Implementing a successful telematics system to your fleet requires good management and appropriate planning.
Without it, your organisation will waste money, sacrifice time and reduce your safety potential. Make sure you do your homework and form a practical solution that will impact your fleet operations and your personnel in a positive way.
Below are some easy tips that any organisation should consider to ensure your telematics implementation run smoothly.
1. Establish your goals up front
The worst thing you and your team can do is simply to implement a system and just hope you’ll figure out how to use it later. Make sure you know what type of data you’d like to track and what changes you hope to see as a result. Make sure you don’t get lost in all of the exciting new capabilities that you lose sight of your original vision.
2. Shop around
There are a myriad of different telematics providers out there, so don’t feel like you need to settle for the first one that you approach. Look for a provider that offers reliable technology and customer service that also aligns with your stated goals, rather than settling for a quick fix.
3. Try before you buy
You can often demo a product before you commit to installing it across your entire fleet. Make sure you give the technology a try in a real-world environment so that you can see first hand how it would work across your organisation.
4. Have the ROI ready to go
Perhaps the hardest point of any purchase as a fleet manager is getting higher management to support your idea. Make sure that you are confident that your plan will provide a solid return on investment and be willing to articulate exactly how with others in your organisation.
5. Get your drivers involved
Sharing your plans and goals with your drivers as you go will make them more likely to embrace changes within the fleet. Encourage their feedback and take the time to listen to their concerns and address them. As with all things in life people generally are more open to new ideas if they hear that their voices are being heard.
6. Have an installation plan
7. Contact your insurance company
Telematics can have a massive impact on the overall safety of your fleet, so make sure to let your insurer know that you are installing them. They might be willing to reduce the cost of your overall coverage, which can provide significant savings in the long term.
