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In-built telematics and all-inclusive intelligence platforms are replacing the traditional navigation devices that van drivers have used in the past and changing the future of fleet management, writes Sergio Barata, General Manager EMEA, Telogis.

We’re so accustomed to having location and navigation tools at our finger tips, it’s perhaps hard to believe that GPS began only really began to be fully adopted in consumer and fleet vehicles around eight years ago. Since then, we have seen a dramatic shift in the way devices are sold and the data used to power them. With telematics software in particular, GPS-led vehicle tracking has given way to smart, intuitive and comprehensive intelligence platforms, based on drawing insights from the extensive data sets that GPS has produced. And almost without exception, this is leading in-built telematics and all-inclusive intelligence platforms to replace the traditional devices that van drivers used previously.

So how did the GPS landscape change after the boom, what effect did this have on fleets and what does this change in telematics look like?

The changing consumer landscape

From the high point of Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) after the boom, the popularity of devices led to increased competition within the sector, driving down costs as new players began to enter the market. Through this shift, the emphasis on development first transferred to OEM partnerships in consumer vehicles and in the last few years has focused on the development of apps. The scale of change has been so significant that many major brands previously synonymous with PNDs have had to branch out into the likes of cameras and even watches, while other competitors have opted to pursue investment in and the development of new, cutting-edge navigation technologies.

What does this mean for fleets?

This fundamental shift has been mirrored within fleets, but in a distinctly different manner. While for consumer GPS technologies, the change has come in how the data is presented, in fleets, the very source of the data is changing. Whereas fleet navigation information was previously based solely on satellite-based, global positioning information, and provided little driver-specific information, it is now becoming more social and personnel-led thanks to telematics. In other words, it is increasingly both supplemented and influenced by real-time feedback from drivers on the road, and telematics information live from fleets.

With Telogis for instance, real-time performance data is streamed from each van, which enables fleet managers to track its location, fuel consumption and driver behaviour, as well as monitor for any safety and maintenance alerts. Much of this data is based on driver behaviours, with many metrics designed to encourage safe driving habits (and highlight bad ones). These include features such as driver behaviour scorecards and optional in-cab alerts that provide an audible alert when a driver is speeding, braking too hard or accelerating too vigorously. Telematics supports the process by transmitting vehicle data from the van to a dedicated Telogis website via an embedded cellular connection, allowing location data from a GPS module to be directly embellished by information sourced directly from the van’s electronic systems.

 

The future of GPS

GPS has changed dramatically over the last decade, so what does the future hold? Will it be social?

To continually drive efficiencies and keep the edge against your competition, you need real-time data and you need it in the hands of drivers. With this in mind, gamification will undoubtedly add a social aspect to the future of GPS, revolutionising the role of the white van man by pitting drivers’ performance against each other, and doing more than just rewarding conscientious driving through one-dimensional initiatives, which can’t be classed as innovation any more.

We developed the market’s first driver feedback mobile application for Android and iOS, Telogis Coach, which uses real-time intelligence to empower those behind the wheel. There’s a growing trend to put the onus on the drivers themselves to self-assess and self-correct dangerous behaviour; we enable them to take responsibility for managing their own safety out on the road.

Given that the majority of telematics platforms now offer a plug-and-play approach, it’s fair to say that the role of in-cab GPS has fundamentally changed for the white van driver. And this change is set to continue as telematics begins to become universally adopted, with many fleet managers imploring their van drivers to improve their driving based on their key performance insights. With the development of autonomous vehicles already at an advanced stage, the way in which fleets navigate the roads will continue to develop apace. This might change the traditional role of the White Van Man. But as the last ten years have shown their role, and interaction with technology, will surely continue to adapt to the times.

 

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Marathon Data Systems, a leading provider of cloud-based field service management and fleet management solutions, announced today that it acquired Foxtrax GPS, a cloud-based leader in fleet tracking technology. The company also announced it is changing its name to WorkWave™  to reflect its transformation into a leading solution provider for businesses with significant mobile workforces and to reinforce the tight integration of its cloud-based platforms for marketing, office management and fleet management. 

“The Foxtrax products, customer base and team round out WorkWave’s mobile-first portfolio,” said Chris Sullens, CEO and president of WorkWave, formerly Marathon Data Systems.

“Foxtrax is well known for its excellent service and functionality. By integrating Foxtrax’s cloud-based solution with Viamente, our leading cloud-based route planning and optimization solution, and our proprietary smartphone apps, we can now provide our 7,000+ clients in the field service and ‘last mile’ delivery verticals the most powerful, intuitive and cost-efficient solution available in the marketplace. Everything our clients need to gain full visibility into their field operations will be conveniently available in one place.”

 

In conjunction with this acquisition, Marathon Data Systems has changed its name to WorkWave, reinforcing the tight integration of its cloud-based platforms in marketing, field service management, route planning, and optimization and GPS. “This is a huge step in our corporate evolution,” added Sullens. “Unifying our messaging and product portfolio under the WorkWave brand reinforces how our product offerings connect every aspect of our clients’ businesses, providing an unprecedented level of insight into their office and field operations, enabling them to truly delight their clients and supercharge their business performance.”

WorkWave offers an integrated suite of cloud-based business management and fleet management solutions for the field service and “last mile” delivery verticals, including:

WorkWave Fleet, formerly Viamente, is a comprehensive cloud-based route planning and optimization platform that leverages a proprietary optimization algorithm, an intuitive user interface and a robust set of APIs to provide ”last mile” delivery companies a simple, dynamic and powerful solution for planning, tracking and analyzing their delivery routes.

WorkWave GPS, formerly Foxtrax GPS, is a cloud-based telematics platform that offers real-time vehicle tracking, comprehensive driver behavior alerting and tracking, and satellite-based asset tracking for companies in the field service, ”last mile” delivery and other fleet-based industries.

WorkWave Marketing, formerly Marathon Marketing Services, offers a full suite of website and lead generation services for the field service, automotive and other industries. This rapidly evolving, integrated marketing platform allows companies of all sizes to cost-effectively enhance their brand and drive leads into their businesses by leveraging WorkWave Marketing’s in-house website design, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media and reputation management offerings.

WorkWave also offers industry-leading solutions for the pest management industry, the general field service industry and the lawn and landscape industry through its PestPac, ServiceCEO and QXPress brands respectively.

 

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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.”