A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
Selecting and implementing a vehicle tracking system sounds easy. But often businesses underestimate the research and planning that goes with acquiring new tools for an entire team, spending more time troubleshooting than reaping the benefits and seeing true ROI. To help you in your implementation, here are five tips for a successful implementation of a vehicle tracking solution:
Explain the need for a vehicle tracking system
Do your homework before you attempt to explain vehicle tracking to others in your business. You’ll want to define business goals, set expectations for the type of solution you’ll need, calculate costs, and understand how the vehicle tracking software will improve productivity and efficiency for everyone involved. Once you’ve gathered intel and defined a bigger picture to explain to your team, you’ll be ready to present and drive your point home.
Educate your employees
Before you get too excited about this new solution you want to implement for your team, educate your employees about it. Explain vehicle tracking, the technology behind it, and the many benefits it can offer each member of your team. Consider that some employees may be resistant to change and new technology. If you have data available, use it to show how others have successfully optimized their fleet operation in a competitive market. No matter which approach you take in educating your team, ensure you do it to build confidence and support across the board.
Get employee buy-in
Adopting new technology can be a daunting task for some employees––whether it’s because they lack tech savviness or don’t want to bother with a new system. Show them it’ll help them too in the long run. Highlight the features and benefits of vehicle tracking software, such as increased visibility and safety, the ability to automate office and in-vehicle tasks, improved efficiency and productivity, and much more. Being able to cut costs and track productivity and work patterns comes with rewards: discuss how this could mean recognition and reward programs for the team or individuals, based on performance and the company’s overall stability.
Create an onboarding program
As part of your introduction to why vehicle tracking software is the best solution for your team, have an onboarding plan ready. Create a clear strategy to train your employees and drivers on how to use the software and apply best practices for an optimal user experience. Check out vehicle tracking providers that offer training and other professional services to support your team as it ramps up with a new vehicle tracking solution.
Expect to learn and adapt
The first phase of any vehicle tracking solution is implementation. Once the implementation is complete, the discovery phase kicks in. You and your team will learn what the features do, how to use the data, and use both to make operational fleet changes as needed. Drivers, too, will learn how to handle in-vehicle devices and use them on a daily basis. The more your team embraces the changes, the stronger the outcome and ROI will be for your team.