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TomTom Telematics is bringing IT professionals and app/software developers together to take the industry to the next level at its unique .connect Developer Conference 2015.

Now in its second year, the conference will take place on June 9 in Amsterdam. Attendees will be able to share ideas, experiences and best practice while discovering the latest opportunities in connected applications for business vehicles during the full-day event.

A number of inspiring technical sessions will help delegates make best use of the APIs and SDKs provided with TomTom's open telematics platform WEBFLEET, stimulating the development of more groundbreaking apps and integrations. Commercial support will also be provided, giving developers guidance on how to bring connected vehicle solutions to market that address the current and future needs of businesses in a variety of market sectors.

“Last year’s conference proved a resounding success with delegates attending from 12 countries across the globe and we are looking forward to building on the momentum this year,” said Taco van der Leij, VP Marketing, TomTom Telematics.

“We currently stand on the verge of an exciting new era for the fleet management industry, with ever increasing possibilities for the creation of new industry solutions that harness the power of connected vehicles. Together with our partners we want to create new apps and integrations that will offer innovative benefits to customers in any industry, operating any type of vehicle fleet. Whether focused on driver behaviour, safety, efficiency, productivity or customer service, these new technologies will help to revolutionise business processes through greater levels of automation and insight and ultimately bring the technology closer to the driver."

 

The .connect Developer Conference will also provide delegates with information on WEBFLEET's latest features. These include OptiDrive 360, a driver behaviour tool providing real-time, predictive advice on performance; Remaining Driving Times, which monitors driver hours for working time compliance; and the Mobile Device Management platform, allowing businesses to manage the remote distribution of software for the new customisable PRO8 driver terminal.

With more than 330 partners, TomTom Telematics already has the largest partner ecosystem in the fleet management industry. The market-leading range of apps built in and around the WEBFLEET platform cover a variety of functions -  including CRM and ERP, planning and scheduling, route optimisation, temperature control, mobile printing and lone worker safety - and are all available in the company's App Center.  Integrations are also available for usage based insurance.

 

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Developers and IT professionals interested in attending the .connect Developer Conference 2015 can register at http://business.tomtom.com/ttdc15

 

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Masternaut Connect selected to help Airporter track vehicles, deliver efficiency savings and improve driver behaviour

Airporter, a leading private sector airport transfer organisation, is implementing Masternaut’s powerful fleet management solution to provide real-time vehicle tracking, increase passenger safety, and deliver fuel efficiency savings.

Fleet managers at Airporter are now using data from Masternaut Connect, including the eco-Drive and TACHOfresh modules, to inform passengers of where vehicles are at a particular time, track and improve driver behaviour, and reduce fuel costs across the fleet.

Transporting 100,000 passengers each year with its fleet of 17 Mercedes Executive mini coaches, accurate vehicle tracking is essential to Airporter’s service. Masternaut Connect will ensure that real-time vehicle information can be correctly relayed to customers and ensure they transfer from airport-to-airport on time.

Airporter prides itself on high safety and compliance standards, ensuring drivers are correctly trained to be safe and that regular vehicle safety inspections are completed. Masternaut’s ecoDrive module will allow Airporter to see that if its training is successful and where improvements may need to be made in driver behaviour, all the while reducing fuel consumption and costs.

TACHOfresh provides Airporter with tachograph management that stores, archives and protects instantly-available data, and is mobile compatible. TACHOfresh also gives the ability for the user to remotely download all tachograph and driver data, and provides next-generation digital analysis, helping Airporter remain compliant with government regulations.

Niall McKeever, owner and director at Airporter, said: “We are a very credible, safe, and reliable company that invests heavily in safety, and now we have the best telematics system to further improve our safety record in Masternaut Connect. We want to be using the best facilities in all aspects of our business and Masternaut fits in with that philosophy, with the added bonus of saving money on fuel expenditure. In that respect, the system effectively pays for itself.”

