ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘telematics’ CATEGORY

A device to protect lone workers against the daily risks of their job has been launched by telematics provider Matrix Telematics.  The pocket-sized LoneWorker device incorporates the latest in GPS and sensor technology to help employees working on their own stay safe while carrying out their day-to-day work. It delivers end-to-end real-time tracking, giving organisations the ability to monitor the movements of their staff who are out in the field and provide both parties with vital security protection.

The device is discrete and ultra-sensitive to the slightest movement, claims Matrix.  The product can be configured in hundreds of ways so can be customised to match business and employee needs. This can include the ability to send a distress call if the device records unusual activity or a lack of motion, reminders to the employee to ‘check in’ after a certain amount of time, or for a control centre to dial in and listen silently to audio from the device. Alternatively, employees can activate an emergency button and open up a two way conversation with head office if they fear for their safety. All data can be integrated with a company’s CRM system which provides organisations with easy access to the information when it is required.

 

Geoff Ball, MD of Matrix Telematics said: “The definition of a lone worker has changed dramatically. From social workers to delivery drivers, postmen to pest control; lone workers make up almost a quarter of the UK’s working population, but the nature of their job leaves them open to a unique set of risks that employers need to be aware of.
“While most lone workers will hopefully never experience any problems, to have the peace of mind that there’s someone just at the other end of the line should they need it is a big reassurance for employees and a sensible precaution for employers to take.”

LoneWorker also helps organisations to report on employee activity and productivity enabling staff to record where and when jobs take place , automating timekeeping and billing processes.

 

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Haulage telematics platform specialist Microlise yesterday made the move into the field service arena with the launch of new product Clear, a product designed specifically for the field service and fleet sectors..

Clear empowers drivers to improve performance, delivering safety, cost reduction and environmental impact benefits, whilst also providing fleet compliance and comprehensive task management functionality.

Microlise recognises that driver engagement is crucial in achieving strong return on investment from telematics. Clear provides drivers with the insight required to understand and improve driving performance, using the Microlise Driver Performance Management mobile app, available on both iOS and Android operating platforms.

With this information readily available, drivers are able to improve their own performance, whilst management can manage by exception, with any debriefing or training resource directed where it will have maximum benefit.

The Clear solution is also designed to deliver compliance and fleet safety, with built-in vehicle walkaround checks ensuring vehicles are maintained and any issues flagged to the relevant teams within the organisation. A comprehensive reporting suite provides management with insight on compliance in terms of work patterns and HMRC requirements, where private vs personal mileage can be tracked.

This reporting suite also gives managers valuable information on fleet utilisation and productivity, delivering additional operational benefits, whilst real-time vehicle tracking gives fleet managers the insight to understand the location and operational status of every vehicle in the fleet.

 

“Clear will deliver huge benefits to organisations operating fleets of vehicles” said John Mills, Head of Mobile Workforce Telematics at Microlise. “The product has been developed with the specific needs of these organisations in mind, and we’re excited to be working in such a dynamic space.

“Whilst telematics solutions are traditionally centred on vehicle tracking and driver performance, Clear comes complete with a range of other features that will help organisations to be compliant in terms of HMRC reporting, DVSA regulations and in-house vehicle safety standards. Comprehensive task management and communications further enhance efficiency and service levels.”

The launch of Clear was marked yesterday with an exclusive event at Millbrook Proving Ground, hosted by transport industry lobbyist Quentin Willson.

Delegates were given  the opportunity to drive the Millbrook Alpine Circuit in vans provided by event sponsor Hertz, with the top drivers on the day experiencing a Hot-Lap with former ‘Stig’ Ben Collins, who also gave delegates feedback on their performance in the Vans and discussing good driving practices in general and his career experiences.

Find out more about the day plus how Field Service News Editor Kris Oldland fared as a van driver in the next issue of Field Service News.

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TomTom Telematics has launched a new smartphone app in the UK and Germany that gives drivers real-time feedback on their driving style.

TomTom CURFER uses the latest developments in connected car technology from TomTom Telematics to provide drivers with visual information on how they drive – including live and retrospective feedback on their braking, cornering, acceleration and idling.

 

“This new aftermarket solution brings the benefits of our advanced, cloud-based, fleet management technology to all drivers and passenger cars," said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director, TomTom Telematics. “It also demonstrates the opportunities the TomTom LINK 100 and its OBD.connect SDK offer third-party developers for creating mobile apps that make use of real-time vehicle and driving data.”

 

The TomTom CURFER app works in conjunction with the TomTom LINK 100 dongle, which plugs into the vehicle’s OBD port to connect car and smartphone via Bluetooth.

In addition to gaining real-time feedback, drivers can share information on their individual driving style with friends over social media networks, monitor long-term trends and earn digital badges and similar recognitions. This allows them to compare their performance behind the wheel and compete with one another to achieve the best possible driving performance.

