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10 Strategies for Resolving Common Fleet Management Challenges
The document outlines ten strategies for overcoming common challenges in fleet management, emphasizing the role of technology in increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Key strategies include automating processes, improving data accuracy, tracking assets, promoting instant communication, and utilizing in-vehicle navigation. By implementing these practices, companies can enhance operations, save on payroll and billing, and improve vehicle maintenance and safety.
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10 Strategies for Resolving Common Fleet Management Challenges
- 1. 10 Strategies forResolving Common Fleet Management Challenges Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 2. Challenges Data management and accuracy Field operator/office communication Personnel, vehicle and asset whereabouts Driver behavior costs Worker safety 2 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 3. Mobile Workforce Management(MWM) Work Order & Fleet Mobile Computing Management Software Device Payroll Operations Accounting Maintenance 3 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 4. Increase Efficiency Five Strategies: 1. Automating Manual Processes 2. Increasing Data Accuracy 3. Tracking Assets 4. Speeding Communication 5. In-Vehicle Navigation 4 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 5. #1 – AutomatingManual Processes Effectively frees up time for office staff and field workers Electronic work orders are delivered to mobile devices automatically Job updates and customer requests sent in real-time Work orders and field ticket data received in real-time 5 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 6. #2 – IncreasingData Accuracy Electronic forms ensure data is accurate and easy to read Paperwork is eliminated Time-stamped job data gives you there where, when, and what field workers are doing Better data = more efficient operations 6 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 7. #3 – TrackingAssets All workers, vehicles and equipment can be tracked Send the closest, most appropriate worker to a job Accommodate emergency or last- minute jobs Enhance journey management programs 7 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 8. #4 – InstantCommunication No telephone tag Send job information directly to and from the mobile device Office staff can focus on helping customers Guaranteed message delivery 8 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 9. #5 – In-VehicleNavigation Integrates with work orders to ensure drivers won’t get lost Can add custom GIS data Office staff won’t waste time giving directions to lost workers Saves fuel and time 9 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 10. Decreasing Costs 6. Payroll 7. Billing 8. Data Entry 9. Driver Behavior 10. Vehicle Wear and Tear 10 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 11. #6 - Payroll Payroll is automatically collected and time-stamped More accurate, exact payroll data Track and reduce overtime hours ROI 90% reduction in inaccurate overtime hours* x 50 operators = $106,667 savings per year *Based on $80,000 field operator salary 11 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 12. #7 - Billing Deliver invoices the same day, speed payment cycles Minimize the cost of carrying payroll All work is actually billed ROI Same day billing can speed payment cycles by up to 3 months for most operations 12 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 13. #8 – DataEntry Always precise and accurate No redundant data entry Staffing requirements are minimized No need to hire 3rd party data entry services ROI Eliminating or relocating one data entry position saves approximately $20,000 to $30,000/year 13 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 14. #9 – DriverBehavior Fuel costs account for 30% of fleet budgets Driver behavior monitoring tracks how much fuel is wasted from speeding and idling Provide driver report cards 14 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 15. #10 – VehicleWear and Tear Monitoring ensures vehicles are being driven properly, extending their lives Ensures vehicles aren’t being over/under maintained Costly vehicle downtime reduced ROI Vehicle usage can be analyzed Reducing downtime by 25% saves over $10,000/year. (at an average cost of $750/day of vehicle downtime for a fleet of 50 vehicles) 15 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 16. Other Benefits Safety and risk management –Work alone safety, Hours of Safety Transparent view of operations –Performance reporting Environmental initiatives More competitive with better customer service 16 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
- 17. Conclusion Technology not only mitigates mobile workforce challenges, but it increases efficiency (and thereby revenue) while decreasing costs at the same time To learn more about Fleet Management solutions, visit our website: www.assetworks.com 17 Fleet Management Software Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2012 AssetWorks Inc. All rights reserved.
Editor's Notes
- #2 Today we are going to discuss the main challenges managers in the energy sector face when overseeing mobile workers,and the top 10 waysto minimize these challenges whileimproving efficiency to increase revenue and reduce operating costs.
- #3 Managing a fleet is not easy. Whether you are in production, liquid transportation, a service organization or pipeline and facility construction, trying making your operation more efficient is a challenge. We have identified some common issues experienced by managers across the board to talk about today: Data management: Efficiently collecting accurate data from workers in the field is a big challenge typically involving time-consuming paperwork and manual data entry which wastes a lot of time for both field operators and office staff, and is prone to errors.Communication between field operators and the office:Inefficient ways of communicating lead to time wasted by both office staff and field operators. With field operators working in remote areas without network coverage, the situation is even more problematic. Keeping track of field operators and vehicles: It’s often difficult to know exactly where field operators are at all times and what they are doing. Having this information can be crucial to improving efficiency.Costs related to driver behavior and fuel consumption: Fuel consumption can really drive up operating costs, and poor driving habits are a big culprit. And finally, operator safety is a concern for all companies.
