June 2020 - Fleet Management Backend Site

Top 10 Benefits of Mobile Apps in Fleet Management

Posted on June 25, 2020 by fmsupadminnxtjs

Managing an entire fleet is a hectic task that we need to admit, but with the arrival of mobile solutions, the industry has taken a radical transformation in terms of day to day operations and fleet management.

Studies state that more than 80% of logistics companies have their eyes set on mobile apps after reviewing the market. This proves that mobile apps have become the must-have technology to meet up the market demands and to stay ahead of the competition. This also indicates the significance the mobile apps have to streamline fleet management.

Your-logistics-Companion-for-all-fleet-matters.-Get-It

With the right set of features, the USP provided by a state of the art fleet managing mobile apps can help you turbocharge your day to day fleet operations like never before, be it personnel or vehicle management mobile apps will provide you realtime updates and other details so that you can optimize operations and cut down your cost and maximize productivity

It is been found that 50% of vehicles owned by non – private organizations are trying to shift to fleet management technologies because of their immense features like real-time report generation, data storing, etc.

Fleets integrated with mobile solutions tend to run their business in a more enhanced and systematic way. Mobile applications add more efficiency & values to the functionalities of fleet operators

With prime mobile adaptive technologies, fleet managers can identify mileage reports, trip details, vehicle location and other vital information that will benefit their business in a streamlined manner, which will eventually improve your business productivity and the longevity of the vehicles.

Over the coming years, mobile usage in fleet management will increase exponentially and it will aid the next generation with instant connectivity & internet. Eventually, fleet managers will have to be inclined to use mobile-based apps to effectively manage fleet operations.

Here are the Top 10 Benefits of Mobile Apps in Fleet Management

Know where your fleet is 24×7: Using Mobile Apps fleet managers can track their vehicles and identify their vehicle status all in real-time

Automated Data: Telematics systems provide real-time in-depth automated reports so that you can understand how well that you are utilizing your tracking system

Higher Data Credibility: Mobile solutions minimize the chances of errors and process accurate information, the data obtained from the solution will help fleet operators to streamline their operations much effectively.

Enhanced Transparency: Mobile apps are designed to improve transparency so that fleet managers can understand their fleet much clearly, they can obtain detailed financial and personnel information with just a click of a button

Fully Optimized: The system optimizes the daily trips by utilizing inbuilt AI so that it can align multiple pickup points onto a single shortest route possible

Quick Response in Emergencies: Mobile-based solutions will receive real-time alerts on unfortunate incidents to the vehicle, this way fleet operators can be better equipped to make necessary arrangements for the casualty

Digital Documentation: Information like trip details, delivery time, driving hours and other details can be obtained without the involvement of paper and can be accessed anywhere at any time via the apps

Real-Time Notifications: The mobile solution will receive real-time notifications about route change or any other important issue so that drivers and operators can make changes appropriately

In-Touch with drivers 24×7: Drivers and operators can stay interconnected and keep their transparency up to date via the apps and identify even the minute variation in the trip chart on real-time

Convenient: Mobile apps ease the hassles of carrying around documents and other items because drivers can access any type of documentation regarding the trip by just a few scrolls on the mobile device

Last Mile Carrier Tracking – Why It Matters?

Posted on June 16, 2020 by fmsupadminnxtjs

In today’s world, both B2C and B2B customers expect quick and accurate shipping and on-time delivery. For them, delivery speed is more important than free shipping. Surveys indicate that 54% of customers wouldn’t mind paying if same-day shipping can be organized by companies. Further, 97% of customers expect shipping updates and input for order tracking as soon as they buy the products online.

This means that customers want full visibility as regards the movement of their package. Logistics and fleet management companies are making use of technology to meet these expectations of customers, especially the final leg of product delivery. In this post, we will discuss as to why last-mile carrier tracking is important

Last Mile Carrier Tracking – What Is It

It involves two different aspects. As far as customers are concerned, it gives them not only insights but also complete visibility into the movement of the goods ordered by them. When it comes to the carriers, last-mile tracking gives them a holistic view as regards package delivery. This empowers them to take a customer-centric approach to their services.

The last-mile delivery process is all about transporting packages from a hub and delivering them at the destination quickly and in a cost-effective manner. The last mile carrier is a shipping company that handles transportation.

FedEx, USPS, and UPS are all last mile carriers and they are also referred to as “delivery service providers”. Such companies also include regional courier service providers. They are responsible for completing the final lap of delivery and, therefore, they constantly look for ways and means to hasten the process and improve their efficiencies.

The last Mile Carrier Tracking – Helps Meet Customer Expectations

Today’s technology-savvy customers are well equipped to research companies, go through reviews online, and identify carriers that offer the lowest shipping costs before making a purchase.

