Wrx Whitepaper Buyers Guide

8/6/2019 Wrx Whitepaper Buyers Guide

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Five Keys ToBuying TheRight GPSFleet TrackingSolution

BUYERS GUIDE


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3/13fivekeystobuyingtherightgpsfleettrackingsolution | 2011 wirelessmatrix, inc. allrightsreserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

KEY #1 - UNDERSTANDING GPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

KEY #2 - KNOW YOUR OPTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

KEY #3 - KNOW YOURSELF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

KEY #4 - KNOW YOUR PROVIDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

KEY #5 - DECIDE WHATS IMPORTANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

READY, SET, TRACK!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9



INTRODUCTION

Where does your business do business? If you have a eet of

vehicles whether its ve delivery vans or 10,000 trucks you do

business where those vehicles go. For utilities, that could be at the

customers meter, or it could be on a utility pole in the middle of

nowhere. For a company servicing appliances or HVACcomponents, its inside the customers home. For a delivery

company or a tow operator, its at dozens of locations around town

every day. Every companys operations are unique.

To help them manage those operations, more and more eet

operators are deploying GPS eet tracking solutions in their vehicles.

GPS offers them distinct competitive advantages:

They realize increases in productivity with more jobs completed and

more exible job assignment. They achieve higher numbers of

on-time customer appointments, increasing customer satisfaction.

They do more with their budgets by identifying and eliminating

wasteful driver practices. They operate with more regular vehiclemaintenance and greater safety.

If you havent implemented a GPS eet tracking solution, or are in

the process of evaluating service providers and solutions, this guide

provides you with ve easy steps that:

Break down what GPS tracking is.

Help you evaluate the various GPS options available.

Guide you through evaluating your companys pain points.

Give you hints on how to evaluate service providers.

Bring this information together to make a decision.

Through these ve keys, we want you to realize the best solution

possible for your eet.

KEY # 1 - UNDERSTANDING GPSGPS technology is everywhere. New cars use it to empower their

in-dash navigation systems. Smart phones, tablets and laptop

computers all support it in some form. In fact, its difcult to go abou

our daily lives without somehow interacting with GPS technology.

Its the same in business. GPS can be a powerful tool for eet

operators. To understand how, it rst helps to know some of the

basics about GPS, what it is and how it works. Chances are you may

already know the basics of GPS; if you do, move ahead to Key #2

- Know Your Options. But if youre new to GPS, heres some basic

information on the nuts and bolts of what GPS is and how it works.

What Is GPS?

GPS the Global Positioning System is a network of satellites

in Earth orbit. Currently, 32 satellites provide information on loca-

tion, speed, time and direction of GPS receivers. The GPS satellite

network is maintained by the U.S. Government, and has been in

operation and available for public use since the early 1990s.

Figure 1 - How GPS Tracking Works



What is GPS Tracking?

GPS tracking is a practice that uses a GPS receiver based on the

ground in a vehicle or on a driver to obtain position information

using the GPS satellite cluster. This position information is then

delivered to a software application that displays the location of the

GPS receiver.

How Does GPS Tracking Work?

1. GPS satellites transmit signals that can be received on the

ground.

2. A GPS receiver on the ground receives these signals. There area variety of GPS receiver options available to users, fromvehicle-mounted GPS units to mobile handsets.

3. Using signals from multiple GPS satellites, a variety ofinformation can be determined, including the receivers position,speed and direction at a specic time.

4. GPS information from the receiver is then sent via a cellular

data signal to a software application. This application recordsand interprets the data, allowing the receivers position to bedisplayed on a map or presented as location information.

A GPS-capable receiver is required for each individual or vehicle that

is tracked. It is also important to understand that the GPS receivers

antenna is passive and only receives signals from the GPS satellites.

It does not broadcast vehicle position. A cellular communications

system is required to transmit data from the vehicle to the GPS eet

tracking application.

Figure 2 - GPS Tracking Solution Business Drivers

If a large portion of your business is conducted by vehicle, there

is great potential to improve your operations and discover new

efciencies (and revenue) through the deployment of GPS tracking

in your eet. It opens a window of insight into how vehicles are being

operated, where theyre going, and how long it takes to accomplish

work tasks.

Should I Implement GPS Tracking?

A November 2010 survey by the Aberdeen Group examined the

business drivers that were most critical to companies that

purchased a GPS eet tracking solution. Unsurprisingly, customer

demand for improved service performance ranked highest among

respondents, with 69% identifying as the highest-pressure reason fo

needing real-time connectivity to their assets.