- #4 A mobile workforce management solution, or MWM solution as we like to call it, is the most effective way to manage all of these challenges. This technology can be tailored to your business needs and integrated with your existing infrastructure to help you deal with all the unique issues you face, regardless of the type of work you do in the energy sector. A mobile workforce management solution in its simplest form consists of:Work order and fleet management software in the officeA mobile computing device in the vehicle or with the operatorAnd a cellular and/or satellite connection between the two, so data can be exchangedThis kind of solution also integrates with other back-end platforms such as accounting, payroll, operations, maintenance and more.As mentioned, there are 10 ways this technology can help your operation. These improvements can be broken down into two major categories: how to increase revenue and how to cut costs. We’ll talk about increasing revenue first.
- #5 The business reality is simple: more jobs equal more money. An MWM solution increases efficiency and productivity so you can do more jobs every day, increasing your revenue. There are a number of ways this happens:Automating manual processesIncreasing Data AccuracyUtilizing vehicle and employee tracking Implementing in-vehicle navigationSpeeding communication between field operators and office staff
- #6 Automating manual processes is an effective way to free up time for both office staff and field operators. An example of a manual process would be when a field operator fills out field tickets or work orders by hand, then submits them at the end of the week or month. A data entry clerk then has to input the data from the field ticket into the system. With this technology, data is sent to and from the mobile worker or vehicle automatically. The benefits of working this way include: Less paperwork for field operators to fill out, saving time. Eliminating the administrative overhead of manual data entry – no more frustrating hand written work orders to decipher. Once a work order is completed on the mobile device, your back-office system is updated in real-time. You can bill customers the same day work is completed, speeding billing and payroll cycles. Greater efficiency – field tickets can be generated electronically and sent directly to the operator’s mobile device.
- #7 If your field operators are filling out work orders by hand, sometimes hours or days after they finished the job, it can be hard to get accurate data. With this solution, having your job data time-stamped throughout the day means you always know where, when and what your field operators are doing. Collecting better data means that you can run operations more efficiently. As field operators work, they complete work orders electronically. This means that data is always accurate and items such as inventory used are recorded as soon as they are used. Electronic work orders also save field operators a lot of time as there is no paperwork to complete before or after shift.
- #8 Asset tracking allows you to tracking anything you wish, be it an operator, a vehicle or an object like a trailer. With this technology office staff know where all the operators are and can send the closest or most appropriate worker to a job, and field workers can complete more tickets per day. This allows your company to easily accommodate emergency and last-minute jobs to provide better customer service. MWM technology also lets you keep better track of any fixed or mobile asset in the field.Thistechnology can alsobe used to enhance your company’s journey management program. Vehicle and operator tracking is a simple way to reduce the risk to your employees and assets while they are on the road. Also, automatic check-ins keep operators working alone safe.
- #9 Office or call center staff typically spend a lot of time trying to relay information to field workers but this is time that could be better spent helping customers. A mobile solution makes communication between field operators and office staff instant. There is no more playing phone tag. If your office staffneed to get information to a field operator, they can easily do that by sending messages in real-time directly to the mobile device. Even if the worker isn’t answering, office staff can be confident knowing he will get the message, which allows them to move on to other tasks.Client Example:For example, one of our field service clients did an audit of their help desk phone traffic and found that 30% of the calls were help desk attendants dispatching calls to the field operators. This meant that 30% of the time, the help desk attendants weren’t performing the main function of their job, which was to help customers.
- #10 Whether your company does a lot of work in remote areas, or if you need to navigate on ice roads, which can change every year, in-vehicle navigation ensures field operators won’t get lost and have to waste fuel driving a lot of extra miles trying to find their way. It also eliminates the need for paper maps, which saves time as well.Integrated with work orders and field tickets, well sites or LSD coordinates are on the mobile computers and all your field operators have to do is simply follow the turn-by-turn directions to the location. You can add more GIS data layers and have specific mapping data relevant to your company displayed on the mobile computers. This in-vehicle navigation flexibility has the added benefit of saving time for office staff as they don’t have to be on the phone giving directions and helping field operators who are lost.
- #11 Now let’s talk a little bit about decreasing costs. By implementing a mobile workforce management solution, you can significantly reduce costs associated with payroll, data entry, billing, fuel consumption, and vehicle wear.
