The Compulsive Need for Comprehensive Fleet Management Data

Fleet Management is an intricate process and many a times fleet managers misinterpret their fleet efficiency, which draws them to take decisions on the basis of apparent costs involved instead of wide-ranging fleet management data. While the fleet managers feel that they are more or less in control of the costs, yet the chances are that they may have been ignorant about certain aspects of fleet data without which the real cost of the fleet management cannot be calculated! So the question, which arises here is- how can fleet data be obtained that will enable the fleet manager to put to the best use to maximize fleet efficiency?

Many fleet managers overlook vital fleet data like idle time for a particular vehicle or a set of vehicles. It is this data that can spin around fortunes in favor of the organization. But the naivety and ignorance about the fleet management data fails many in taking effective decisions.

 

Thus, it is imperative to have data for the smooth functioning and management of the overall fleet and take critical business decisions. Let us delve into the reasons that explain the importance of fleet management data. Here we go:

1. Weak Reporting

If you are facing challenges in completing a report in detail and are unable to squeeze vital inputs like service history data, future purchases, and asset retirement, you know you have a weak report that misses out this vital data. No doubts guessing that without comprehensive data it is absolutely difficult to prepare such reports. Had you mapped the total miles driven for the pre-defined time or the rules broken by drivers through the journey, you would have been in a position to answer the same. Every detail is important in lieu of collating data across the fleet. Concise fleet data is a must to guarantee compliance. This can be achieved with the use of various tools like MS Excel and other high end software readily available in the market and helps in preparing business reports for planning, reviewing and budgeting. However, the mandatory requirement is that the Fleet Management software should provide the facility to track these vital data for you, from which you could extract the requisite data and conduct the analysis in MS Excel. There are many companies which provide Fleet Management Software which can help in achieving this.

2. Repair Decisions

It's so simple to answer questions about a vehicle that needs to be fixed or repaired. However, how about dealing with bosses who shower a volley of unexpected questions like:

1.    What's the impact of the repair of this particular vehicle on the profits?

2.    What's the degree of repair requirement - minimum or maximum?

3.    Is repairing the vehicle better than a replacement?

4.    Describe the cycle of failure between the next repair window?

5.    How much time is wasted while the vehicle remains at the repairing center and is fit to assume charge?

Such questions are thrown back at the data analysts by the fleet managers and the process takes a while, hence, a lot of time is wasted. However, if only the data is streamlined and process automated, it will help in easy maintenance and extraction thereby saving a lot of time.

3. Incorrect Fuel Information

One of the toughest challenges faced by the fleet managers is the correct record of fuel expenses, which come handy during budgeting, planning and mitigation. The volatility of fuel prices makes it all the more difficult to keep a track record manually, which in turn is a requisite for cost-management strategy. Real time fuel updates include total consumption, excess and under mileage calculations. This is yet another hassle for the management. Thus, the compulsive need for comprehensive data arises as it forms an important part of cost-reduction solutions. However, a modern fleet management solution takes care of all the dynamic cost analysis and helps sort your business needs.

4. Optimum Use of the Vehicles

As and when the fleet grows, it is important for an organization to track the usability of its vehicles and to ensure that the vehicles of the fleet are used optimally such that the case of one vehicle is not being used at all while the other vehicle being preferred for all the duties, resulting into extensive use. This need should be managed by your Fleet Management Software.  So long as the comprehensive data is missing, fleet managers will have a tough time in checking, which vehicles are lying idle in the parking space and which ones are used extensively. Hence the need for a viable fleet management solution is a must to keep a tab on all the vehicles and ensure that every vehicle is used to the best of its capability.

Air pollution from traffic congestion is shortening our lives!

What are we doing to fight with it?

India is a multi-cultural, religious and lingual society where various communities thrive in harmony with each other. No matter how different the habits of all the people living in this country are from one another, there is a common sentiment that echoes amid them. This is about the concern for everlasting air pollution in the country! Irrespective of regions people are staying all are becoming progressively fretful about the environment they are living in and the consistent burden added to it by the gases emitted from increasing number of vehicles on roads, industries and other sources. Air pollution needs to be dealt with iron fist & robust wit! Are you worried?

All are worried about the fast paced growth of pollution but the question here is what can be the best alternative solution that can best fit their lifestyles and also balance eco-system for us and for our coming generation. After all isn't Gen Y entitled to clean air?

Various cities across India are coming up with innovative ideas for reducing the level of pollution in the environment and make the daily life of citizen’s pollution and traffic free. These innovators are not just coming up with brilliant ideas and services to offer, they are also educating, informing and motivating people for using better alternative to avoid the hazards of pollution, which certainly is wreaking havoc beyond explanation on the overall health and wealth of our surroundings and its people.

Delhi, the national capital, for example, experimented with the odd even formula on private vehicles. This odd-even drive rule, whose pilot phase was implemented for 15 days as a New Year resolution from January 1 to January 15, 2016 witnessed a mix bag of responses. Although it's impact on curbing pollution was marginal but it was a huge success in cutting road traffic. Delhi people welcomed it with open heart with a staunch fervor. Based on its success, the 'odd-even' policy will be back in force from April 15 to 30. This time the government is more prepared to deal with the overwhelming demand. The idea has infused a new ray of hope among Delhi people.

Likewise, the neighboring city Gurgaon, the tech hub of North, conceived the idea of declaring Tuesdays as car-free days in the city. This surely has promoted the idea of carpooling and sharing bus rides on the said days. This has instilled not only a sense of responsibility in the common citizens about their environment but has also encouraged them for sharing and caring for the society in a span.

Equally, various car aggregators like Ola and Uber have come up with car share concepts that allow corporate to hitch-hike their ride to workplace.

Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India has seen an influx of people from all over the world thronging its premises for greener pastures. The cosmopolitan city has, over the few years, lost its charm as the green and peaceful city of India. Traffic congestion has become a norm and regular deforestation to accommodate various infrastructure projects has made way for felling of trees adding to the soaring temperatures and pollution.

However, of late the battle between various car aggregators has turned even hotter with the launch of JustRide that is offering the sweet deal of hiring a car for INR 4,000 a week. This move is to promote the concept of carpooling amongst corporates and dissuade individuals to buy a new car. Their aim is to ensure lesser cars on the roads, lesser pollution and clean air on the city roads.

All these novel ideas make sense in the present scenario and by engaging and encouraging people to share a ride and help contribute to the cleaner environment in their own small way!

Written  By:

Sakshi A Mattoo

Content Specialist

Fleet Robo