But the survey revealed additional business drivers spurring the

adoption of the technology, including:

Need to reduce/eliminate costs (56%).

Need for increased service organization productivity andefciency (54%).

Need for increased service and services-based revenue (41%)(see Figure 2, above).

0% 20% 40% 60%

69%

56%

54%

41%

80%

Customer demand for improved service

performance

Need to reduce / eliminate costs

Need for increased service organization

productivity and efficiency

Need for increased service and

services-based revenue

Percentage of Respondents, n = 123

Source: Aberdeen Group, November 2010



A GPS eet tracking solution gives you an unprecedented

view of your operations:

Know when your vehicles start for the day, where they travel,

how often they stop, and how long stops take.

Receive real-time alerts when drivers operate the vehicleunsafely, such as when speeding, or when business rules areviolated, such as when vehicles are used for personal travelafter work hours.

Identify behaviors that cost the company money: excessiveidling, longer-than-necessary stops, unnecessary overtime.

When you can capture vehicle usage and measure driver behavior, you

can takes steps to improve those areas that can be more efcient or

less expensive. A GPS tracking system ensures you receive accurate,

actionable data about your everyday operations that can form the

foundation for improving operations and saving money.

Can I Afford GPS Fleet Tracking?

GPS eet tracking is a solution that can truly pay for itself. This sounds

like a cliche, but GPS solutions have proven time after time that there

is real Return On Investment (ROI) from deploying these solutions in

vehicle eets.

NewWave Communications, a cable company serving six states in the midwestern U.S., deployed GPS eet tracking on 175 ofits vehicles. The goal was to help improve operational efciency and help manage fuel consumption. As we looked at a varietyof solutions, said Larry Eby, senior vice president of operations for NewWave, we found that one of the immediate savingsthat folks have is based around idle time.

NewWave created a measurement around its eet idle time in an effort to both reduce fuel-wasting vehicle idle and deriveimmediate benet from the solution versus the purchase price by generating some cost savings.

We saw we were able to generate about $3,000 a month right off the bat, Eby says, so there was really no cost to making thedecision. The company reduced idle time from 40% when its GPS solution was initially deployed to 20%. With that reduction

in idle time alone, weve seen a cost reduction of $10,000 a month. For the company, thats an annual decrease in costsgreater than what GPS tracking costs the company.

When the information on actual eet operations is used to set and

achieve improvement goals, tangible connections can be found

between:

Reducing idle time and spending less money every month foreet fuel.

Ensuring on-time starts and completing your jobs withoutincurring overtime.

Minimizing off-hour or personal use of company vehicles andsaving both fuel and wear-and-tear on your assets.

Verifying job assignment effectiveness and completing morejobs each day.

Many GPS solution providers offer ROI calculators that use data you

provide about your operations and established business benchmarks

(such as how much fuel is burned by idling) to generate an estimate

of potential savings from deploying GPS tracking in your eet. The

potential value indicated by these calculators is often borne out in

real-world results. The following table indicates some of the actual

savings realized, as determined through customer measurement and

reporting. Clearly when you can see these savings and how they are

calculated, supported by actual results realized post-deployment,

youre on your way to seeing how quickly the right GPS solution pays

for itself through both operational improvements and bottom-line cost

savings.

BENEFIT REPORTED IMPROVEMENT PER DRIVER*

On time arrival to the rst job 1 hour per day

Additional jobs/points per day 30%

Reduced fuel expenditure $90 per month

Accurate time reporting/reduced labor expenses 10 hours per month

Reduced overtime expenditure 50%

Reduced trafc incidents 60%

Reduced outage time 30%

Cost per truck roll $150 to $600

Monthly impact per tech $100 to $700

* Examples drawn from customer reports.

HOW LONG UNTIL YOU SEE YOUR ROI?- A ONE MINUTE CASE STUDY



KEY # 2 - KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

If you operate a eet as part of your business, youre familiar with the

direct costs involved. Drivers need to be paid, and sometimes that

includes overtime. Fuel, scheduled maintenance and insurance are

all critical to ensuring smooth ongoing operations. But there are a

number of other costs your eet can incur that may not be visible at

rst glance: elements that arise from driver behavior, how your work

or business is managed, or outdated manual processes.

