Determine how you plan to use a telematic system before making a purchase decision. “Of the systems available today, fleets should ask themselves, ‘What are you looking to do with the information and what challenges are you looking to solve?’ Once this is determined, they can shop for ‘features’,” says Oswaldo Flores, product manager, Teletrac Navman. Some key differentiators from the standard include:
- Messaging, forms, signature capture
- Driver behavior monitoring used to identify risky driving habits, creation of score cards
- Vehicle maintenance monitoring (ECM connected to pull fault codes)
- Accident reconstruction
- Dashboards (see data at a glance such as idling, fleet utilization)
- Build your own reports (customize reports based on data elements and business need)
- Advanced analytics and predictive modeling
- Camera solutions with built-in accelerometers and accident detection
- Map, traffic and weather overlays
- Temperature monitoring
- Engine fault code monitoring
“Top of the line systems fit every specific need with options for built-in hardware and aftermarket installations as well as mobile devices (company-issued or BYOD) for total flexibility,” says Chris Ransom, associate director of solutions engineering at Verizon Connect.. “A good system will also offer a complete mobile solution with mobile apps, data plans, deployment support and hardware advice to help companies boost productivity, efficiency and safety without blowing the hardware budget.”
He adds, “An online dashboard should allow companies to view your entire workforce in near real time and help improve mobile strategy through fast, automated reporting that saves time and provides faster access to data. These systems also help reduce unnecessary overhead costs of owning, managing and maintaining surplus equipment because fleet managers can use accurate work history reports to plan jobs with precision and do more with less.”
