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An innovative fuel and driver management solution from TomTomTelematics and BP has helped logistics specialists Corporate Solutions cut fuel costs by 8.1 percent.

The Birmingham-based company, which provides bespoke temperature controlled and ambient distribution services, introduced BP FleetMove Pro across its 100-strong HGV fleet in June 2017.

The new integrated system combines BP fuel card information with vehicle location, fuel consumption, driver behaviour and vehicle maintenance data from WEBFLEET, TomTom Telematics’ fleet management solution.  This provides full visibility and control over how fuel is being used across the entire fleet in one, easy-to-use interface. 

Instead of checking thousands of individual fuel card transactions manually every year, the company now receives fuel card exception reports Instead of checking thousands of individual fuel card transactions manually every year, the company now receives fuel card exception reports. These highlight at a glance if there is an anomaly that might indicate fraudulent card use, such as when a fuel card transaction and vehicle location do not match.

WEBFLEET’s integral OptiDrive 360 functionality meanwhile – which gives drivers in-cab feedback and advice on a number of key indicators affecting fuel efficiency, including speeding, idling, sudden braking and harsh steering – has helped improve fleet mpg by 9.2 percent.

In addition, weekly fuel consumption reports have highlighted a clear correlation between fuel wastage due to idling and number of accidents, triggering targeted driver training.

“We’re delighted with the results,” says Stuart Payne, Commercial Director at Corporate Solutions. “Combining different streams of data in this way makes everyone’s life easier, helping us to save time and reduce operating costs.”

Further benefits to the company include WEBFLEET alerts that highlight when any of the vehicles’ dashcam cameras are no longer working, helping to plug any evidence gaps for future insurance claims.

Scheduled integration with the incumbent routing and scheduling system means the company will soon be able to send drivers directions to the most appropriate BP stations on each route to help them get the best fuel deals.

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Agricultural merchant Zantra is implementing Maxoptra dynamic route planning and scheduling software to manage deliveries of its crop protection solutions.

One of the largest independently owned agrochemical merchants in the UK, Zantra will use Maxoptra to optimise routes in order to reduce unnecessary mileage, control costs and minimise the environmental impact of its transport operations. Integrated with the company’s TomTom telematics solution for real time updates, Zantra believes Maxoptra Delivery will safeguard the company’s reputation for fast and efficient customer service, and help deliver further improvements.

“Put simply, if we fail to deliver the best advice and product selection, on time and in full, then we fail to deliver what our customers – and their crops – require,” commented Russell West, Logistics Manager at Zantra. “By introducing Maxoptra vehicle routing and scheduling, we can ensure our regional depots are fully stocked with the right products at the right time, and our delivery fleet is utilised to its maximum potential.”

Prior to the introduction of the Maxoptra platform, Zantra manually planned both depot and customer deliveries. Using orders exported from the company’s Customer Relationship Management software, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zantra will now automatically schedule up to 200 deliveries a day in accordance with customers’ specific requirements.

 

“During April, our delivery fleet makes eight times more drops than it does in mid-winter, so it was important the solution we chose was flexible and easily scalable,” continued West. “Rather than tie us into long contracts, with large up front investments and crippling support fees, Maxoptra was willing to work with us to implement a solution that exactly met our current requirements and future needs.”

The farming-family owned business has grown substantially since it was established in 2003, mainly on the strength of its service and commitment to customers, and now operates a nationwide service supplying crop protection products, nutrients, fertilisers and seed from leading manufacturers. Based at Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire, Zantra maintains a network of strategically located, BASIS approved depots, including Doncaster in the north, Faversham and Winchester in the south and Telford in the west.

Stuart Brunger, Maxoptra Business Development Director added, “It is important to remember that one size does not fit all, which is why Maxoptra is the choice of businesses such as Zantra, which experience seasonal peaks and sustained growth.”

 

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TomTom Telematics has announced a collaboration with SOTI that will see the company’s popular flagship enterprise mobility management (EMM) software, MobiControl, be made available to manage TomTom PRO 8 series* driver terminals.