GPS eet tracking technology affords you a variety of tools that

can help you put precise measurement around the intangible costs

to your operations. It can also help identify the gap between your

current productivity/costs and what you could both achieve and save

through more precise vehicle intelligence.

Basic Functionality For All

There are a number of GPS solutions available to eet operators.Solution features vary, but there is eet tracking functionality that

should be included in the basic package of any solution you

consider. Almost all providers will have some form of these features

in their solution. You should review them with an eye for usability and

how they complement the way you do business.

FEATURE WHAT IT IS WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Dashboard/

Mapping

A summary screen that may provide mapping,

vehicle details, summaries and other information at

a glance.

A main screen that pulls the high-level elements together in a clear

fashion. This includes an easy-to-use interface for locating vehicles,

a concise view of vehicle information (such as whether its moving

or stopped and if there are any alerts), and a high-quality map withcontrols for zooming in or out, panning left and right, or changing

view features (such as changing between street maps and satellite

maps.)

Breadcrumb/

Route Replay

The ability to review a specic vehicles route. Both text and mapping that illustrate all of the position updates

for a vehicle during a specic time-frame. Look for mapping that

graphically illustrates stops/moving updates with icons or color for

easy review.

Vehicle

Alerts

Notications when vehicles violate pre-determined

parameters, such as a maximum speed or dened

operating area.

Verify how alerts are delivered (within application/email/text/ phone/

reports), how they can be congured, and what operational items can

be monitored by alerts (geofences, speeding, other parameters).

Vehicle

Grouping

The ability to put vehicles in specic groups as

dened by the user.

Understand how vehicles can be organized within the application and

what tools exist to manage groups to meet your operational needs.

Landmarks/

Geofencing

The ability to identify specic locations or areas on

the map pertinent to your business requirements.

Learn what options exist for creating and managing landmarks or

geofences around specic locations, including whether landmarks

can be bulk uploaded.

Reporting The ability to capture and present data in an

ordered, concise fashion for management

review/use.

Identify the basic reports available and what they mean. Determine

the ability to lter or customize reports within the application and

the delivery options for reports (e.g. can they be scheduled to run

automatically, can they be distributed to an email distribution, etc).

Ensure reports provide actionable information, and not just rows of

data.

Application

Hosting

Model

Where the application is housed/maintained, and

how it is accessed.

Most solutions for eet tracking are Internet-based and offered

as Software as a Service (SaaS). This removes the need for local

hosting of the solution on a server, as well as any associated costs

to upgrade software. For Internet-based applications, review browser

requirements to ensure proper functionality with your user platform,

ensure that application updates are included in the price of the

service, and understand how user IDs are handled.



Advanced Options for Specic Functionality

GPS eet tracking solutions may also provide features that address

specic operational requirements. Whether you require these

features or not depends on the day-to-day needs of your operations.

The additional investment (if any) of these features will vary from one

provider to the next. When reviewing additional features available,

one thing to consider is the growth potential for your operations:

are these added-value features that you may need to deploy in the

future? Do they provide service thats complementary to your current

operations or enhance them in new ways?

FEATURE WHAT IT IS WHEN ITS GOOD TO HAVE

Two-Way

Messaging

Direct text messaging between the

dispatcher and driver.

Two-way messaging is useful when your business involves a rapidly

changing schedule or uid job assignments that require coordination

between drivers and dispatchers.

In-Cab

Navigation

Integrated navigation devices receive

address data and provide turn-by-turn

directions to the driver.

This enables drivers with complex routes, new drivers or temporary hires to

save time and improve their arrival accuracy. It also improves driver safety

by eliminating the temptation to read a paper map while operating

the vehicle.

Work Order

Tracking

The ability to track work order status per

driver on a map.

If your drivers have numerous jobs to complete during the day, a solution

that supports work order management can identify what jobs are completed

or ongoing, support dynamic job reassignment, provide data that allows

customers to be notied of pending arrivals or delays, and reduce the

manual effort by the driver to close out work orders when theyre completed.

Integration

With Other

Applications

Direct integration between the GPS

solution and another product.

If your operations leverage specialized systems, such as outage

management systems used by utilities, or leak detection systems used by

cable system operators, consideration should be given to solutions that offer

standardized integration tools, reducing the need to change or upgrade

multiple systems in order to extend functionality to include GPS data.

Data Feed(Export)

The ability to export data from the GPSapplication for generalized use with

other applications.