 

He continues, “We travel 1.5 million kilometres per year and carry more than 100,000 passengers, so passenger safety is something we take very seriously, and we needed a solution that can keep up with the pace. We’re the first public transport company in Northern Ireland to implement Masternaut telematics, and believe the company’s offering is the best available on the market. TACHOfresh in particular took us by surprise. For us, it ties up the whole logistics management side of Airporter, and it’s great to have one single reporting system as opposed to the time-intensive system we had previously.”

Steve Towe, chief commercial officer and UK managing director, Masternaut, commented: “It’s very rewarding to see how our solutions can help businesses simplify their processes. Airporter is already well regarded for its commitment to compliance, safe Mercedes vehicles, and for being the first transport provider in Northern Ireland to add free wifi into vehicles. It seems now, with the addition of telematics, that its reputation can only get better thanks to improved driver behaviour and environmental improvements, due to lower fuel usage. We look forward to seeing the results, and further expansion as Airporter continues to grow in the future.”

 

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TomTom Telematics has launched its next generation of WEBFLEET OptiDrive, incorporating predictive real-time driving advice to empower drivers to drive in a greener, safer style.

TomTom Telematics was the first to introduce direct feedback to professional drivers, using its TomTom Driver Terminals. The feedback on drive style, including harsh braking, speeding and cornering, has now been extended with predictive driving advice. OptiDrive 360 uses vehicle and map data to advise business drivers when to take their foot off the accelerator or shift gear and what their optimum speed should be.

These innovations form part of OptiDrive 360’s complete approach for continuous driving improvement. It provides professional drivers and business management with the information to create a full improvement programme for learning, coaching while driving, post-trip evaluation and in-company comparison.

“OptiDrive 360 marks a ground-breaking development that allows businesses to work more closely with their drivers in a bid to create lasting change to driving standards.” said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director TomTom Telematics. “The innovation has been developed following years of detailed research conducted in cooperation with the EU ecoDriver Project”.

Pre-trip, OptiDrive 360 provides motorists with best practice advice on how to drive safely and fuel-efficiently. Direct feedback and driving advice is offered during the trip to actively coach the driver. After the trip a snapshot analysis is available to review the trip statistics. All information is displayed via the driver terminal.

 

WEBFLEET provides managers with dashboards that allow them to easily highlight trends in driving behaviour. A series of in-depth reports then enables them to drill deeper for greater analysis and to compare the whole fleet.

OptiDrive 360 scores drivers based on a total of eight performance indicators – speeding, driving events, idling, fuel consumption, green speed, coasting (release gas while in gear), gear shifting and constant speed - which can be used as the basis for performance reviews, training and driver benchmarking.

Young drivers especially concerned, with 55% believing they’ll be replaced by autonomous vehicles

One in four business drivers are concerned that they’ll be replaced by autonomous vehicles in their working lifetime, according to new research from Masternaut, a pan-European provider of fleet telematics solutions.

Over half (55%) of business drivers aged 25-34 said they were concerned that they will be replaced by driverless cars in their working lifetime. Drivers aged 35 and over are less concerned, with only 34% of 35-44 year olds and 12% of 45-54 year olds worried that autonomous vehicles will replace them.

Driverless cars are currently being trialled on UK roads in Greenwich, Milton Keynes and Coventry, as ministers consider changes to the Highway Code to allow driverless cars to be used by the general public; although there is still uncertainty over regulatory and legislative implications.

Business drivers believe that the biggest barrier for entry for driverless cars rolling out onto UK roads is integration with regular vehicles (41%), followed by updating road infrastructure (37%) and insurance and liability issues (34%). Meanwhile 33% are apprehensive about viruses and computer glitches affecting the car’s performance and 30% said changes to driving regulations would present a stumbling block to autonomous vehicles.

If they had to work with autonomous vehicles in the future, 15% of professional drivers said that they wouldn’t like it and change jobs, whilst almost a quarter (23%) said that wouldn’t like it but stay in their job. Almost one in ten (9%) business drivers said that they would prefer working with autonomous vehicles.

 

Masternaut surveyed 2,000 UK employees who drive as part of their job, to find out their attitudes towards driverless cars and the effect this will have on their job in the future.

