Fleets are beginning to realize that using the power of the ever-present smartphone or tablet, whether the device belongs to the company or the employee brings a whole range of new possibilities, according to Chevin Fleet Solutions.

Chief among these is the ability to use these devices to help manage compliance, fulfil legislative obligations and to proactively monitor maintenance oversight, said Ron Katz, senior vice president of North American sales.

"Especially among commercial fleets, we're seeing smartphones being used for a range of tasks – for example to enable the carrying out of basic daily maintenance checks," Katz added. "We're working with a fleet where this daily task generates 800 paper based driver inspection forms for each van every single day, but a mobile device means that the whole process can be easily automated."

Katz said that fleets are beginning to realize that using mobile devices for proactive maintenance inspections can have a dramatic impact on running costs.

"As most fleet managers know, many drivers of company vehicles continue to operate their vehicle with a known problem until the issue becomes acute, resulting in excessive maintenance costs," he said. "For example, a transmission issue that can be easily rectified when it first occurs can eventually lead to outright failure.

"However, if drivers are required to perform regular vehicle inspections, most drivers will report a problem rather than continue using their vehicle. Over time, mitigating problems before they become serious will drive substantial fleet savings."

Chevin introduced its FleetWave Mobile module, which allows almost any mobile device to push structured data to its core FleetWave software system in 2014.

"It's taken a little time for the market to fully understand the potential that a product like this offers but we're seeing more and more interest in using this technology to drive all kinds of fleet processes – from the vehicle inspections to delivery verification and even work request logging," Katz said. "As a tool, FleetWave Mobile is incredibly versatile and, every week, we seem to come across new uses that will deliver real and measurable benefits to fleets."

FleetWave Mobile can be used offline and data uploaded when a connection becomes available, Katz added.