SOTI MobiControl gives fleet managers complete remote control of the TomTom PRO 8 series, an open-platform device that is easily customised with apps to meet the needs of specific users and functions. Content and user profiles on devices are managed centrally, so drivers have access to the most appropriate and up-to-date applications for their specific role, without having to return to base.

SOTI MobiControl offers a powerful feature set, enabling managers to dynamically control user groups and policies, allowing access to apps, functionality and content based on a user’s role in the business. Access can also be determined based on geographical location. These features not only help to control app usage, but also to manage data costs, for example by not allowing users to download large files when they are abroad.

 

“SOTI MobiControl allows customers using TomTom PRO 8 series driver terminals to instantly manage and update devices in the field, via one secure interface, so they are always fit for purpose. This takes the complexity out of mobility management and frees up time to focus on core tasks,” said Oscar Rambaldini, Vice President of Product Management at SOTI.

“SOTI is a leader in mobile device management, and by offering MobiControl together with the TomTom PRO 8 series of driver terminals we are helping businesses ensure that their field teams have the tools they need to be effective,” said Taco van der Leij, VP Marketing at TomTom Telematics. “With hundreds of apps available for WEBFLEET and PRO 8 series driver terminals we are committed to helping our customers to achieve more with their businesses.”

The integration will be handled by OrangeSeven BV, a specialist in MDM that SOTI has selected to provide all MobiControl solutions to TomTom worldwide.

 

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Sub-Zero & Wolf are cooking with gas. The preferred suppliers of kitchen equipment for celebrity chefs James Martin and Heston Blumenthal as well as interior designer/former Dragon’s Den star Kelly Hoppen who are ‘wolfing’ down the rewards of a complete service management revolution. A year ago, they replaced their outmoded, non-web-based software with Tesseract’s Service Centre 5.1 (SC5.1), improving stock control, reducing call times, and cutting out 2 days’ worth of reporting.

The chef’s choice

Sub-Zero & Wolf are longstanding kitchen appliance connoisseurs who supply, install and maintain top-of-the-range cooking and cooling equipment in domestic settings.

Their products are sold through 250 independent dealers across Europe and are the appliances of choice for chefs, designers and celebrities because of their superior performance and exclusive functions. They range from dual fuel ovens to wine storage to coffee machines and many are compatible with home automation systems.

In 2016, Sub-Zero & Wolf marked 70 years of successful trading with a major overhaul of their field service management system.

The old system — too many cooks

Sub-Zero & Wolf’s previous service management system was a case of too many processes, too many people, too many delays, and too little visibility.

The non-web-based software could only manage one stock location at a time and was always a day out; the company could never accurately tell where an item was at any one time. Technicians had no access to live data in the field, only in the office.

This meant they could only get updated callout information and asset data by dialling in to the system, or by speaking to the admin team on the phone or via email. Planned maintenance scheduling was still done using Excel spreadsheets.

“There were a number of factors that led us to replace our service management software,” says Greg O’Sullivan, European Group Service Manager for Sub-Zero & Wolf. “But ultimately it was because our customers expect a first-class service, and we decided that a first-class service management system would help us do that.”

A recipe for success

Sub-Zero & Wolf happened upon Tesseract at the Service Management Expo in Birmingham. They looked at a variety of solutions, but chose Tesseract because it was web-based, cloud-based, and the best fit for their service management needs.

Now, live data is at their fingertips and numerous process delays have been eliminated. If a service call comes in, a suitable technician is dispatched via the Tesseract system rather than a phone call. Planned maintenance work is scheduled using Tesseract’s assisted diary rather than a slew of discrete spreadsheets.

 

While in the field, technicians can log in to the system remotely at any time and view outstanding jobs and parts availability.

They don’t need to rely on a call or email from the office to find out about a site, a customer and the service history of an asset, because all this can be obtained by running simple searches of the Tesseract Customer Assets database.

This smooth, seamless flow of data has cut down both the number and length of calls between the office and Sub-Zero & Wolf’s 114 Europe-wide engineers. It has also improved the engineers’ ability to see patterns of faults with equipment — a crucial facet of good problem management.

Greg O’Sullivan explains, “Tesseract comes with high levels of automation and saves us huge amounts of time. It’s also a much easier process to manage. We had traffic jams on the old system. We’d get job data and parts requests all in one go because it wasn’t live, but now the jobs trickle through at a friendlier pace.”

