Running a high-performing fleet in the modern age by default requires automation and digitalization. Most auto-transport companies are currently moving towards digitalizing and automating their work operations to facilitate cost-effective strategies and minimize risks. With the countless number of fleet management challenges that can lead to security risks and losses to the business, organizations turn to IT asset management to boost work efficiency with telematics.
ServiceNow software asset management is widely used for the automation of a company’s IT asset lifecycle. Data-rich software solutions have been increasingly used in digitizing operations in the auto-transport industry. New software solutions that can automate and digitize numerous business operations are being developed on-the-daily.
These asset management software aid modern fleet managers to a great extent. With the rising number of demands, they are required to monitor and manage every aspect of the fleet of a growing business. With mobile scanning technology, they can capture data in one go and optimize their work operations to their fullest capacity taking them to the highest level of automation and digitization.
What is Digitalization?
Age-old paper-based systems are prone to more human errors and take longer to manage by fleet managers. Not to mention the added burden of administrative duties that manually managing a business can lead to.
Digitalization of any sector is the process of transitioning from manual to digital management. In fleet management, it enhances communication and scheduling and helps manage drivers better. configuration management can reduce the potential risk of human errors, maximize time efficiency and minimize expenses.
Earlier, fleet managers were required to work in offices and were bombarded with piles of paperwork. Manually surveying data gathered from their trucks was a challenging and time-consuming process. In recent times, the advent of technology has facilitated digitalization and automation that have helped simplify fleet management for managers.
With this upgrade, they can now scan through large datasets in less time and focus more on decision-making. With Big-Data powered Fleet management software coming into place, the overall efficiency of the transport and supply chain industry has advanced by leaps and bounds. Fleet management software companies have even developed software like retrofitted devices, lane assist technology, and other innovations. They have high syncing capabilities, allowing you to effectively manage your fleet from one central location.
The ServiceNow business application can help collect daily inputs about the company’s drivers and transport vehicles and helps a manager strive towards ensuring safe and secure operations that are environment-friendly.
The How-Tos of Digitalizing Fleet Management
As a fleet manager, you are responsible for every fleet operation. Manually handling an entire fleet can lead to several mishaps when it comes to scheduling, safety, and costs. This is the primary reason behind automating fleet management tasks.
Some of the major problems and their solutions by implementing a digitalized vehicle management system have been listed in the table below:-
| Parameters | Challenges of not automating fleet management systems | How digitalized fleet management can help:- |
| Shortage of Drivers | A fleet management company cannot function without drivers. Hence, a driver shortage can be debilitating for the company. Truckers play a very important role in keeping the supply chain industry running by carrying 70% of U.S. freight, which on average, amounts to 10.5 billion tons annually. However, the shortage of drivers has been a leading cause of concern. In 2017, as per the ATA reports, the fleet industry fell short of almost 50,000 drivers. Without digitalization, this could amount to a shortage of 174,000 drivers by the time it is 2026. | Technology and automation can aid in monitoring and managing driver responses as well as security guidelines. It can help keep track of available drivers and help schedule them appropriately in advance. Solutions like ServiceNow software asset management can help enhance telematics and IoT technology that can optimize fleet management operations like:-
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| Fuel Costs | Some industries are required to set a high budget for fuel costs. This entirely depends on the following factors:-
The fleet industry can be highly impacted by even minuscule fluctuations in the cost of diesel which has a major influence on the company’s financial capital. |
Maintenance teams are required to stay updated daily about fluctuating fuel costs and alert the company about relevant cost-related issues. An automated fleet management system can help with the following:-
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| Environmental laws | The alarming rate of climate change and rising awareness around this issue have led the government to issue new clean air mandates globally. Stringent environmental legislation has led to a new set of challenges for fleet managers. Along with the variety of legal guidelines, they are also responsible for controlling, monitoring, and slowly phasing out using internal combustion engines in their fleet vehicles. | Fleet management software companies like ServiceNow offer expert service technicians who keep themselves updated about these laws. An expert ServiceNow consultant or technician is trained to alert fleet managers of any relevant issues, which helps in curating the problem’s custom strategies. |
| Route Optimization | Fleet managers have the added responsibility of juggling between vehicle availability, driver schedules, as well as the ideal multi-stop route plan. Manually planning out routes is bound to run the risk of incurring additional costs and even resulting in unsatisfied clients because of wrong coordination and taking longer routes. | Fleet management software companies can help tackle the challenges relevant to route planning. ServiceNow business application is a custom-built software that has dedicated consultants and technicians who are trained to:-
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| Driver Behavior | Driver behavior is directly related to maintenance needs. However, it has been a leading cause of a significant amount of losses in the fleet industry. Some of the worst instances of driver behaviors include:-
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Digitally acquired reports of bad driver behavior can be holistically used for enhancing training methods and also encouraging improvement. The ideal and safe fleet management services can help significantly improve driver behavior. Some of them include:-
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| Security | Security is a raging cause for concern among fleet managers. Some of the security risks include:-
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Digitally empowered autonomous fleet boasts top-notch security of fleet. Automated fleet management services offer an arsenal of experts dedicated to defending fleets every time they are deployed. They ensure safe transportation and use of transport with the help of the following:-
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Also Read: Maximize the Potential of ServiceNow IT Operations Management with Binmile
How will Digitization Affect the Position of Fleet Managers?
With a major chunk of our daily lives being ruled by automation, manual professionals working in the same fields have been replaced. The fear of digitization reducing the need for manual labor in these roles has been steadily rising among working employees in major companies.
Fleet managers who have played the most important administrative role in the fleet and auto-transport companies are also not new to this fear with automatic vehicles coming into play. With more and more technologies being implemented in the daily operations of fleet companies, older fleet managers are finding it difficult to adapt to new and modern-age tech.
With the plethora of tasks in hand, they face a major challenge in finding time to learn how to use new tools and implement them to save time. Many don’t have the necessary exposure or the technical skills to even browse through and analyze data. This makes it all for naught because saving time is the true essence of digitalization in this sector.
What one should always keep in mind is that without manual expertise, even the best form of automation is bound to fail. Every company requires a manual professional to monitor and manage every digitalized operation from start to finish. Any form of automation is bound to show problems at any given point. This is also where fleet managers come in. They need to be trained to handle any glitch, be it major or minor.
Digitization offers fleet managers a great solution to help them make manual data tasks hassle-free, seamless, and easy. It is imperative for them to give automation a chance so they can easily make time to focus on decision-making. Digitization, thus, gives fleet managers the opportunity to make a significant impact on profit and income.
Conclusion
Without logistics and transportation industries, global trade would seize to exist and, along with it, leave a bevy of problems in its wake. Starting with shipping-heavy businesses relying on delivering their goods from doorstep to doorstep to the global retail chain, all swear by the core importance of fleet management.
Real-life fleet managers are also important to monitor safety in the workplace and also for customers, drivers, and vehicles and to ensure the seamless functioning of business operations. Fleet managers help keep track of time and plan to schedule as well to manage everything effectively and also to make sure that the fuel costs are also kept under control. Concludingly we can say that manual and digital fleet management go hand in hand.
If you are looking for a reliable platform to help digitize your fleet management business, Binmile should be your go-to option. With efficient telematic solutions like ServiceNow consulting services, they can help you out in digitizing your Fleet Management seamlessly. They additionally offer constant monitoring of a plethora of fleet operations. Each ServiceNow consultant is thoroughly trained and equipped with enough professional expertise to take your business to a greater height in a digitally-driven world.
To know more, get in touch with Binmile’s fleet management services today!