In the absence of two-way product integration, a data export can extendthe usefulness of GPS tracking data to your back ofce systems, as well

as provide an independent pathway for archiving vehicle data locally. Data

exports should be in a standard format, such as XML.

OBDII Interface with the vehicles On-Board

Diagnostic (OBD) computer.

In some industries, the need to monitor information directly from the

vehicles on-board computer is an important part of following vehicle

operations. Due to variations in on-board computers between vehicle

manufacturers, OBDII can be a detailed feature set to implement. It should

be considered in specic situations where the on-board computer is the

sole source of critical data.

Route

Optimization

The ability to determine the most efcient

route for a driver based on current and

required locations.

If you operate in an area where highway conditions are highly variable,

where trafc rules can change during the day, or drivers have multiple

potential routes and highly time-sensitive activities, route optimization can

help dispatchers determine the most efcient route for drivers to meet their

operational commitments.

Mobile

Application

A mobile version of the GPS eet

tracking application.

This is most useful for decision makers who need to monitor eet activities

while on-the-go and require additional business intelligence beyond emailed

alert messages and reports.



This is not a comprehensive list. Service providers throughout

the industry continue to develop innovative ways to apply vehicle

location data to improve operational efciency, productivity and cost

savings.

What Should I Track The Driver or The Vehicle?An ongoing debate is whether its better to track the driver, via a

mobile device or a laptop-mounted aircard, or the vehicle via a

hard-wired solution. Each has its merits. Mobile device solutions can

often be leveraged using existing wireless contracts. The service

can usually be added to an existing mobile device and may be

less expensive to deploy than their vehicle-mounted counterparts.

The same argument can be made for aircard/laptop combinations,

which may cost less than a specialized device.

But a vehicle-mounted solution offers multiple safeguards that are

lost with mobile device solutions. For one thing, the unit is

hard-wired to the vehicle, and records starts, stops and idles

without manual input from the driver, which improves driver safety

by reducing distractions. They cannot be left behind at home or on

the job site, or turned off by the driver. Vehicle-mounted solutions

can also provide additional information on the treatment of your

expensive asset through the use of vehicle maintenance monitoring,

off-hours use alerts and reporting on unsafe

driving habits.

The ultimate decision of one over the other depends on a number

of factors that vary from one company to the next, but for optimal

usability and accuracy that cannot be easily manipulated, a

vehicle-mounted solution has distinct advantages.

KEY # 3 - KNOW YOURSELF

GPS eet tracking technology affords you a variety of tools that

put precise measurement around the intangible costs to your

operations. They can also help illustrate the gap between what

youre doing with your eet and what is possible. But before you

start looking at specic suppliers, a little self-analysis can go a long

way to helping you determine how your business can benet from a

GPS deployment.

Know Your Business

Part of the equation is knowing how your business is designed to

operate. What are the operational parameters of your business?

What are your business rules for engaging your customers?

Your employees? How does work ow from job planning through

execution, to job close out? Some questions to consider in

examining your operations include:

Does the company have specic work hours, after whichovertime must be paid?

Does the company allow employees to take vehicles home,and start from home to increase productive time?

Does the company assign work orders from a specic queueand rely on the driver to complete work order paperwork?

Does the company have specic customer service targets orwindows it must meet? Does it pay penalty fees or providediscounted service or incentives if it doesnt meet them?

Is the company responsible for repairs to critical infrastructureupon which thousands of consumers rely?

Does the company support dynamic job reassignment toaccommodate schedule changes based on customer needs?

By knowing how your business operates from end-to-end, you can

evaluate potential GPS solutions with a keen eye towards how their

functionality can best apply to your current business needs.

The most successful deployments ofGPS are those that bring drivers andmanagers together with a commongoal of improving the business.

Know Your Pain Points

The other part of the equation is knowing your companys actual

performance versus stated goals. You need to understand your

companys pain points those areas with a gap between the

companys goals and its results.

This requires a hard assessment of your drivers activity and

the ability to challenge your notions about their capabilities and

behavior. This isnt to say that GPS should be used as a behavior

monitoring tool. On the contrary, the most successful deployments

of GPS are those that bring drivers and managers together with a

common goal of improving the business. But improving operationssometimes means discovering things you dont want to admit, or

confronting things that have become ingrained in your business

culture.

For example:

If your drivers are idling the vehicles excessively say,running the engines while they eat lunch - theyre wastingexpensive fuel and accruing wear-and-tear on the vehicles.