A major concern for Sub-Zero & Wolf was stock control. Parts are essential to their business and typically very expensive, so keeping track of them is vital. Despite having stock locations all over Europe, their previous system could only monitor one at a time and was always a day out of sync.

With Tesseract’s Parts Centre module, Sub-Zero & Wolf can monitor all stock locations at once, from warehouse to van to customer, with full, real-time visibility of the installation, usage and repair cycle.

One of the biggest efficiency gains for Sub-Zero & Wolf has been in reporting. O’Sullivan says, “Reporting was a laborious manual process at the end of the month and took two days to compile and complete. With Tesseract, we can extract data about assets, parts used and completed jobs at the touch of a button, and complete a report in 30 seconds.”

 

A further benefit for Sub-Zero & Wolf is Tesseract’s ability to integrate with other systems. This is thanks to an application program interface (API) that enables the transfer of information between SC5.1 and any third party software product. “We were already using TomTom WEBFLEET, which tells us where our technicians are,” says O’Sullivan. “Tesseract integrates with this, transmitting address details for service jobs directly to our technicians’ TomToms. Again, this cuts out a manual process and saves us time.”

A taste for more

Sub-Zero & Wolf are looking to add the Remote Customer Access (RCA) function of SC5.1 to their portfolio of service management modules. At present, dealers and end-user customers have to phone Sub-Zero & Wolf if an equipment fault occurs, and cannot see what’s happening when a job is actioned. RCA allows customers to log in to SC5.1 via a web browser and notify Sub-Zero & Wolf of a problem more quickly, easily and simply than a phone call.

Customers can also monitor progress, move assets, raise sales orders and run reports.

“We’re keen to add Remote Customer Access in the near future to make life easier for our customers,” says O’Sullivan. “What’s great about this is that Tesseract can tailor the visibility of the platform at different levels, simply by changing the permissions. This means our dealers can see data for their customers, but our end-user customers will only see the data that is relevant to them.”

 

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Traffic congestion is costing UK businesses approximately £767 million a year in lost productivity, according to research conducted by TomTom.

The TomTom Traffic Index has found traffic across the UK’s 25 most congested cities and towns increases the time each vehicle spends on the road by an average of 127 hours a year – more than 16 working days.¹ This could equate to a cost of £767,937,250² in time spent sitting in traffic for the 902,500 light commercial vehicles operated in these cities and towns.³

And the situation seems to be getting worse. An average journey in 2015 took 29%⁴ longer than it would in free-flowing conditions, up from a 25% delay in 2010.

“Traffic congestion may be seen as a fact of life for every driver but, cumulatively, it is taking a heavy toll on the UK economy and this should not be accepted as an inevitability,” said Beverley Wise, Director UK & Ireland for TomTom Telematics.

“Making the most of billable time is key to profitability for any business, so organisations that rely heavily on a mobile workforce must look for ways to maximise the time employees spend actually doing jobs by minimising time spent on the road.

“Through smarter planning, routing and scheduling, companies can help their drivers to better avoid traffic, which could not only have an impact on productivity but also customer service. Previous research conducted by TomTom Telematics among UK van drivers found 90 per cent admit to arriving late for customer appointments – with 93 per cent citing traffic as the reason.”

 

The biggest financial hit was felt in London, where £237 million is lost to traffic each year, followed by Manchester (£157,729,390) and Birmingham (£81,364,800).

Wise added: “Telematics solutions can help businesses mitigate the effect of traffic congestion and minimise time spent on the road. Firstly, drivers can be navigated along the fastest routes based on anticipated congestion spots and traffic information. But the data provided by telematics, including GPS location, ETAs and job status, can also be used to inform smarter planning where daily schedules are optimised to help ensure the most appropriate driver is sent to each job at the most appropriate time.”

 

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Nearly two-third (60 per cent) of van drivers believe they are made a scapegoat for perceived poor driving standards on UK roads, new research has revealed.

According to a study¹ by TomTom Telematics, fewer than one in ten van drivers (nine per cent) have been involved in a road traffic collision in the last 12 months.

