Telematics: Is it time for fleets to plug and play?

John Cameron, general manager of Trimble Field Service Management (FSM) looks at plug and play telematics.

In-vehicle telematics devices have proved successful in helping fleet businesses to manage and measure their operations.

However, with increasing customer expectations and competition in service, the dynamics of today’s field service workforce are changing. Contractor workforces are becoming a necessity to help organisations keep pace with the speed and quality of service and achieve cost-effective resource management. As such, leased or employee-owned vehicles are becoming more prevalent.

More flexible fleet options are therefore required to ensure all workers and vehicles are managed effectively to optimise the workflow and meet service commitments.

Plug and play solutions are suitable for businesses that lease vehicles or use contractor workforces.  They can be easily installed and removed, can be moved between vehicles, are low-cost and offer the same benefits as wired-in fleet solutions. Real-time location information, driver data, vehicle fault codes and vehicle status can be recorded offering the real-time visibility and insight organisations need to measure, manage and improve operations.

Many plug and play solutions can also be integrated with work management solutions, to offer optimised scheduling and job dispatch so a business can have complete visibility of their jobs and mobile workers alongside their fleet, all in one solution. Many businesses are integrating their work management capabilities into mobile applications, offering technicians the ability to share, store and view job data while out in the field, offering them a virtual link to the back-office that helps to inform and empower them.

The information offered through a mobile application can include previous work history – listing jobs – and upcoming work details.

For example, when a technician reviews and accepts a job within a mobile application, the mobile device’s navigation tool can help them find the most efficient route, reducing fuel consumption and travel time. The technician can then pull up the customer’s details and call them to confirm when they will be arriving.