If drivers arent leaving their homes or the depot on time, theentire days schedule is being pushed out, potentially causingmissed jobs, decreasing productivity, increasing customerdissatisfaction and incurring overtime.

If drivers are using vehicles for personal business, theyre notonly using company fuel and vehicles, but also risking thecompanys insurance and reputation if something unfortunatehappens with the vehicle.

If a dispatcher cant reach a driver to tell him a customer hascancelled a call, you lose productive time and waste vehiclemiles.



Once youve identied the pain points for your business, you can

approach GPS tracking solutions with attention to how those

pains are addressed by the solution. In turn, what GPS tracking

can tell you about your company can open the way to a variety

of improvements in your daily operations that you may not have

known were costing you money.

If youre comfortable with your eets operations or unconcerned

with the specics as long as work is accomplished, you may not

nd the need for a GPS tracking solution. But if you dont know

where you stand with elements of driver behavior or think that your

organization could benet from more agile customer response

or vehicle coordination, eet tracking can open your eyes to

efciencies and savings you never expected.

Know Your Internal Obstacles

Unless youre in a position to dictate company direction and capital

investments, there are likely going to be internal obstacles to the

idea of implementing a GPS solution. Obstacles can come in avariety of forms:

Budget managers who are wary of capital expenditures.

Drivers who dislike the idea of being big brothered by GPSor monitored everywhere they travel.

Dispatchers who are hesitent to adopt an additional solutionon their desktops.

Champions of legacy systems who are slow to adapt to newtechnologies.

Other projects competing for time, attention or nancing.

Obstacles arent the end of the road for GPS, but they do require

special handling. Take time to understand the reservations of thepeople opposed to a new eet tracking solution. Research the

arguments in support of your position, and arm yourself with the

correct information. For example, driver fears can be eased by

reinforcing the benets drivers will realize from arriving on-time and

receiving accurate addressing and directions for their jobs; while

budget managers can see projections of the ROI from implementing

the system, as well as improved bottom-line numbers.

KEY # 4 - KNOW YOUR PROVIDERSEveryone wants your business. Cell phone providers, politicians,

restaurants, media companies each will sell you on features and

their success record, offer you specials or make you guarantees, all

in an effort to get you to choose them over the next guy.

Fleet tracking providers are no exception. They all want to be

the service provider for your critical operations, and they will all

have very similar service offerings, perhaps differentiated by only

a handful of features. Choosing a GPS solution provider under

these circumstances can be challenging. While you investigate

features and functionality, you will also want to know more about the

company providing services. With your own business requirements

in mind, ask key questions to get a better feel for the company

behind the product, its stability and commitment to its customers.

You want to understand:

How long have they been in business?

The ability to provide cheap GPS data has led to a glut of

small companies long on promise and short on experience.

Lower-performing companies dont last long in the competitive

communications and applications industries. Plus, providers with a

signicant amount of time in business are most likely to have stable

platforms, feature-rich applications and reliable hardware. Theyre

also most likely to have strong customer support. You dont stay in

business for long if you cant satisfy your customers.

How many customers do they have?

A service provider that serves one or two large enterprises is at

risk if one of those customers chooses a new provider. Similarly,

a company that serves a thousand small customers may not be

able to provide the service responsiveness you need. Look for a

service provider that has a broad, diverse customer base that mixes

marquee customers with smaller eet operators, and has customers

with a eet size similar to yours.Who do they serve?

Every eet has specic needs based on their operations. Utility eets

use tools for outage management. Cable companies have a vested

interest in leak detection. Delivery companies need continually

updated driver statuses. When choosing a GPS eet tracking

company, look for a company with experience and customers

in your eld of expertise. Also determine if they offer standard

integration with the tools you use daily in your eet, or a standard

format data export that can be used in your back-ofce system.

A company that has worked with eets in your space will have

experience addressing your pain points and will understand where

you can realize greater efciency.

What kind of customer support do they offer?

In the event you have questions or issues, you want a solution

provider that offers a support system. Is their customer care based

in the U.S.? Is it easy to contact if you have questions? Do they

offer guarantees on response times for issue resolution? Are there

multiple contact methods (e.g. toll-free number, email, etc.)? Does

the company offer additional support tools, such as self-service

diagnostics or on-line video training? Is support included in monthly

costs?

What are their deployment best practices?

Deploying a solution is an intricate process. Theres equipment to

be installed, which requires coordinating the eet to take vehicles

off the road. Theres setting up the application with your information.