In addition, more than half (54 per cent) have their driving performance monitored by their employer and more than a third (34 per cent) receive driver training.

The findings challenge the views of British motorists revealed in a study earlier this year, in which van drivers finished bottom of the list when it came to which road users are considered the safest or most careful.

“The traditional ‘white van man’ stereotype may no longer be a fair one with a great deal having been achieved over recent years to help raise driving standards among LCV operators,” said Jeremy Gould, VP Sales Europe, TomTom Telematics.

“Developments in telematics technology, such as our advanced WEBFLEET fleet management solution, have enabled drivers and managers to work more closely, empowering them with actionable insights and performance feedback for continuous driving improvement.”

 

Gould’s view is supported by Freight Transport Association (FTA) Head of Vans, Mark Cartwright, who added: “Van drivers are often unfairly maligned and, in some quarters, continue to shoulder an undeserved reputation. Initiatives such as the FTA Van Excellence scheme have been embraced by the industry, demonstrating its commitment to improving standards and increasing best practice awareness.”

According to the research, truck drivers were considered the safest road users², with a third of van drivers (33 per cent) voting them top. Thirty-three per cent meanwhile considered cyclists to be the least safe³.

More than half (59 per cent) believed in-cab technology solutions that provide audible and visual alerts offer the best approach to improving driving standards, followed closely by 49 per cent that voted for driver training courses.

 

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¹ The research was conducted by TomTom Telematics among 100 LCV drivers. In order to qualify for the research, respondents had to be mobile workers operating as part of a company van fleet.

Driver tables

²Road users that van drivers consider the safest (selected from the following finite list):

1. Truck drivers 33%
2. Van drivers 26%
3. Motorcyclists 18%
4. Car drivers 13%
5. Bus and coach drivers 7%
6. Cyclists 3%

³Road users that van drivers consider the least safe (selected from the following finite list):

1. Cyclists 33%
2. Motorcyclists 21%
3. Car drivers 20%
4. Truck drivers 13%
5. Bus and coach drivers 12%
6. Van drivers 1%

 

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PSA Group and TomTom Telematics have recently announced that the award-winning TomTom WEBFLEET fleet management solution will be available for all connected Peugeot, Citroën, and DS fleet vehicles.

As of next quarter, the service will become accessible in France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Optimised fleet management

WEBFLEET enables fleet managers to make better business decisions. It helps to save fuel as well as localise vehicle positions and improves car maintenance planning. Within the collaboration between PSA Group and TomTom Telematics, the WEBFLEET platform will use the data sent by the manufacturer-fitted telematics units of Peugeot, Citroën and DS cars. This kind of alliance with a car manufacturer is a first for TomTom Telematics.

“We see an increasing number of vehicles entering the market with pre-installed mobile connectivity. Our WEBFLEET platform can provide a valuable service to the owners and users of those vehicles. Customers with Peugeot, Citroën and DS connected vehicles will now have easier access to Europe’s leading fleet management platform to help improve fleet efficiency, customer services and overall business performance,” said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director at TomTom Telematics. “This initiative extends the relationship with PSA Group, after announcing the TomTom powered PSA infotainment platform¹ earlier this year.”

 

Brigitte Courtehoux, Head of the Connected Services and New Mobility Solutions business unit of PSA Group, added: “Our ambition is to provide customers with fully-connected vehicle fleets as part of our “Connect Fleet Management” program as well as a value-added service from market-leading partners. This innovative proposal allows customers to select services that best fit their company’s needs, helping to save time and money with an easy solution designed to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership. Collaborations like with TomTom Telematics enable us to provide a top-quality reliable service throughout Europe. In this way, PSA Group is furthering its strategy as a mobility provider."

 

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¹ This platform includes automotive-grade digital maps, TomTom’s award winning navigation software “NavKit” and its market leading live Traffic service.

 

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Road transport specialist Pentalver is saving more than £50,000 a year by improving driver behaviour across its 107-strong Cannock truck fleet.

Following the introduction of a performance improvement programme underpinned by WEBFLEET, a Software-as-a-Service solution for businesses to increase fleet efficiency, the company has seen fuel efficiency soar from an average of 8.5 mpg to 9.6 mpg per vehicle.

