Achieving Expert Fleet Management is the Goal
Expert fleet management is achievable, even in smaller companies where the fleet manager has a variety of other responsibilities. With that in mind, we put a lot of effort into training clients to get the most out of their telematics systems. A few tips and tricks can go a long way toward improving fleet management. Every now and then we see something that tells us they really got it! Today was one of those days.
What To Do When Devices Stop Reporting
The “bones” of your fleet management system are in the device or vehicle list. Fleetistics provides the Device Status Table to monitor reporting devices and easily submit a support case to efficiently resolve any issues. Often, when a vehicle is sold or undergoing a lengthy repair, the customer will remove it from the database.
A more efficient practice is to make a Group for vehicles/devices out of service so they can ensure they are plugged back in and returned to service. If a vehicle is to be sold, traded, or scrapped, the GPS tracker should be moved to another vehicle. Utilizing unique and telling device names and a date is a trick a customer recently used to stay on top of administrative changes taking place.
We always coach clients to keep their spares and unused devices listed in the database, and to name them in a way that tells them what they need to know. Here is a perfect example! Creative naming puts a ton of valuable information in front of the Administrator for Database #1 without ever leaving the vehicle/device list. That contributes to expert fleet management. In contrast, the Administrator for Database # 2 can see there are 3 devices not reporting but is not documenting the “why?” that results in action being taken.
Expert Fleet Management Goals Achieved
Just imagine the many ways creative vehicle naming can be used to foster expert fleet management. In this short list of vehicles for Database #1, the Administrator is reminded to order parts needed, call the insurance agent, make sure certain vehicles are not used, assign projects to the mechanic based on most needed vehicles to return to service, all while maintaining a complete list of active devices in the database.
Let’s face it, we all have way too much to keep up with. The Administrator for Database #1 has come up with a simple telematics system hack that fosters expert fleet management in his organization. Something as simple as descriptive naming of vehicles is saving that organization valuable time and resources.
Fleet Tracking and Telematics
Fleet Management
Mobile Tracking Apps
Fleet Safety