 

Business drivers in London and York are most worried about the technology, with 40% of drivers concerned they’ll be replaced in their working lifetime. Those least concerned are drivers in Bristol, Liverpool and Sheffield, with just 9% worried that autonomous vehicles will replace them.

Steve Towe, Chief Commercial Officer and UK Managing Director, commented: “Driverless car technology is a very exciting development for the automotive industry and represents a major step change for UK roads, one of the biggest changes in history. Previously a science fiction dream, driverless cars are now very real and are being tested on our roads, and we’re intrigued to see what the future holds for the technology.”

He continues, “It’s very important that in order to get the true picture on the future of driverless cars, that we consider the potential impact on a very important group of stakeholders; the business driver, the people who use the roads every day as part of their job. We haven’t heard a great deal from professional drivers on how driverless car technology could affect them in the future, which is something that needs to be taken into consideration, especially considering that to date in 2015, 56% of new vehicle registrations have been fleet vehicles.”

 

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Moody Haulage, a Northumberland-based logistics, storage and warehouse business, has improved productivity across its fleet, after deploying a telematics solution from Masternaut.

Fleet managers at Moody Haulage are using Masternaut’s telematics system for vehicle tracking, and monitoring idling and fuel usage. Operating across its fleet of vehicles, ranging in capacity  from 3.5T, 7.5T 18T rigids to 44T artic curtain siders, Moody Haulage has reported a huge uplift in productivity since Masternaut’s telematics solution was installed.

Masternaut provides Moody Haulage with reports on idling and fuel usage to illustrate how fuel is being used, and wasted, across the fleet. This provides Moody Haulage with the tools to educate drivers on how to save fuel and be more efficient in future. Since implementation the firm has achieved double-digit fuel savings, as well as better vehicle utilisation.

 

The technology provides a real-time view of Moody Haulage’s fleet at any time, giving fleet managers full visibility of all vehicles. Fleet managers and customer service advisors are able to provide clients with precise updates on time of arrival, advise on delays, and find the closest driver to a job. The system is also used to prove a driver did attend a job should there be a dispute.

 

Providing powerful routing capabilities, the system is also helping drivers and fleet managers to find the fastest route to customer locations across the UK.

“In the logistics industry, it’s vitally important to ensure we are on time and give our customers the most accurate information possible, and Masternaut has provided a system that does all of the above and more. It’s been totally accepted and embraced by the drivers and is well used throughout the business,” commented Caroline Moody, Business Development Director, Moody Haulage.

“We’ve saved money by reducing the amount of fuel used and improving our scheduling and journey routing capabilities, a return which means the system pays for itself. The accuracy Masternaut provides is unparalleled and as a result, we’ve seen a huge uplift in productivity and efficiency among our fleet drivers.”

Steve Towe, Chief Operating Officer and UK Managing Director, added, “Offering products configured for HGV and Vans from the same platform and shared service has allowed Moody Haulage to make huge gains in productivity and efficiency. We are delighted to support them deliver significant service improvements to their customers.”

 

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John Cameron, general manager of Trimble Field Service Management, discusses the importance of leveraging flexible fleet options to better serve the needs of an increasingly dynamic field service workforce

There are a plethora of technologies on the market today that enable fleet and field services businesses to measure, record and analyse every aspect of their field operation; from knowing where their drivers are to controlling fuel costs, ensuring drivers' safety and working to keep customers satisfied through intelligent scheduling.

Traditionally, in-vehicle telematics devices have proven successful in helping businesses that operate large vehicle fleets to manage and measure their field operations. However, with ever increasing customer expectations and rising competition in service, the dynamics of today’s field service workforce are changing to adapt to these demands. Contractor workforces are becoming much more of a necessity for organisations, to help keep pace with the speed and quality of service and achieve cost-effective resource management and as such leased or employee owned vehicles are becoming much more prevalent.

