Automotive Fleet, February 2016

said Basile of AssetWorks Its in your best interest to partner with a technology vendor that will help you analyze what you are doing now and then offer solutions that combine new business processes software and hardware to save money either by identifying ways to cut your costs or how to increase your uptime which generates more money The best way to achieve success is through integrated systems that relies on the same data to streamline processes in all areas of your company Additionally take a look at how the data and technology work with other programs already utilized in your fleet Consider how data flows to and from these systems and how they fit into the overall vehicle ecosystem If the data is locked up it cant provide a lot of value The fleet and fuel data needs to be combined with other data sources enriched and then analyzed to create new insights said Thearling of WEX And there are options to get started beyond investing in larger analytics systems if they simply are not a current option If a system such as ours isnt an option fleet managers can assemble a solid set of tools that can be used to explore fleet data from BI vendors e g Tableau and Domo to open source statistical tools e g R Python and Julia Its important to invest in and build fleet analytics expertise and its equally important for fleet managers make it a priority to understand their data and what that data can tell them Thearling said And as always do not forget to involve all key stakeholders in the decision making and data analysis process As fleet managers are making these decisions Id advise taking a balanced approach for long term success Advances in fuel management technology sometimes favor one stakeholder at the expense of another To gain long term traction and savings innovations must be compelling for multiple parties drivers managers and merchants said Pape of U S Bank The Bottom Line Deciding which is best can be a daunting task But if you take your time and do your research the future time savings will far outweigh the time spent There are many competitive systems on the market and the process for selecting the right hardware and software solutions can be daunting We believe choosing a vendor that offers integrated solutions can be much more beneficial to clients from a cost and central reporting standpoint Its important to trust your technology provider as a partner rather than just a vendor said Basile of AssetWorks And the advances are forecast to continue so its wise to not fall behind the learning curve now Over the next few years we are going to see some impressive advances in how companies understand their fleet operations A rich variety of data will provide the foundation and a growing list of analytics applications will turn that data into valuable insights I would add that its not a question of whether or not fleet managers should invest in understand and utilize data analytics tools its only a matter of when said Thearling of WEX AF fuel management AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I FEBRUARY 2016 26 Taking a few simple steps to understand fuel spend data can go a long way toward reducing overall fuel expenditures Utilizing technology and available fuel management programs can also help PHOTO ISTOCKPHOTO COM PERRY GERENDAY AssetWorks an asset management and infrastructure solutions provider has released an updated version of its on board radio frequency vehicle identification RFID box called the FleetJournal III While the base model is equivalent to the device the company has been selling for more than 20 years the new unit has significantly more processing and storage capability In addition to the basics of the original unit AssetWorks now has the option to add additional functionality such as passive GPS driver behavior and tire pressure monitoring Similar to its predecessor this unit can capture engine measurements such as low oil pressure high speed high rpms and any diagnostic trouble codes the engine sends out Uniquely the trouble codes and engine measurements are fully integrated in AssetWorks FleetFocus Maintenance Software The software can automatically generate service requests send notifications to users and open work orders that schedule the necessary repairs before they turn into larger issues Another new product in the fuel arena AssetWorks has released recently is the fully integrated AssetWorks branded MasterCard program called the TRIPCard According to the company the TRIPCard is the only fleet card on the market with direct near real time integration with a fleet management software program patent pending The AssetWorks TRIPCard gives organizations unprecedented control over their fuel and maintenance purchases and provides insights into spending habits AssetWorks Expands Engine Diagnosis Technology