OptiDrive 360, a key component of WEBFLEET, scores drivers on a range of performance indicators from fuel consumption, speeding and idling to driving events, gear shifting and constant speed.

Pentalver has incentivised improvement with drivers receiving a quarterly bonus if they hit agreed performance targets.

“WEBFLEET has given us the tools to introduce the bonus scheme and has empowered our drivers to optimise their mpg by giving them real-time feedback and advice,” said Nick Matthews, Pentalver, General Manager.

 

 “Idling time, in particular, has been cut dramatically since we introduced the initiative and we have been able to offer driving training support for those employees that have most needed it.”

Pentalver has also integrated WEBFLEET with container transport management system TOPS, enabling more accurate job planning, scheduling and customer service with full fleet and journey time visibility.

Pentalver’s investment in WEBFLEET was supported by TomTom Telematics partner, Auto Electrical Services (AES).

 

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Incredible fuel savings and impressive reduction in CO2 emissions for Scottish local authority after implementing telematics solution from TomTom Telematics...

The Organisation:

Connecting the shores of Loch Lomond with Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire provides access to some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery and a network of towns and villages.

There are three town centres; Clydebank, Dumbarton and Alexandria. The council has a fleet of 380 vehicles that are used in delivering services for the residents of West Dunbartonshire. This fleet is made up of cars, vans and minibuses as well as specialist vehicles such as refuse collection trucks and road sweepers. The fleet has a capital value of approximately £8 million and annual running and operating costs of over £2M.

The Challenge:

Running vehicle fleets does not only incur costs – as a signatory to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, the council has a carbon reduction commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by one third by 2015. The cost of fuel to the council has increased significantly over recent years and it is clear that the council needs controlling mechanisms to regulate and influence the sustainable use of fuel.

Added to this, there was concern over the usage of council vehicles and the need to know where and how council property was being used. With a highly recognisable fully branded fleet, West Dunbartonshire are aware that they are continuously visible and that tax payers note any inappropriate use. Coupled with this comes the incidence of public challenges and spurious insurance claims against the council.

 

Tracking of the vehicles was becoming necessary to cut rising costs, raise efficiency and save time on administration.

The Solution:

In March 2010 the council installed TomTom LINK 300 GPS tracking boxes into 260 of their fleet of vehicles. This was a significant investment for the council, particularly at a time when budgets were being trimmed in every area. Nevertheless the Fleet and Waste Services Division led by Rodney Thornton, was confident that its introduction would reduce fuel costs.

Following research and a competitive tendering exercise, the council selected TomTom Business Solutions to provide the solution.

Driving more economically, efficiently, and safely, will reduce the council’s carbon footprint and longer term costs for the council. It was clear that many drivers, however unwittingly, were wasting valuable resources because of the way they drive.

Reducing average speed and instances of harsh braking and cornering delivers direct, measurable reductions in fuel consumption, servicing and maintenance costs and is proven to reduce accidents.

As a result of improved control of the vehicle fleet, the council is projecting that fuel usage will be down by around 70,000 litres in the period April 2010 – March 2011 when compared to the previous year.

 

Ultimately, the council has not only saved huge costs, they have succeeded in reducing their annual climate impact.

“Improvements to the way council vehicle operators carry out their duties has reduced our annual fuel costs by over £100,000 per annum, reduced servicing and maintenance costs in the longer term, will extend the working life of a number of vehicles and decrease the production of CO2,” said Rodney Thornton.

West Dunbartonshire council are so impressed with the results of the TomTom solution, they are incorporating the TomTom ecoPLUS into a selection of the vehicles across the fleet.

The ecoPLUS provides businesses with live data such as fuel consumption and live carbon footprint so vehicles can be accurately benchmarked and best practice developed to help achieve wider objectives such as fuel saving and carbon footprint reduction. TomTom ecoPLUS will enable the council to further reduce fuel consumption, by gaining a real time view of the fuel efficiency of each vehicle, showing when and where fuel is wasted.

Idling time in particular has been highlighted as a major contributor to fuel wastage in this sector.

 

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