- #12 Technology can significantly reduce the time and costs associated with payroll processes. Payrolldata is automatically collected and time-stamped as the field operator goes through his day, so payroll data is as exact as it comes. Hours worked are automatically calculated and tracked by the system which can not only significantly reduce overtime pay losses, but steps can be taken within your company to reduce unnecessary overtime hours.
- #13 As mentioned before, billing is always precise as the exact amount of time field operators spend at the job is recorded automatically. There are none of the errors associated with manual data entry, and no more “best guesses” – just accurate, instant figures. Capturing real-time data and hours leads to much faster billing and invoicing. Same day billing can speed up payment cycles by up to 3 months for most operations. In addition, fast tracking the billing cycle also reduces the cost of carrying payroll. If you can bill customers sooner, you can get paid sooner and reduce the interest costs of carrying payroll.
- #14 In a mobile workforce operation, there are two areas where data is collected – in the field and in the office. In a traditional system that means there are two places where manual data entry has to happen. Manual data entry eats up a lot of time and money. Not only that, but it is error-prone and inefficient. A mobile solution gives you a single point of data entry which means information doesn’t need to be entered twice. Automating manual data entry in the field optimizes workflow to save time, and time savings translates into money saved as well. Also, staffing requirements are minimized and your business can expand without the need to hire 3rd party data entry staff.
- #15 In addition to managing the work order and data collection processes more efficiently, this solution also includes standard driver behavior functionality, such as monitoring fuel consumption. Reducing fuel consumption is one of the most important issues facing managers, and at the same time it is hard to control effectively. When fuel costs account for 30% of most fleet budgets, finding ways of reducing consumption can make a big difference. Mobile workforce management technology lets you monitor driver behavior in order to track how much fuel is being wasted when field operators speed or idle unnecessarily. For example, often times when summer rolls around and the temperatures rise, drivers like to turn up the air conditioning. This isn’t that big of a deal, but when your field operators go to jobs and leave the engine running to keep the vehicle cool, it can become expensive for you. And if all your field operators do this, then it really adds up.
- #16 A mobile solution also makes certain that your vehicles are being driven properly, which results in longer vehicle life spans and less maintenance costs. Vehicle diagnostic information can be pulled directly from your fleet vehicles and integrated with your maintenance program to ensure that vehicles are being serviced when they need it to avoid downtime and costly repairs as well as preventing expensive maintenance work. Scheduled vehicle maintenance can also be tracked and automated maintenance reminders can be generated for fleet maintenance personnel. This can ensure that vehicles are not being under or over-maintained, and wear and tear is reduced (for example, drivers running vehicles for 15000 km between oil changes). This software can also integrate with other maintenance programs for even more functionality.
- #17 We’ve looked at how mobile workforce management technology can be used to generate time and cost savings, and we’ve thrown a lot of numbers and statistics at you to help illustrate our points. But an MWM solution can provide significant benefits that are more intangible but just as important, too. The biggest intangible benefit is in safety and risk management. In addition to driver behavior monitoring for speed and idling, the solution can help determine whether your vehicles are being driven in a safe manner. For instance, the system can detect if your drivers are driving without their seatbelts fastened, it can alert you to lane departures and vehicle crashes as well. You can use the data provided by the system to make field operators accountable for their performance and whereabouts, and generate driver report cards.Being able to track the precise location of field operators all the time and real-time communication between field operators and office staff increases the effectiveness of your journey management program. Knowing exactly where your operators are also means that emergency responders can be sent to an accident scene in an instant. Comprehensive work alone safety features are also included in the solution.Some of the greatest benefits of an MWM system are experienced by the manager. Managers will have greater transparency into all areas of their operation so they can optimize business practices. With the variety of performance reports the system can generate, it is easy to measure and analyze all aspects of the business to get an accurate view of operations.This technology can also be used to support company green initiatives. Fleet management technology minimizes fuel and resource consumption both in the vehicle and in the office, leading to a reduced impact on the environment.And finally, an MWM solution allows your company to be more competitive. Using technology like this differentiates you from the next guy. Customers respond to better service and more accurate billing. It’s hardto quantify the return on investment from providing better customer service, but think about this: What would be the value of adding an additional customer each month based on great customer referrals, or retaining a customer you otherwise would have lost due to customer service issues?
- #18 I hope you have a clearer picture of how a mobile workforce management solution can make a big difference to your operations. No matter what sector of the industry you are in, if you manage a mobile workforce there are likely some of these 10 areas that could benefit from greater efficiency. If you would like to receive an ROI report specific to your fleet operation, or just want to talk more in depth about what this solution entails, please contact us anytime.