 

As a result, the need for more flexible fleet options is required to ensure all workers and vehicles are managed effectively in order to optimise the workflow and meet service commitments. Indeed, Aberdeen Group report that over half of organisations that have a hybrid workforce (both contractor and non-contractor) have prioritised further investment in technology tools which enable better field access information.

Managing a flexible workforce

Service organisations have become more open to diversifying their workforces with contractors because they know, if managed correctly, there will be no drop off in performance. Such a workforce offers field service organisations a myriad of benefits. These include, flexibility for service resources, increased coverage, a reduction in service costs and increased quality as a result of allowing the organisation to focus on core competencies while not being stretched too thin to meet customer needs.

Plug and play solutions are suitable for businesses that often lease vehicles or use contractor workforces. Such a solution can be easily installed and removed, can be moved between vehicles, is low-cost and offers the same benefits as traditional wired-in fleet management solutions. Real-time location information, driver behaviour data, vehicle fault codes and vehicle status can all be recorded offering the real-time visibility and insight organisations need to measure, manage and improve their operations.

 

Many plug and play solutions can also be integrated with work management solutions which can offer optimised scheduling and job dispatch so a business can have complete visibility of their jobs and mobile workers alongside their fleet, all in one solution.

This access to information empowers field workers with the customer and service insight at their fingertips necessary to resolve issues quickly no matter what type of worker they are.

Fostering fleet flexibility through mobility

Aberdeen Group recently found that 82 per cent of field service organisations identified mobility as a strategic initiative for the service operation in the next 12 months, as a tool to empower the field with real-time intelligence to make decisions and resolve issues to better serve the customer.

Indeed, an increasing number of field service businesses are integrating their work management capabilities into mobile applications, which they can then offer to their technicians to allow them to share, store and view job data while out in the field, offering them a virtual link to the back office that helps to inform and empower them. Contractor workers or employees who use their own vehicles can also benefit from the use of mobile apps, if initially provisioned in to the back end system.

The range of information offered through a mobile application can include previous work history of jobs and upcoming work details. For example, if a technician is en-route to a customer, a quick look at service history on a mobile phone can inform them that the customer has complained multiple times to the helpdesk about a product/equipment failure. This is vital information that can help the technician approach the customer with more care, helping to maintain a good customer service. Furthermore, when a technician reviews and accepts a job within a mobile application, the mobile device’s navigation tool can help them find the most efficient route. Helping to reduce fuel consumption and travel time. From a service perspective, the technician can then pull up the customer’s details and call them to confirm when they will be arriving on-site.

 

Ultimately, fleet and field service businesses are constantly changing the way that they operate to keep up with the needs of the market. Fostering complete visibility of a workforce will always be a main priority but more flexible fleet options need to be adopted today in order to achieve this across an increasingly dynamic field service workforce. Contractor workforces, leased workers and vehicles and employees that use their own vehicles for work are all becoming prevalent as each offers their own benefits for helping businesses to improve efficiency and boost their bottom line. Building flexibility into a work day and having access to ‘flexible’ technologies that provides the same level of visibility to measure and manage operations as traditional in-vehicle telematics devices are therefore vital to operational success.

 

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Getting company vehicle drivers on board with the implementation of a new GPS fleet tracking system is not always a smooth ride...

That’s why Fleetmatics, a global provider of fleet management solutions for commercial fleet vehicles delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS), has launched a new e-book which breaks down the introduction process into five easy steps.

Freely available online at www.fleetmatics.co.uk/ebooks-library, the e-book explains how sharing your plans with the employees can be key to successfully introducing the new system. Initial resistance by the workforce towards the new system can be driven by misconceptions as some employees can be unfamiliar with the technology and its purpose.

As suggested in the guide on How to Manage Change by the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS),¹ careful communication can facilitate the introduction process. Once staff understands how the implemented change can help support a successful and sustainable future for the company and for them, they can be more likely to support it, according to ACAS.

