Donlen, a Hertz-owned fleet management company, has released a case study showing widespread improvement in Ericsson's fleet following the adoption of telematics.

Throughout a six-month DrivePoint Telematics trial, there were widespread improvements in driver behavior, fuel economy, and safe driving patterns. This was due in large part to a new program developed between Donlen and Ericsson, DriverPoint Consultative Services, according to Donlen.

"DriverPoint Consultative Services, an extension of the consultation already provided to Ericsson for other aspects of our fleet, was a true collaboration between Donlen and Ericsson,” said Brad Bohnen, Ericsson's head of fleet management for North America.

Over a series of discovery meetings and discussions, Ericsson and the DriverPoint team determined the primary areas of focus and how to best meet the needs of the Ericsson fleet.

Now, Donlen not only administers DriverPoint for Ericsson — a service that is standard with any DriverPoint implementation — but also manages the extraordinary amount of data provided and report back to Ericsson on a regular basis.

"Managing the data provided by such technology is key to a successful outcome," said Bohnen. "Not all data is equal; some data points require immediate action in order to satisfy our company’s progressive risk management concerns."

The case study includes graphics and analysis about dealer delivery findings; alternative-fuel feasibility using driver geographic footprint; vendor efficiency and preventive maintenance downtime; driver behavior and idle times; accident versus non-accident analysis; return on Ericsson’s investment; and future areas of concentration.

"Using the massive amount of data that DriverPoint provides, we were able to quantify Ericsson’s return on their initial investment and project potential future savings," said Tom Sloan, Donlen's director of analytical product management. "One of the more interesting parts of the trial was the analysis of driver oil-change downtime by vendor. We were then able to present Ericsson with a cost versus time analysis, and they in turn can direct drivers appropriately. Armed with this type of data, Ericsson can continue to see great results using DriverPoint."

Download the case study here.