Theres training your employees in using the system. If you have

other systems that will use the GPS data gathered, theres integration

work. Ask the provider what their deployment process entails. How

involved are they in the process? What processes or tools do they

offer during the process? How are questions or issues resolved?

How are schedules set? A knowledgable and experienced provider

will be able to offer detailed information on roles and responsibilites

for outtting your eet and preparing your users for the solution.



What happens after the sale?

The last thing you want is to invest in a solution, deploy it and never

hear from the service provider again unless a bill is due. After

the sale, being left to your own devices creates headaches and

challenges. Unfortunately, many y-by-night providers offer just that.

When you investigate providers, also ask them what their after-salesupport entails. Many providers offer value-added services such

as additional personnel training, account management, no-charge

product enhancements, online tools for product troubleshooting and

usage information and other services - many of which are included

in the cost of the product. A reputable company will provide more

than just a contract with a line for your signature. It will be as

invested in your success as you are.

What is the products roadmap?

You want your solution to continue its evolution, incorporating

new features and capabilities, or to leverage new technological

advances. Ask providers what their product roadmap looks like:

whats forthcoming, what are they considering, how do they decidewhat features and functionalities to add? A company with a

forward-looking plan will provide a growth path for themselves

and, by extension, for your solution.

Whats their nancial condition?

Service providers come and go. The ones that are in it for the

long-haul are the ones that have a strong nancial foundation.

When reviewing GPS companies, ensure that theyre nancially

solid, with little (or no) long-term debt, demonstrated growth, and a

history of not only of expanding their business, but also investing in

their service offerings. Solid nancial footing may be the difference

between a long-term solution and needing to shop for a new one in

a year when the provider is out of business.

Consider a funnel: if you pourinto it at a measured pace,youll get everything through thespigot without spilling a drop;if you dump it all at once, youllneed a towel and to do it all overagain once you clean up.

KEY # 5 - DECIDE WHATS IMPORTANTOnce you have an idea of the providers, their solutions and features,

and their backgrounds, consider those things from Key #3, where

you took that long, hard look in the mirror. Nows the time to decide

what you need to know more about. You dont want to try to know

everything about every vehicle all at once. Consider a funnel: if you

pour into it at a measured pace, youll get everything through the

spigot without spilling a drop; if you dump it all at once, youll need a

towel and to do it all over again once you clean up.

With that in mind, review the companys product and how it

addresses the pain points youve identied for resolution. For

example:

You know your drivers idle unnecessarily. Does the solutioninclude idle reports? Can you set idle alerts to notify youwhen drivers are running their engines excessively? Candrivers be ranked by their idle percentages? Are there avariety of metrics available to assess idle performance, suchas raw idle hours, idle minutes per stop, and idle as a % ofengine time?

Your eet mileage is high. Can the solution illustrate whereyour vehicles have traveled? Does it allow you to see thedrivers entire day and route set? What mechanisms orreporting tools does it offer for monitoring non-businesstrips? Are reports available to compare actual distancetraveled against the planned travel distance?

Drivers that take vehicles home are often late for their rstappointment. Are there alerts to monitor late starts? Are there

landmarks that can be set to indicate when drivers leavehome? When they arrive at their rst job? What about reportsto track on-time starts?

Ask service providers about the capabilities and talk to them

about how their offerings address your concerns. Select the prime

candidate based on the solution that best addresses your concerns,

but also give some weight to the other features the solution

provides. As you improve performance in one area, you may nd

a need for other solution elements that address other areas (such

as whether drivers congregate, or if vehicles are being used during

non-business hours).

READY, SET, TRACK!

When youve done all the homework, asked questions of yourselfand prospective providers, investigated the available solutions and

measured them against your business requirements, youre ready to

make your selection.

But the selection isnt the end of the process. It opens a new world

of information and insight into your operations. Using GPS to

improve your bottom line or increase your efciency requires the

same dilligence and investigation as selecting the solution does,

and just as you dont want a service provider who disappears after

the sale, you dont want to install GPS in your vehicles and call it

done.

Take the time:

To learn the system.

To promote its benets internally.

To obtain continued buy-in from key supporters of the project.

To demonstrate the value of the solution and capture realROI gures.

To train key personnel using it.

Investing effort after the investment is the best way to realize a return

on it and ensure you receive the most from tracking your eet

with GPS.


12/13


13/13

Documents

Wrx Whitepaper Buyers Guide