 

The GPS tracking system enables organisations to gain a more accurate insight into the movements of their fleets and this information can be used to improve workforce management, gain greater efficiency, reduce environmental impact, increase productivity and use resources more effectively. Some of these benefits are directly transferable to staff. For example, after the installation of the monitoring system, many Fleetmatics customers report that their employees benefit from a reduced amount of paperwork, more evenly shared workload and fewer delays with less unwanted overtime.

Richard Brooks, Fleetmatics Marketing Director for Europe, explained, “Openness and honesty can help cement the mutual understanding required to reap the full benefits of the system. With the support of the guidelines provided in this e-book, managers can help employees understand the benefits of the new system and encourage them to see the installation as an improvement, not an obstacle.”

UK Gardening firm Town & County Gardens turn to Fleetmatics telematics solution to trim their costs...

Keeping on top off staff working hours can be time consuming and complicated, especially for companies that rely on employees to log their own hours. In order to get clarity on staff hours and combat unnecessary spending on unwarranted overtime, the gardening and landscaping company Town & Country Gardens introduced Fleetmatics GPS vehicle tracking throughout their fleet. Since signing up with Fleetmatics REVEAL nearly two years ago, the company has seen some concrete results.

Based in Fulham, South London, Town & Country Gardens has been offering a wide range of gardening services including garden maintenance, landscaping and tree surgery for over 20 years. The company operates a fleet consisting of six vans, some equipped for gardening and others for landscaping purposes.

Currently, the company has 14 core staff, but the number of employees nearly doubles when extra help is hired during the summer. This used to boost the overspending on staff hours even further, until Director Ben Skinner decided to put an end to it. After researching different providers on a vehicle tracking comparison website, he decided to sign up to Fleetmatics REVEAL, which was the most the cost-efficient option available.

“Before getting Fleetmatics, the biggest problem for us was overspending on staffing hours,” said Mr Skinner “We used to rely on our staff to report their own hours at the end of the day when they returned on site, but this meant that we ended up paying for a lot of hours that were just not justified.

 

After installing Fleetmatics GPS tracking, the change was almost immediate; in the first year we saved almost £20,000 in staff hours. These savings alone made the introduction of the tracking system worthwhile.”

In addition to the significant savings achieved, since installing REVEAL, the company has seen improvements in other areas of business as well. For Town & Country Gardens, as for many London-based fleets, traffic is a daily problem. With the roads of the Capital often at a standstill, reaching customers in time is an ongoing challenge.

However, REVEAL’s Live Map feature has provided the company with new ways to beat the traffic. “Thanks to the live feed, we can now see if our staff are taking inefficient routes on their way to the next customer. This enables us to redirect them to a better route and avoid unnecessary delays,” Mr Skinner says.

 

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Geotab, an industry leading telematics engineering company, recentley announced that it has released its IOX-CAN extender, a plug-and-play solution that allows partners to send data from their device over a private CAN network in the vehicle supporting integrations on all vehicle types.

A number of companies are already leveraging the IOX-CAN extender to send data from their devices to the MyGeotab system. Geotab’s integration with Mobileye, a technology company that develops vision-based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) providing warnings for collision prevention and mitigation, has been upgraded with the IOX-CAN [quote float="left"]“Our solutions are designed to make the roads safer for everyone as the issue of distracted driving continues to be a problem"

extender allowing full support for all vehicle types, including OBDII vehicles. Geotab’s new add-on solution allows Mobileye devices to plug into Geotab’s GO6 and GO7 devices, thereby allowing Mobileye data to be sent to the MyGeotab software platform, where it can be viewed and analysed by dispatchers and fleet managers.

 

Elad Serfaty, VP and General Manager Mobileye Aftermarket, said, “Our solutions are designed to make the roads safer for everyone as the issue of distracted driving continues to be a problem. Working with Geotab allows us to not only provide feedback to the driver, and with managers who can effect change where needed, but we can do this across all vehicle types.”

“Expanding our integration capabilities and continuing our work with Mobileye is a natural evolution as more and more companies realise the benefits of fleet management,” said Neil Cawse, CEO, Geotab. “Providing collision warnings to drivers just before a crash is the first step to creating a safer driving environment for everyone.”

 

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