With fleet management trends rapidly evolving every day, it's more challenging than ever to “keep up with the times” in fleet. A focus on using data to drive productivity and reduce cost makes 2019 a pivotal time for the industry.
Widespread adoption of fleet telematics means more data for fleets to manage, but data is only helpful if you can draw significant insights. And those insights are only useful if they help you make informed decisions for your fleet. Fleet managers feeling overwhelmed by data will need to decide what's most important to them. If fleet safety is critical, focus more on accident and maintenance data. For managing environmental impact, focus on miles per gallon and CO2 emissions. Every fleet is different. In 2019, efficiently analyzing data and using it to make key decisions will be a necessity for well-run fleets.
Fleet managers need to be more analytical and strategic than ever. Using the wealth of data from connected vehicles to predict and solve problems before they happen is becoming standard, especially when it comes to safety. Fleet managers are watching driver behavior data and looking to accident-preventing safety features to invest in their drivers’ safety and reduce cost over time.
Every future fleet strategy starts with the connected vehicle. Connected devices are everywhere – changing the way companies track and manage inventory and how consumers make purchasing decisions – and connected vehicles are at the forefront of this trend. With a focus on reducing cost and driving productivity, fleet will continue to become more data-oriented, striving for overall optimized performance.
Fleet managers can prepare for the future of connectivity by embracing the data and benefits. The future of vehicle connectivity is exciting, but it's important to consider how different technologies will benefit your fleet and use that lens to evaluate adoption in the early stages.
Performance metrics should be linked to your company’s strategic objectives and critical to its core mission. To develop meaningful Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your fleet, be sure to engage stakeholders, consider internal and external factors, identify key and supporting measures and gather supporting data for each measure. Focus on your company's core mission and determine how fleet contributes to these end goals. Identify your KPIs and supporting measures accordingly. KPI development is not a ‘one and done’. These measures should evolve with your company objectives and the connected solutions that simply weren't available in the past.
