Tips to help you find the right Field Resource Management technology
As resources diminish, our responsibilities increase, and we have the daunting task of doing more with less. Not only do more, but do it better and faster than ever.
We can all agree technology can help us do our jobs better, streamline our operations, and increase our bottom line. Wouldn’t you like to save over $6,000 per employee annually, reduce the time it takes to supervise your employees, and streamline your driver management? GPS tracking technology has proven to help organizations accomplish all of the above for years.
Whether you are currently using a solution that doesn’t quite meet your needs or looking to implement a new tool, the thought of finding the right tool, implementing it, learning to use it, and teaching others who need to use it can be overwhelming.
The good news, we’ve put together a guide to walk you through the evaluation process and help you decide what kind of technology is the best investment for your organization.
When evaluating Field Resource Management Solutions, it is essential to consider the following:
Return on Investment – How much will GPS tech save your organization?
It only makes sense to invest in the tech if it cuts labor and fuel costs, increases revenue, or reduces the amount of time your managers take to supervise your employees. But how to know for sure if you will see ROI from this investment before you implement it?
First, you will want to determine the labor savings based on labor costs per hour, time saved per day, and days worked per week. If you could ride with each of your vehicles every day, how much more productive would your employees become? Workers that arrive late leave early or waste time idling cost you money – and those costs add up quickly.
A recent study by the Aberdeen Group reports that companies who have implemented fleet GPS see an average of 13.4% reduction in overtime costs.
Second, you want to determine fuel savings by calculating the average fuel cost per vehicle per month and the percentage saved with GPS technology.
Third, estimate how much your revenue will increase by determining the number of additional jobs per day, the billing rate per job, and the number of employees completing the extra work.
Are you curious to see exactly how much your organization can save? Click here to use our simple ROI calculator that already has the formulas in place and allows you to walk through several cost-saving scenarios. You can enter anticipated revenue increases, labor savings, and fuel-saving to determine the FieldLogix Field Resource Management System’s financial feasibility and generate a fleet GPS ROI to present to others within your organization. Click the button below to view your ROI.
Your Needs – Determine what your immediate needs are and prioritize.
What exactly do you hope to accomplish by implementing GPS technology? Is it improving driver safety, improving customer service, or reducing overtime costs?
Each of these requires a specific set of features from any system you might be evaluating. This careful consideration and prioritization process will also help you avoid the trap of paying extra for a plan with extra “bells and whistles” that you would rarely, if ever, use.
It is also imperative to consider future needs. Ask potential vendors if they are on the leading edge of the technology and have a roadmap of innovation to meet your future requirements as your organization grows and the technology evolves.
According to the Clean Cities Coalition, a 10 vehicle fleet will waste over $7500 in fuel per year from idling alone.
Without a fleet management solution, it is impossible to monitor these wasteful habits to take corrective action. GPS technology can send alerts when fleet vehicles exceed limits set by your organization.
Relevant Features – Choose relevant and easy-to-use features.
The second step we discussed helped you figure out your specific needs, but now you need to figure out which features align with those needs and which ones you need most. Are you looking for real-time tracking and dispatching, safety monitoring, messaging features, customer ETA alerts, proof of service, or mobile timeclock features for your employees?
You also need to make sure the system is easy to configure and use. You want your new system to be as easy to implement, and your employees use it so that you get the most from your investment.
During this step, you can also check to see if the vendor is committed to providing excellent customer support. You want to deal with a provider who is responsive and resolves issues promptly. Check their BBB listing, references, and other online reviews.
What is the onboarding process? Does this technology provider have a training program for its users? Look for video tutorials and refresher training.
What is the support process? It is crucial to find a vendor that has a well-defined process for handling support tickets and escalations. The last thing you need is to have problems with your system that will cause any disruptions in your service.
We hope this helps with your evaluation process. For more information, click here to download the full version of the Evaluation Guide.