A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
Managing a successful fleet can be a rewarding job, but it's not without its challenges. One of the main issues is the time spent completing administrative tasks, with many operations still running on paper-based processes and struggling with data accessibility and accuracy.
The good news is that there is technology out there that can help. By implementing the right fleet management software, you can replace paper-based processes with digital structures that instantly make information available, in a single location. The long-term benefits of going digital are significant, a recent SAP report highlighted that 70% of leaders have seen a significant change in customer satisfaction and 80% of leaders believe profitability has increased thanks to digital change.
Here we outline the top 5 ways that you can use fleet management software to reduce the time you spend on administrative processess, and how you can spend more time moving your business forward.
Top 5 Ways Fleet Management Software Can Reduce Admin Time
#1 Remove Human Error
Data-entry errors, and other humor errors, can really hinder business decision-making and productivity. Hours a day can be wasted chasing missing information and correcting decisions that were made based on inaccurate data.
Fleet management software can digitize processes enabling businesses to simplify data capture, ensure that the correct data is collected, and reduce the risk of making decisions on inaccurate information.
#2 No More Information Hunting
One of the biggest drains on productivity is the constant need to hunt down the right information. It seems the data you need is never where it should be. If you manage your entire business via spreadsheet or have documents saved in multiple locations, you can find yourself losing hours of time every day looking for the information you need, especially if multiple stakeholders are responsible for different data sets.
Fleet management software helps ensure the data you need is where you need it, when you need it, assisting managers in making more informed business decisions. From finance and executive leadership to maintenance and compliance, multiple teams can access the same information, which helps ensure consistency and synergy between teams.
#3 Remove Multi-platform Stress
Different systems are often a significant pain point, with users having to login to multiple platforms to complete activities or access the information they need. Platform connectivity should be the goal but all too often businesses are running different software for route planning, job management, maintenance and driver safety.
A good fleet management solution should bring processes into one application and have the ability to integrate with other business software making information accessible across platforms. Having all your business information in one location will remove data silos and save hours in time every day.
#4 Simplify Analysis
Every fleet manager knows that having the right information at the right time is critical. But all too often users are getting overwhelmed with data and don’t have the time or skills to run analysis.
With the right technology, data can be transformed into business insight and be accessible 24/7, without the need for data analysis. Empowering managers with easy-to-digest data not only improves their engagement, but more importantly, it enables them to answer critical questions quickly, make confident business decisions and pinpoint risks in real-time.
#5 Document Management
Fleet operations have a large number of documents ranging from operator manuals, legal documents, delivery instructions and health and safety policies. Storing and sharing the right documents can be very time-consuming, but this is something that technology can help with.
Having a central document repository that drivers, managers, executives, and other parties can access in real-time really simplifies document management. With all of your team having access to the latest version of the documents they need; you can eliminate the time you spend tracking down and sending out documents.
The Importance of Onboarding and Training
Getting the right onboarding and training for your fleet management system is crucial. It is important to think about the processes that you want to digitize now and in the future, and make sure that you’re implementing a technology that can meet your short and long term goals. It is also important to choose a provider with a proven track record of helping customers achieve their goals and offer onboarding support through a professional services team.
The Bottom Line
Digitization is happening and by embracing the capabilities of the latest fleet management software you can unlock time savings that will enable your business to reach it full potential. Take a look at some of the tools that we offer and see if they can be a part of your digital future.