics to see how your fleet is performing. Data mining is also a valuable feature to find out information on everything from accident statistics to wait times.
Using analytics regularly allows you to scope out any problems in your company early. It's a vital part of fleet management overall and why you should never let your fleet operate under its own accord without some tools to streamline operations.
Customizing Your Mobile Plan By Outsourcing
Buying mobile equipment on your own could become expensive without help from other sources. After all, when you have to buy mobile devices for every one of your fleet drivers, the bill could cost in the multiple thousands.
When you outsource services like this, you can lease the equipment, saving you a lot of money. You'd only be paying for the outsourcing fee, which is very affordable through the right provider.
Leasing is already beneficial as a money-saver, particularly in reducing maintenance costs. Think about how much repair costs you'd have in maintaining hundreds of mobile devices. Since mobile technology constantly changes, you'd also have to invest in all new smartphones or tablets within a year's time.
Using Mobile Apps for Organization On the Road
A lot of great fleet management apps are available to download. Contigo GPS Fleet Tracker and TSO Fleet Pro are just two examples of what's available out there.
So many more apps are available as well, and your drivers can easily access them from their smartphones 24/7. Now you can shift their own working mindset from waiting to use their computers until visiting the office. From now on, they can communicate with fellow drivers and do all their work directly from their vehicles.
Contact us at Willmar, Inc. where we can become your reliable outsourcing service for all fleet management, including mobile technologies.
