Five Essential Features of a Fleet Management System
The companies around the globe are always concerned about managing their fleet effectively. Bigger the size of the fleet, greater the difficulties. To assist in this regard, a fleet management system can be a great option. It can facilitate companies to run their fleet operations smoothly and minimize their expenses.
There is no fixed definition of good management software as it varies depending on the scope of the business. A company can deploy them according to their requirements. However, there are some essential features that every fleet monitoring solution should have. In this blog, we will discuss the top 5 such features.
Top 5 essential features of a Fleet Management System:
Live Tracking:
Live tracking is the most basic feature of a GPS tracking systems. It can solve a lot of operational problems for managers. Attaching GPS tracking devices can monitor several vehicles simultaneously. The real-time updates about the vehicle’s direction and its location are sent to the monitoring platform. Therefore, fleet managers can remain aware of their fleet at every instant giving them better control.
The modern GPS tracking systems comes with innovative features like geofencing. It allows the managers to designate a specific area of movement for the vehicles. Whenever the vehicle exceeds the designated boundary, a notification alert informs the manager about it. This way, the drivers do not deviate from the assigned path and that increases their daily productivity.
Fuel Management:
Businesses bear a lot of fueling expenses in their daily fleet operations. Running a fuel-efficient fleet is a big challenge for the companies. The modern vehicle monitoring systems provide a solution to this problem. They provide features like real-time fuel monitoring to prevent the excessive usage of fuel. With the help of sensors, monitoring software gauge the real-time fuel levels.
As the monitoring is taking place in real-time, any unusual activity can be detected instantly. For example, a leak can be identified quickly and any further loss can be saved through immediate response. The consumption reports of different durations help gauge the pattern of usage. By doing so, the managers can identify the loopholes in consumption and fix them accordingly.
Staff Management:
Managers face a hard time in managing a large workforce daily. In addition to the other routine tasks, they have to multitask a lot in this job alone. By getting a fleet management software on board, they can save themselves from all this stress. A fleet management system helps in managing drivers with more efficiency. From keeping the profile of every driver to monitoring their daily attendance and work shifts, everything is covered.
With notification option, the managers can set customized alerts for themselves regarding staff. For example, if the license of a driver is going to expire, the notification alert can help in its timely renewal. The organized working hours of the drivers ensure that no one puts in extra time keeping the workforce fresh.
In addition to that, the latest monitoring solutions also help in assessing the performance of the staff. The daily task report ensures that drivers have targets to achieve every day. As the completion of the tasks is documented, the performance trend can be assessed from it. In addition to that, modern systems also offers the option of customized staff reporting according to the company’ requirements.
Read Also: Complete Guide on Fleet Management Software
Route Optimization and Planning:
The route planning is another key feature of vehicle tracking solutions. It helps the companies in organizing the daily trip routes for different drivers. Both the drivers and managers feel relieved with a predefined route plan as it prevents hassle in operations. From destination to the designated route, everything is mentioned on the work schedule which is accessible to both the manager and drivers.
The route optimization feature uses predictive analytics to plan the daily routes for the drivers. It incorporates information like traffic, road work and other factors that can influence trips. This feature lets vehicles consume less fuel and reduces unnecessary mileage.
With the automated dispatch feature, every driver knows their daily trip guidelines. Therefore, they do not waste any time in inquiring and reach the destination in quick time. Due to this reason, the productivity of the drivers also increase, contributing to the overall profitability.
Vehicle and Driver Safety:
Safety is the biggest priority in fleet operations, and a fleet management software helps in ensuring it. Sensors monitor the driver’s behaviour detecting actions like harsh braking, harsh acceleration, over speed. Due to the efficient monitoring, drivers are careful during driving lowering the chances of a crash.
Theft protection mechanism of modern tracking solutions is also commendable. The features like theft alarms help managers to counter an emergency effectively. Driver identification ensures that only an authorized person enters the car removing the risk of theft.
Although there is no fixed set of features that can be considered ideal for a fleet management system. The requirements can vary from one business to the other. However, the above-mentioned features are necessary for a telematics solution. If you are also looking for a vehicle tracking system, reading the above blog will help you make an informed decision.