Fleet management and IoT

Information technology has taken our worlds by storm! Day in and day out we get to see many newer technologies and applications that are focused on making our lives, more efficient and quick by minimizing the wastage of resources and time. This efficiency and effectiveness have enhanced our productivity and potential by quite a margin.

One very prominent aspect that has been requiring our attention for quite some time is, Fleet management. Defined Fleet management, is related to the commercial management of vehicles and vehicles related resources. The key focus of Fleet management (telematics) is to minimize wastage, increase productivity and efficiency, reduce or remove bottlenecks, streamline the commuting and communicating process involved in the fleet; it also focuses on minimizing damage and reducing time wastage.

If the technological impact on fleet management is to be considered, there are a lot of areas that require improvement. But due to lack of proper resources or in some cases of the dearth of finances has led to technological stagnation. The fleet industry already involves equipment investment and this why people tend to feel that investing highly into technology would involve a lot of money, some of which would be used to purchase, acquire, rent or maintain the equipment and the facility that would be set up. Secondly, most importantly there is a serious deprivation of IT trained individuals. Companies fail to comprehend the need for additional labor and equipment related investment in an already high investment profile business.

Areas lacking innovation

There are certain areas of fleet management that require addressing, and their only solution is to gain the right kind of technological advancement that can help them flourish with more developments and improvements.

The acquiring of equipment is expensive. And this equipment is not about on time acquiring, but there is a constant need to upgrade and purchase newer equipment. Bringing about a change in the software and hardware technology also requires adequate training on the part of the employees. They cannot be simply used by everyone. The employees need professional training to be able to use the software and the hardware. There is a need to bring about mass production of the software and hardware that is required by the fleet industry so that more and more fleet companies can acquire the technology.

If we consider the factor of connectivity, we will realize that there is a serious need for the presence of a 4G connection so that the business can emerge with full technological advancement. Cellular connectivity is a crucial part of all the technological progress that can occur.  The fleet should be equipped with devices that can help the moving truck or car or any other form of vehicle to switch between the local networks that are present. The truck should also be equipped with technology to sustain the connection in rough terrains. This will help in minimizing the disconnection period and the network outages. The information technology that you have built for your business should be resilient and absorbent of all kinds of changes.

There are many cases where there have been issues with the privacy of the goods that were being carried by the containers. The data that is collected about the cargo is of high importance, and the breach of its safety can lead to losses to the company. The information that is usually stored in these devices is of utmost importance for the company where the data can help the company overpower its competitors and secure a firm hold on the industry. The data should be protected against any possible external or internal security threat.

The most crucial point that needs to be understood is that building up an IT infrastructure, buying the relevant hardware, purchasing the software is not the only responsibility, maintaining the IT setup is a difficult and daunting task. The company needs to have the right kind of knowledge and information and trained employees to maintain the whole setup.

IT intervention required for Fleet Management

IT has indeed become a need of time, and the business should realize it soon so that they can invest as much as their finances allow into developing an IT structure. Joint efforts from the giants of fleeting industry can also help in improving the situation.

Introduction of technology that can help in keeping track of the maintenance of the vehicles in the fleet is a possible new addition to technological developments related to fleet management. The machines can be equipped with the best of technology that can help in identifying the flaws and fixtures required in the vehicles. Time is of great importance, and therefore timely delivery of cargo data to the drivers will help them remain updated and informed about the current situations and requirements of the cargo that they are carrying. Real-time updates of the cargo can help them maintain required temperatures or heat levels as required by the cargo.

Unnecessary wastage of energy should be avoided. This will help in streamlining the whole process and minimizing energy loss. It will also help in determining the idle time and making sure that idle time of the vehicles is utilized to its max. This will help in increasing productivity and profits in the long run. The data that is collected from all the sources should be used properly. The analysis of the data should be accurate making sure that all the necessary details are taken into consideration. The future strategies should be created considering the data, as this will help in understanding the pattern and make use of the data by capitalizing on the information.

The safety of the driver is crucial! It not only puts the cargo at stake but the life of a human too. An application that tracks the speed curve, braking time and how much sudden variations are there in the speed. This will have the company realize the mistakes that the driver might have trained them in deficient areas. This will help in reducing the number of accidents on roads.