This is what drives logistic businesses to strive and provide exceptional delivery experiences to their customers. Only then, they will be able to not attract and acquire more clients but also retain their existing customers.

Moreover, the expectations of customers have gone up. They want information in real-time about their order. They want to track and speak to the driver, know the estimated time of arrival of their package (ETA), and be able to rate their experience.

These customer expectations are just not limited to e-commerce businesses. They apply to businesses operating in a host of other industries as well.

It is to cater to the needs of logistics businesses that technology companies have come up with the last mile carrier tracking solutions. They provide customers with all of the information they want concerning the last-mile delivery service. The last mile tracking solution provides the following information:

SMS alerts as regards delivery –

The software generates and sends SMS alerts as to when customers can expect delivery. This is followed up with a message confirming that the package is actually on its way/out for delivery.

Ability to communicate with the driver –

It allows customers to call/message the driver just with a tap on their mobile device. In addition to making customers very happy, these features are beneficial to the drivers as well. They can confirm the availability of the customer at the scheduled time at the specified delivery destination.

Real-time tracking through mobile phone on a map –

The software also offers a clean and responsive interface, providing customers with live updates as regards driver location, and accurate ETAs.

Ability to rate their experience –

Software employed for last-mile carrier tracking even allows customers to provide feedback by giving a rating for their experience. This makes them feel empowered as well as heard.

All these aspects point towards only one thing. It is nothing but 100 percent visibility. The Last mile carrier tracking software solutions make this happen for customers.

So, the key to developing a logistics strategy that is more focused on customer satisfaction is visibility. Now that we have some understanding as to why last-mile carrier tracking matters to customers, let us take a look at it from a delivery service provider’s point of view.

Benefits to Delivery Service Providers

Logistics companies need to have full visibility of their internal operations in the supply chain, especially that of the last-mile carrier. Visibility requirement when it comes the last mile delivery process are:

Tracking packages right from the time they are put in trucks –

Real-time last mile tracking allows logistics companies to proactively furnish predictive ETAs and provide automatic alerts in the event of unexpected delays.

This way they can keep their customers informed all through the delivery process. This is extremely important in reassuring customers that their items are safe and on their way.

Tracking of orders as well as vehicles in real-time –

As mentioned earlier, customers are interested in knowing where their package is. On the other hand, companies want to be aware of the whereabouts of the last mile truck drivers at all times.

The last mile carrier tracking software enables businesses to know the exact location of the drivers at any point in time. The software allows companies to search using time, text, or status to locate customers, drivers, and delivery tasks. Filtration by time, team, and delivery status is also possible.

Proof of delivery –

The software also enables the collection of proof of delivery from customers through a mobile app. This includes photos, barcodes, signatures, and notes and makes delivery verification a breeze.

In addition, it enables the driver to be held responsible if a package goes missing and helps prevent pilferage and fraudulent claims about non-receipt of a package.

Improvement of customers’ satisfaction level –

Improved visibility and analytics allow logistics companies to assess performance by analyzing key parameters such as success rates, distance traveled, feedback scores, etc.

Performance data can even be segmented in terms of drivers, teams, week, and on a specific hour of the day. This helps businesses to tweak their last-mile package delivery process and improve the satisfaction levels of customers.

Helps Manage Delivery Costs

Insights obtained through analytics help logistics service providers uncover past trends. This enables them to cut operational costs without the need to make drastic changes to their strategies. This is because last mile tracking helps them monitor the routes taken by fleet drivers, identify traffic patterns, assess idle time, and determine the actual driving time.

This data can be used to modify routes and improve efficiencies. This, in turn, cuts down fuel costs and reduces delivery times. As such, last-mile carrier tracking enhances the quality of the delivery process and helps cut costs.

Final Thoughts

Last-mile carrier tracking is not about visibility alone. It helps to speed up delivery operations and reduce operational costs. This, in turn, improves customer satisfaction quotient and profit margins for businesses. This means that last mile carrier tracking presents logistics businesses with an opportunity to create great delivery experiences for their customers.

Importance of Hub & Spoke Distribution Model in Modern Telematics

Posted on June 2, 2020 by fmsupadminnxtjs

Logistics is one of the essential links that make the Supply Chain. On-time shipments can help guarantee customer satisfaction. But on the other hand, manufacturers need to balance delivery speed with cost to maintain the bottom line.

Over the years, logistics has used different kinds of distribution models based on the need and resources available. In the early days, all products were shipped to the large dealers who then further distributed the products to the smaller dealers or directly to the outlets. In many cases, the shipping routes overlapped as each larges dealer was just focused on his circle of smaller dealers and outlets.

