Telematics is no longer a “nice to have” solution but a “must-have” to keep up in today’s competitive environment. The benefits of fleet management software solutions are well known - tracking and monitoring drivers and vehicles gives you insight into practical and cost-related operational improvements - but what about equipment or tools associated with those vehicles?

The ability to keep track of these valuable equipment assets has many tangible benefits for fleet managers and business owners.

Next-generation telematics allow users to gain more in-depth insight and visibility into fleet operations regardless of industry or type of fleet. This IoT technology can help you execute scalable improvement plans, change driver behavior and measure results. All of which is key for realizing a solid return on investment (ROI).

Work Smarter Not Harder

When your fleet is spread out across the map, receiving up-to-date vehicle, driver and asset information can be difficult. Advanced IoT technologies in fleet telematics help businesses keep better track of their vehicles and associated assets, from the garage to the worksite or a customer’s front door.

With a fleet management telematics solution, you have access to advanced, near-real-time snapshots of vehicle data that can help you increase visibility, expose blind spots, and optimize your business.

By combining vehicle telematics, fleet applications and cost effective Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) technology, fleet operators can now efficiently track and monitor vehicle location and associated assets to gain a more comprehensive view of their fleet, drivers, and ancillary assets. 

The combination of telematics and BLE tags creates an integrated and connected ecosystem that enables fleet managers to make data-driven decisions to organize and streamline their business operations.

Stay Alert

Fleet managers are often responsible for thousands of dollars’ worth of tools required to deliver service from location to location. So what happens when an expensive piece of equipment you were responsible for was left behind on a job?

Telematics can aid in protecting high-value assets and equipment on a truck, including ladders, tool kits, and generators, so fleet managers can avoid unnecessary replacement costs by knowing exactly when their workers leave something behind.

On the other hand, telematics can help fleet operators prevent theft. In its 2016 Annual Theft Report - the most recent report available online - The National Equipment Register (NER) estimated the value of construction equipment stolen each year to be anywhere between $300 million and a staggering $1 billion.

Tagging an asset allows you to keep track of high-value equipment and tools throughout a jobsite or yard.

The use of cellular technologies once made trackers prohibitively expensive for items considered nominal in value, but the expansion of BLE wireless technology has facilitated the development of highly efficient, longer-lasting, and cost-effective tags. These newer tags are also available in sizes small enough to tag an expansive range of service tools and other ancillary assets.

Combining proximity tags with a telematics solution improves the coordination of assets and helps you ensure you have the right vehicles, equipment, tools, and materials at the right place and the right time. The result is better project performance, lower costs, and ultimately, a healthier bottom line.

Co$t Your Fears Away

With few alternatives to tie different visibility features onto a single platform, fleet managers are often forced to switch between several applications, giving them a highly fragmented view of daily operations, wasting valuable time, and increasing frustration.

Low-cost BLE wireless tags and advanced telematics devices can address this problem by allowing fleet operators and business owners to deploy custom solutions that provide a unified view of their operations and allow them to more effectively manage a broader range of vehicles and assets.

Telematics: Powering the Future of Fleet Management

Asset tracking tags and increasingly smarter telematics devices have grown in popularity in recent years as businesses seek to enhance the capabilities and fleet and asset management. Telematics solutions facilitate productivity gains, optimize operational efficiency, enable predictive maintenance, and streamline asset utilization.

Companies that ignore these advances may find themselves struggling to keep pace with more nimble competitors who embrace technology to modernize and optimize their operations.

By embracing modern technologies such as telematics and BLE tags, forward-thinking companies can stay one step ahead of the competition and stay in the game for the long-haul.

About the Author: Kinana Hussain is the vice president of Product Line Management at CalAmp.