Automotive Fleet, February 2016

fuel management AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I FEBRUARY 2016 24ogies When making a decision between the various options and do your homework Look for a system that helps transform how you manage your fleet business dont just find a technology that helps you replicate your current processes in a computer ceive and apply limits Also use exception reporting that tracks fueling activity outside of the expected norms said Joe Basile VP Hardware Solutions for AssetWorks And taking it further is the ability for more real time data analysis through the help of fuel management providers The ability to also compare transactions dispensed at in house sites with commercial fuel transactions in near real time provides a higher level of fuel control previously unavailable Exception reports can now detail anomalies of misuse never before achieved Basile said As put by a fleet manager client The key is the real time access We have the ability to have all of the data coming in pre authorized It makes everything much easier Finally proper data management can help simplify the sheer amount of data and identify key metrics and trends The fleet industry has been transformed by technology over the past 10 20 years We now have access to plentiful amounts of data which can often be perceived as cumbersome We need to grow in how we interpret and use that data to make better decisions To do this effectively having your maintenance fueling and purchasing data available in a single system can help you pinpoint areas for improvement Basile noted Selecting the Right Fuel System or Technology To help gather all of the data and help analyze it are myriad fuel systems and technolvisibility and control Pape noted Also gathering data is important but the ability to analyze it makes the data actionable There are many tools out there to help start analyzing collected information right away Also take advantage of multiple data analysis tools e g Hadoop R commercial business intelligence BI platforms and cloud computing Use advances in the art of data analysis to learn more about what the fuel purchase data can tell you Thearling said Once the data is analyzed its possible to dig down deeper to reveal potential problems that can save on fuel costs right away One of the biggest cost savings opportunities that comes from a fuel management system is through increased security that reduces waste and abuse Make sure your fuel management system authorizes both the vehicle and the driver whether through keypad entry smart cards or even wireless receivers on the vehicle and fuel pump Set up parameters that recognize the type and amount of fuel that each vehicle should reOne helpful piece of newer fuel management technology are mobile apps such as those to help locate low cost fuel stations or those that accept specific payment types BASILE AssetWorks Akey focus for WEX a provider of fleet management solutions fleet fuel cards was the 2015 release of its fleet analytics platform ClearView which was designed to provide customers with the ability to interact with the extensive fleet industry data captured by the company Historically fleet management analytics tools have provided customers with mountains of data and a less than clear path to analyzing that data and identifying immediately actionable areas to improve results ClearView combines interactive data analytics with sophisticated optimization algorithms to immediately identify communicate and influence actionable savings opportunities according to WEX In addition many of the most valuable analytic insights fleet managers care about are related to cost savings and waste ClearView targets wasteful behaviors and makes it easy to identify the drivers responsible for those purchases WEX Launches Fleet Analytics Solution Given the historically low fuel prices in the U S toward the end of 2015 and start of 2016 the Voyager Mobile App makes it easy for drivers to find fuel at the price and location they desire The Voyager App is a product of U S Bank which provides an array of fleet fuel maintenance and service solutions With just a few clicks on their Apple or Android device users can quickly find nearby Voyager accepting locations and get directions distance fuel types and prices And the app will talk to drivers providing a hands free way to locate fuel Anyone can use the Voyager Mobile App Its downloadable for free through the Apple or the Google Play stores According to U S Bank this is just the beginning additional enhancements are on the way all designed to provide additional visibility and controls for its fleet customers U S Bank Makes Locating Low Priced Fuel Easy