Gamification is the secret to telematics success: Fleet200 industry speaker Verizon Connect

Gamification is really important in engaging drivers and making telematics a success, according to Anthony O’Halloran (pictured), client partner EMEA at Verizon Connect.

“It’s about empowering the driver to take responsibility for their own actions so we give them the tools to do that,” he said.

“The point is to make it a fun environment for them where there is some competitiveness but at the same time they're learning.”

Verizon Connect (formerly known as Fleetmatics and Telogis) has developed a coach application which allows drivers to see their own behaviour style in a score card format and to see how they compare to their colleagues.

Some of Verizon Connect’s fleet customers give their ‘driver of the month’ an extra day's holiday or a cash incentive if their behaviour at the wheel has had a positive impact on fuel and maintenance costs.

“It's about ensuring there is something in it for them. If we take the stick approach and just beat them with it it's never going to work,” O’Halloran said.

He added that the key to gamification is to change the parameters every 60 to 90 days so if a company notices a speeding trend they should focus on that for the next 60-90 days with an incentive or reward programme to reduce speeding. They should then “reset the bar”.

“You've got the dashboards, you've got the KPIs, you've got the information on your phone, it becomes an easy tool to allow you to do that,” he said.

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