How to achieve fleet savings through technology

By Daniel Bland - January 10, 2023

Twitter?@DanielBlandBiz?GlobalFleet.com?-?FleetLatAm.com

At least three in four?global fleet managers?feel vehicle connectivity is important, half of them want to be connected by 2025, and practically all are seeking a single harmonized data solution which would help achieve fleet savings in their operations.

With that said, among the keys to cutting cost in fleet operations are data management and other tech-based solutions such as telematics, and artificial intelligence, all of which helps to control inefficient fuel usage, excessive accidents, and other faulty operations.?See more about what experts have to say below.

When it comes to fleet management savings, the first thing that really comes to mind is data, according to?Patrick Mitchell who is North America fleet manager for Italian energy multinational Enel.

You first need to understand where you're starting from so that you know what needs to be done to achieve savings. Start by acquiring fleet information such as fuel usage and the number of accidents, and then evaluate this information and recognize the trends at hand.?

“For us, we work on developing a pathway towards savings (e.g. optimizing routes, reducing fuel consumption, preventing accidents) by recognizing opportunities, creating baselines, and knowing the areas that we really should be focusing on,” says Mr. Mitchell.

One way data is compiled is through telematics. It is key to measuring things like fuel purchase data, trip data, miles traveled by employees, and others. "What we do is bundle this data and then identify if the right vehicles are being used in the right places,"?says the fleet manager.

For international telematics firm?Geotab, their scope also includes web-based analytics and IoT. According to Geotab VP?Sean Killen, although TCO-control is key to fleet operations, fleet managers with complex logistics operations should look beyond their TCO and really pay attention to overall data.

“Remember that fleets sit in the middle of the supply chain so pay attention to what data is being collected. You should know if it is relevant to the overall supply chain and logistics team and if the data can be shared outside the fleet team,” says Mr. Killen. See more here...