Secondly, it was difficult to gather relevant data from all the stakeholders to streamline the supply chain process. The hub and spoke distribution model was designed to overcome the challenges and issues of the traditional model.

What is the Hub and Spoke Distribution Model?

The hub and spoke distribution model is based on the design of a wheel. The wheel that set the spark for the industrial revolution in the early ages is now redefining modern telematics.

According to this model, the center of the wheel forms the hub and the spokes move in different directions from the central hub. Each spoke represents the direction of delivery. This model is used in various sectors such as eCommerce, grocery, FMCG, pharma, retail, and 3PL.

In the traditional point-to-point distribution model, the shipment would be moved from one point to one destination based on availability and need. So, sometimes one shipment may take days to reach or many partially filled trucks will keep going back to the same destination. All this would result in additional time and expenses. The hub and spoke model overcome these issues.

How does the Spoke and Distribution Model Work?

In the hub and spoke distribution model, the hub is at the center. All shipments to the destinations around this hub are made from this hub. In case, the products need to be shipped to a different zone, maybe state or country, then the products are shipped to the closest hub.

To illustrate, there are products in Hub A that need to be delivered to destinations that are in the Hub B Zone. The products are shipped from Hub A to Hub B. The driver drops the shipment in Hub B and returns to the Hub A. Hub B then ships the products to the destination.

In case, there are multiple deliveries to the same destination from Hub B, they are clubbed together and sent through the same shipment. So, in this model, a driver doesn’t have to drive through the entire distance. This means that the driver will be able to return within a day. Secondly, it reduces empty miles and also speeds the delivery process.

Benefits of using the Hub and Spoke Model

Streamlines Shipment

Warehouse managers can effectively plan shipments because all the shipments will be picked from the hub and transported to the designated locations. The managers can plan the schedule of the delivery agents for the day. The centralized hub also makes loading and unloading or storing, if necessary easy and efficient.

Improves productivity

A warehouse manager or supply chain manager has to deal with multiple orders, shipments, and at the same time manage the schedule of the trucks, drivers, and other employees. At the same time, they should also consider traffic constraints, issues in the routes, and other issues that may crop up suddenly.

In a hub-and-spoke distribution model, the hub manager will only have to deal with incoming and outgoing supplies of the hub and its associated spokes. The model streamlines the shipment and reduces the stress on the manager or supervisor, which in turn helps improve productivity. The manager will only have to consider the spokes while planning the schedule, so he/she will not be overwhelmed with too many details.

Optimized Route Planning

As the freight network is around the hub and the spokes, route planning can be optimized. The managers can consider customer preferences, delivery timings, peak traffic hours, last-mile delivery operations, ground restrictions, and other factors while preparing the shipment schedule. Based on the current orders, availability of supplies, and dispatch deadlines, the manager can plan an optimized route.

Continuous Load Movement

One of the top benefits of using the hub and spoke distribution is continuous load movement. This model allows for centralized handoffs, so all the hubs will be working at their optimum capacity at all times.

Reduces Logistics Routes

As we discussed earlier, the hub-and-spoke distribution model takes away the overlapping of routes. It also reduces the need to have multiple distribution centers inside a city. This model also considers last-mile delivery while planning the route, which further reduces the logistics cost. So, on the whole, this model is cost-effective.

Reduces Carbon Footprint

This model not just improves the efficiency and productivity of the supply chain, but also helps reduce the carbon footprint. Firstly, this model helps optimize the route, which cuts down on the miles traveled. Secondly, it reduces the need to drive empty miles, which further reduces fuel usage and carbon emissions.

Improved Driver Recruitment and Retention

This model reduces the stress on the drivers. They don’t have to drive for very long distances. Also, most of the time, the drivers can return home for the night. The model also improves route consistency and safety. In turn, it improves the driver’s dependability and performance. Good driver performance will improve the performance of the supply chain.

Effective Data Management

This centralized hub with spokes model also allows for effective data management. Data such as regular routes, driver performance, order frequency, destination times, and challenges in shipment can be collated. Analyzing this data can help identify areas of improvement in each hub. The best practices used in one hub can be implemented in other hubs to improve the overall performance of the entire system.

Make your Hub and Spoke Distribution Model More Efficient with a Fleet Management System

A hub and spoke model can help streamline your logistics and at the same time reduce costs and efforts involved in the process. However, you can make the model more effective by replacing manual planning with a fleet management software application.

This application will help automate schedules and follow-ups, track vehicle movement, and delivery times. It also allows hub managers to communicate with drivers and get instant updates on the freight times.

Want to know more about how you can use a fleet management system to optimize your logistics? Contact us right away.