Shaping your business wisely is the bravest decision to make. Several businesses consider GPS fleet management unworthy but note that it is a healthy investment. Concerning asset tracking, you can access your fleet asset easily with GPS tracking. Continue the article to know more!
What is GPS Fleet Management?
GPS fleet management is a potential solution for the growth of your business. However, it is thought to be expensive, whereas the truth is, it cost-effectively reduces staff and expenses in the long run. To make you understand in simple terms, it prevents idling, wasting time in traffic, crisscross routing, and introduces you to a new way of organizing each of your drivers, vehicles, and routes.
In businesses where a fleet of vehicles is used, the team needs to use the right tools for tracking them and improving the overall safety of the drivers. If you hire GPS fleet management, you opt for better efficiency of the workers. You will also stay updated about all the rules and regulations introduced by the Government relating to the vehicles.
To understand what a GPS fleet management system means, you will first have to think of it as a virtual ride-along. You are not hiring a real person to sit by the driver and monitor things here. Instead, you are seeking the help of GPS fleet tracking and management system to control everything no matter where you are. This system will help you ensure that the driver is doing everything right and your vehicles are operating safely.
Read Also: “13 Best Fleet Management and GPS Tracking Software for 2022”
What
This system includes both software and hardware components. The hardware device will vary as per the model of your vehicle. For instance, in some cars, the traditional plug-and-play devices are enough for monitoring, whereas, in others, more advanced sensors are needed. With the help of the hardware, you can track your car and watch how it is being operated. Besides the hardware, the software used in the device is the GPS (Global Positioning System). The software receives all the real-time data from the hardware and functions to give you all the info.
What is the Function of a GPS Fleet Management Software?
The software using a GPS can decide routes of the vehicle, track its location and give proper directions to the driver. Other functions performed by the software include maintenance tracking, vehicle diagnosis, and indicating safe driving behaviors. Some management systems come with multiple accelerometers and sensors. So if the driver gives a hard brake or takes a risky turning, it will get recorded in the software with the help of the sensors.
The overall software will help you track the fleet’s location, understand the drivers operating techniques, manage the good life of the vehicle and track the fuel efficiency. Some software is also embedded with the latest scheduling and dispatching tools to push the workflow for better efficiency. A few modern features include anti-theft service, accident tracking, time clocks, roadside assistance, and so on.
Read Also: ” Advanced GPS Fleet Tracking Software”
Advantages of Fleet Management:
Tracking the vehicles for controlling and preventing damages is needed in all industries. For this, vehicle management is extremely important. Some of the important GPS fleet tracking benefits are as follows:
- You will be able to track the unsanctioned travel and hours, which will reduce waste.
- You will be able to track the fuel costs, mileage, and consumption.
- You will be able to prevent any excessive damage to your vehicles.
- It will help you with service alerts so that you are up to date with your vehicle maintenance.
- Through GPS and device communication, you will be able to track each of your vehicles.
- It is easier to optimize routes.
Disadvantages of Fleet Management
Besides the benefits, there are also a few disadvantages of using a GPS fleet management system. Have a look below to find out:
- The drivers might feel their private space is being violated with the device. That is why the owner must be clear about how the software tracks and manages the vehicles. If the driver is not feeling comfortable enough, try to make them understand the smarter logic behind implementing such a management system.
- It is a slightly expensive affair and might need a lot of thinking before implementation. However, even though the cost is high, installing this device can be a blessing for your vehicles as it will make fleet management much easier.
What is GPS Asset Tracking Solutions?
If you want to put your firm’s valuable equipment under control and maximize asset control efficiency, then GPS asset tracking is the best solution. You can successfully manage your assets even if you have multiple assets. Why is it important? With the appropriate asset tracking, you can organize the location, reduce the loss of equipment, and arrange all the tracked assets.
For businesses, losing vital assets is not rare. The assets might not be that expensive always but their loss can affect the company badly. In such a scenario, it is important to keep track of all the assets. That is when the GPS asset tracking solution comes in. It is a great software that can help one keep track of all the important documents and tools within the office.
There are different types of asset tracking solutions in the market. Today, we will specifically deal with the one that uses GPS tracker but the other technologies used are:
- Barcodes
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Ultra-wideband
- Cellular
- LPWAN technologies
Of all these technologies, the GPS one is the handiest and provides 100% accurate results, which is why most businesses opt for this one. You can also try the other ones to see which one suits your needs the best!
Read Also: “Fleet Management Solutions and GPS Fleet Tracking”
Advantages of Fleet Management:
What is the Function of a GPS Asset Tracking System?
The most important function of an asset tracking system is to track the location of your assets so that you never lose them. It allows you to read information about the assets you have tagged with the software. The way it collects real-time data of each asset, no other software can match its speed and trust-ability. The system also manages the manual workflows and tasks within the workspace.
There are some GPS asset tracking systems in the market that allows the user to track inventory alongside the assets. For those who are wondering what the difference between an asset and an inventory is, well, an asset is a single item, whereas inventory is a group of identical things. This kind of tracking system works better in offices because then the employee can find exactly what they want without caring about the number of items. Also, the accuracy level of these trackers is comparatively higher than those trackers that can only track assets.
When buying an asset tracker, remember that you are getting it for making your life easier by tracking your assets smoothly. Hence, the system must come with desirable features to help you with all your needs. It should also be affordable and easy to install. Even though the features of all GPS asset tracking systems are not alike, there are some features that we highly like and recommend. Read below to know which ones we are talking about:
- Multiple users
- Automation
- Check-in and check out
- Kitting assets
- Combined inventory management
- Cloud software access
- Mobile compatibility
- Barcode generation
- Real-time data about assets
- Barcode scanning
- Repair tickets
- Lifecycle history
- Compliance tracking
- Maintenance tracking
- Software license tracking
- Depreciation tracking
- Repair tracking
- Contract management
- Attachments
- Tracking funding sources
- Data based reports
Finding all these features in one tracking system can be difficult. We also believe that a single business might not require all of these features. Hence, it will be wiser if you can first sort out the features that your company needs in an asset tracking system and then choose the software that matches most of your requirements!
Advantages of Asset Tracking:
Some of the important asset tracking benefits are as follows:
- It saves time looking for assets and collects data faster by optimizing productivity.
- Reduces loss of assets and cost of new equipment.
- You will receive service alerts that will help you to schedule maintenance.
- It is accurate and accountable.
Disadvantages of Asset Tracking
- The system might crash when it receives a lot of commands from multiple ends. That is why you must always keep backup.
- At times the system also gets hacked if it is not well-protected. This can leave your business vulnerable to hackers.
Summing Up
Every business in the industry today wants to grow. If you too want to make a big difference, you must plan to invest in GPS fleet management and asset tracking technology. Both the systems are a great investment considering the functions they perform.
Yes, there are a few drawbacks, but those can be easily ignored or solved with the help of experts. Moreover, it is better to rely on super-fast technology when keeping track of things in your business. This will give you some time to relax and focus on the greater goals. So when will you introduce these new technologies to your business? Share with us!