While the product itself doesn’t include GPS, to protect the location privacy of drivers, the TomTom CURFER app also includes an optional car finder tool that will navigate users directly to their parked vehicles.

TomTom CURFER is available on http://tomtom.com/curfer from £79.00.

 

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The number of unplanned truck standstills can be cut by 80 per cent. This is revealed in a study conducted by Volvo Trucks. In the long term, the aim is that unplanned standstills should entirely disappear. One key explanation for this expected trend is online connectivity in trucks, a development that creates entirely new scope for working with preventive maintenance.

An unplanned standstill is one of the most problematic issues that can affect a haulage firm. Apart from the inconvenience for the driver, it creates extra costs for repairs, lost transport revenue and, in the worst-case scenario, a damage to customer reputation.

“Since the transport industry already operates with very small margins, an unplanned standstill hits haulage firms hard. We therefore have to be better at understanding why unplanned stops take place and help both customers and drivers increase their productivity and thus also their profitability,” says Hayder Wokil, Director Quality and Uptime, Volvo Trucks.

In order to increase knowhow about how to help haulage firms boost their productivity, Volvo Trucks conducted a comprehensive survey that based on real-life user data from 3500 Volvo trucks gathered over a 5-year period. With this authentic statistical basis the company then conducted advanced simulations and generated a variety of possible service situations to analyse how, why and when trucks suffer unplanned standstills. The aim was to find out how unplanned stops can be avoided.

 

“The study clearly showed that by being able to monitor the truck’s usage and the current status of the vehicle’s various key components, it is possible to plan maintenance better. We reckon we can reduce the number of unplanned standstills by 80 per cent if the truck is serviced in time and in response to actual needs,” explains Hayder Wokil.

Connected trucks are the way to zero unplanned standstills


One important prerequisite for reducing the number of unplanned standstills is to be able to predict maintenance needs and to tailor servicing for each individual truck. This is possible since today’s trucks can be connected online to the workshop.

“For instance, a service technician can remotely monitor exactly how the truck is being used in real time, schedule maintenance well in advance before something breaks down, or order spare parts in advance. What’s more, a scheduled service can also be postponed if the workshop technician can see that the truck’s various components are subject to less wear than expected, thus saving time for both the haulage firm and the driver,” relates Hayder Wokil.

Although Volvo Trucks has made considerable progress in this area, Hayder Wokil feels that the development of preventive service is still in its infancy.

 

“We see considerable potential in this area. Connected vehicles are the route to zero unplanned standstills in the future,” says Hayder Wokil.

 

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Haulier Ernest Cooper Ltd is set to save more than £125,000 in fuel costs over the next 12 months by improving driver behaviour across its 25-strong vehicle fleet.

The bulk tipping specialist, which transports over 1.5 million tonnes of bulk materials nationwide each year, saw mpg improve by 14 per cent and negative driving events such as idling decrease by 63 per cent in the first two months of using TomTom Telematics’ WEBFLEET fleet management system.

Ernest Cooper uses the integral driver behaviour monitoring tool OptiDrive to deliver both on-the-road coaching to drivers and full post-trip evaluation reports to managers.

“Because our drivers now get real time visual alerts on their in-cab device when they are speeding or braking and cornering too harshly, they can respond instantly,” said Ernest Cooper Ltd Director Jason Cooper. “The dramatic effect on fuel efficiency means that we are now planning to introduce the technology across our growing sub contractor fleet."

 

“The fact that OptiDrive incorporates such clear colour coding makes it really easy to see where there are problems, so we know which issues and drivers to address at a glance. We trialled various systems but decided to go with TomTom Telematics as it did exactly what the management required and was by far the superior option to its competitors."

Ernest Cooper is now set to integrate WEBFLEET with LGV-specific routing and scheduling software from Stirling Solutions. This will allow integrated order management with the TomTom Telematics PRO 8275 TRUCK ruggedized driver terminal.

"The day's schedule of jobs is sent to each driver, and as soon as they accept each job, the system automatically calculates ETAs and alerts office staff," explained Vic Ball, Managing Director of Stirling Solutions. "Customers can either track their order online or opt to receive email or text updates. Drivers can also capture customer signatures on the TomTom driver terminal, giving proof and time of delivery."

 

“The latest system will significantly improve our outstanding customer service standards by giving up-to-date ETAs for each job,” added Jason. “Being able to communicate job schedule details directly to drivers without having to text or phone them stops any ambiguity or details getting lost in translation. It will help us to run our fleet much more efficiently.”

Giles Margerison, director at TomTom Telematics, commented: “Continuous driver behaviour improvement is one of the key modern challenges for greener and safer driving. We’ve recently launched four new KPI’s in OptiDrive which allow fleet operators and drivers to learn, coach, compare and evaluate driver behaviour even more effectively.  This fully integrated approach is why we are calling it OptiDrive 360 from now on.”

 

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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.

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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