The Manifold Benefits of Custom Fleet Management Software in Supply Chain

Cost, Compliance, Efficiency, and Manpower – These are the pillars on which a fleet management business stands. A compromise on any of these can mean the whole business topples with a resounding crash. 

How can you ensure the stability of these pillars? Custom Fleet Management Software brings you the solution. Let us find out how.

Fleet Management and Technology

Before we dive into the many valid reasons why every successful company should have its own personalized fleet management software, let us first familiarize ourselves with what fleet management is.

Fleet management is a service that helps businesses that rely on transportation remove or limit the risks associated with vehicle investment, enhance efficiency and productivity, and decrease total transportation and labor expenses. While most typically used for vehicle tracking, fleet management also involves monitoring and documenting mechanical problems and driver behavior.

In addition to a 12% increase in fleet management technology usage between 2019 and 2020, forecasts indicate that the fleet management market was valued at $25.5 billion in 2022 and might grow to $52.4 billion by 2027. 

Fleet efficiency is by far the most important and game-changing aspect of fleet management. It refers to the economic feasibility and optimal functioning of the entire fleet, irrespective of the vehicles in it. If you can lock down the efficiency of your fleet, you will be one step ahead of other businesses. This makes improving fleet efficiency a top priority for companies.

Read more: Robotics in Logistics: Dawn of a New Era

Fleet Management Challenges

Just like shop-floor machinery and equipment, fleet vehicles have their fair share of obstacles. The top three are:

• Driver Shortage: The shortage of drivers has been one of the top issues for fleet managers over the last decade. Recruiting drivers with little driving experience can also result in safety concerns and the additional requirement for driver monitoring strategies.
• Safety: Accidents are not only costly and result in injury or even serious hospitalization, but they also harm production, profitability, and reputation.
• Handling High Costs: The most significant obstacle to fleet management will always be cost control. It’s critical to do a complete analysis of your present operations and focus on areas that require improvement, such as driver behavior, fuel prices, possible theft, and CO2 emissions.

How Does Fleet Management Software (FMS) Help Tackle These Challenges?

Effective fleet management software is a perfect solution for these top three challenges faced by most companies, here’s how:

• Technology can aid in monitoring driver responses and safety practices. Intelligent systems are able to analyze and extract meaning from the data. Additionally, deviations in data that might indicate future issues can be found using predictive analytics. They can serve as early warning systems and aid in hiring qualified drivers for the position.
• A fleet management system can track a driver’s hours of service and shifts performed, which can help reduce the risk of accidents. It can also monitor a driver’s training and experience to guarantee they are matched with a vehicle.
• Although it can seem impossible to overcome increased expenses, operating more economically and efficiently is now feasible thanks to advanced technological solutions. Your fleet operations can be improved by implementing an AI-powered solution or fleet management software.

Benefits Of FMS

Here are the key advantages of a well-primed fleet management system:

• Improved customer satisfaction that comes with orders and services being on schedule.
• You can manage your whole fleet from one location using FMS, giving you access to a single, user-friendly platform.
• Technology-based solutions periodically yield unexpected insights about managing fuel use. They enable you to get notifications and updates, such as when a certain vehicle is about to go over the daily distance allotted.
• There are built-in capabilities in the software that let you drive less and use less gasoline, which cuts down on expenses significantly.
• Customer wait times, maintenance expenses, and fuel costs may all be decreased with the use of route optimization.

Some of the other benefits include thorough and well-structured reporting and analytics, prevention of theft and fraud, and improved vehicle lifespan.

How Is Customized Fleet Software Better Than Fleet Management Off-The-Shelf Software?

When dealing with software and technology in general, it is always better to opt for a more personalized service rather than ordinary, pre-developed software. Though it might seem to cost more and take longer to produce, custom software provides specialized solutions, scalability, and a competitive edge. A custom FMS is made especially for the firm and tailored to its specific business practices.

According to 87% of IT decision-makers questioned, corporate technology innovation is being driven by custom software. Pre-packaged software is less likely to be used than bespoke software, according to half of the respondents (52 percent). 

A custom FMS can provide a level of flexibility to your solution that has the power to make all your business processes flow seamlessly. As a business owner, it is part of your responsibility to ensure that whatever investment you make in the company can survive in the long run. Customized software for fleet management is one such investment. It is definitely worth it in the long run.

Myths Revolving Around Custom FMS Development

Most evolving technologies suffer at the hands of myths and rumors of inefficiency. This leads to uncertainty and hesitation towards developing a custom solution. Let’s address some of those myths associated with custom FMS development:

• A GPS Tracker And Fleet Management System Are the Same Thing: This is untrue. GPS tracking is one of the many components of FMS. There are many other beneficial components of the software.
• Customized Software Is Not Scalable: On the contrary, custom software is more scalable than off-the-shelf. With the right software partner, the software can be designed to be scalable – you only pay how much your business needs and then add to it as the business expands. 
• Small-Fleet Businesses Do Not Benefit from A Fleet Management System: Regardless of the size of the business, they usually require a fleet of vehicles, a number of drivers, and logistic hassles that come with them. Fleet efficiency is paramount if a business wants to have a competitive edge in the market, especially for small businesses vying for a spot with big players. This makes Fleet Management Software all the more necessary.  
• Fleet Management Systems Violate Drivers’ Privacy: It becomes crucial for fleet managers to clarify to drivers that the purpose of using fleet management technologies is to increase overall process efficiency, not to violate an individual’s privacy.

How Can Fingent Help?

Fingent works with clients globally to develop custom software for their many logistical operations, including fleet management. By incorporating technologies like IoT, cloud computing, robotic process automation, big data, and blockchain, we bring you the efficiencies that they provide. This includes real-time data visibility, automation of tedious tasks, intelligent tracking of road conditions, and more. 

Our tech experts will work with you to provide a custom solution that will meet your specific business needs, with the ability to scale as your business grows.

Give us a call, and let’s discuss how we can make this possible.