The maintenance of a modern fleet requires a lot of effort and investment. Even if your fleet is small, the integral management duties include such activities as financing, formation, control, and maintenance of vehicles. No matter the size of the fleet, you want to increase productivity and run your business as smoothly as possible.
What is fleet management software and how does the automotive industry benefit from it?
Productivity is a key factor here, and here’s why. A fleet manager has many daily responsibilities: from devising a management strategy to drawing up policies for the use of cars and fuel, not to mention keeping a close eye on repairs, safety, insurance, maintenance, asset management, and various expenses. Transport as a whole is changing rapidly across the globe. Cities are creating emission-restricted zones, the fuel prices are fluctuating, and the needs of both business and employees are evolving. Therefore, to effectively keep up with the pace of the industry and grow the business, it seems logical to manage your fleet using the latest technology.
Fleet management software is exactly the right technology for the transportation domain. According to Wikipedia, such software derived from legacy programs on mainframe computers in the 1970s to become generally available in the 1980s due to the rise of personal computing. Such solutions help companies to tackle specific tasks related to the management of a fleet. Fleet management software can be developed in-house, purchased in the market, or developed by a third party. Consequently, its complexity and costs vary based on functionality and features.
So what does the implementation of a fleet management system bring to the table?
- First of all, it’s all about efficient transport management: freight forwarding by optimizing routes / number of stops / empty runs;
- Improved control of the company's transport traffic;
- Idle driving control;
- Speed control: managers can introduce a correct driving incentive system;
- Checking fixed points (baseline, clients, boundaries, etc.);
- Control of the current location of the vehicle (country, state, city, etc.);
Effective fleet management software will not only help you take control of your fleet management but will also provide clear guidance for every employee of the company. Eventually, the use of fleet management software results in an improved bottom line for T&L businesses of all sizes.
Why is small fleet management important?
In 2018, small fleets (fewer than 500 vehicles) made up 44 percent of all fleets in the US, according to the report by the Government Fleet magazine.
You may think to yourself: “Why do I need a fleet management system in the first place? I mean, my fleet ain’t that big. Is there something to manage?” Actually, yes, and you need a plan anyway. A proper fleet management system is all about the creation of a centralized transportation plan: based on both internal and external data on orders, the system can select the required mode of transport, or a specific vehicle, taking into account the characteristics of a vehicle.
How to make small fleet management more effective
Automatisation
More often than not, when tracking and managing their company's assets, fleet managers process data manually. In the era of digitality, the use of spreadsheets is both cumbersome and ineffective. The answer lies in automatization.
Fleet management software is the perfect way to automate processes within a fleet. Using streamlined data saves a lot of time, improves the fleet's efficiency, and allows fleet managers to concentrate on other vital tasks.
Costs
Using fleet management software, fleet managers can check TCO (total cost of ownership) via structured reports. Why is it important? TCO correlates with metrics on return on investment (ROI). With such reports at hand, managers can make the best strategic decisions here and now.
Maintenance
Conducting maintenance with a fleet management solution allows managers to introduce effective maintenance workflows. Such practice streamlines processes and maximizes fleet uptime. In other words, you will proactively manage maintenance.
The benefits of a FMS solution
Proactive Communication
- Communication is critical to any business. Stay connected with drivers using a mobile device. No matter what happens on the road, your communication line is on.
Real-time Monitoring
- Get visibility into the location and status of your assets in real-time to reduce downtime and increase productivity. In case your vehicle breaks down, you can react quickly and notify the client.
Safety and Compliance
- Detect violations before they happen, based on data from drivers and vehicles. This approach ensures compliance with both external requirements and internal company policies.
Running a small fleet usually means that the resources are limited, so as an effective manager with a busy schedule, you have to maximize them as much as possible. In case you’ve been wondering, even a small fleet produces mind-boggling volumes of data, and the key to cost savings lies in proper collection and analysis of this data. The question boils down to what software system to choose as there's a lot of options in the market. Finding the right software is challenging, but the good news is when the right software is found, the ROI will be generous.
When looking up for a fleet management tool, keep in mind its scalability. There are solutions that work best for large fleets, the ones with high subscription costs, or the ones that charge you per number of vehicles. If you consider growing your fleet, these options may not be your ideal choice. Start small with a clear goal in mind. For instance, it could be the reduction of fuel consumption as according to statistics, fuel consumption makes up for nearly 40% of fleet ownership expenses.
How can Akveo help to effectively manage your small fleet?
Targeted at small and medium-sized T&L companies, the Fleet Management Dashboard is a feature-rich software with a wide array of functionality and integration possibilities. The dashboard comes with a set of integral features for the logistics sector and offers a lot of room for future customizations. Used either as a front or a backend, FTD isn’t an out-of-the-box solution but it allows developing a custom fleet management system in a matter of weeks.
The benefits of Akveo fleet management dashboard
First and foremost, the Fleet Management Dashboard is open source and free of charge. If you choose the Standard Plan edition of the dashboard, you get the code for further implementation to your backend. In its turn, the Enterprise Plan offers users premium support, integration consulting, and our team sets up both the environment and product.
When implemented, the template offers the following benefits:
- Get all your fleet data processing in one place;
- Plan a vehicle's diagnostic and forecast maintenance costs;
- Track vehicles in real-time;
- Plan routes and drivers workload;
- Analyze business revenue and calculate financial statistics.
To sum up
In 2020, the fleet management market grew to $19.9 billion, and the market is expected to reach 33.9 billion by just 2026, at a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period. Such rapid growth can be attributed to the increasing government regulations and affordable prices of such software. Besides, in light of the pandemic, transport, and logistics providers across the globe are seeking ways to reduce operational costs. The adoption of a robust fleet management system provides analytical information that improves the bottom line of a T&L business in a short time. Such management systems grant you a deeper look at the operational activities of your fleet so you can see areas that leave room for hidden expenses.
A. Cost reduction: cut costs related to fuel spending, maintenance, and vehicle purchases.
B. No more accidents: safety is a number one priority. Lower the number of road incidents and keep a close eye on drivers’ behavior.
C. Proper route planning: save fuel, effectively plan routes, and grow your business.
You don’t need a lot of money or hundreds of vehicles to effectively run your business. What you need is the proper technology that will improve the fleet you already have. For the last three years, Akveo has been developing fleet management software that supports logistics companies on a global scale. We assist small and medium fleet operating companies in automating their operations and making data-driven decisions. So far, we have developed more than 10 solutions for the telematics and automotive domain.
Is your organization interested in developing a convenient fleet management solution? No matter what your project’s specifics are, we offer top-notch development and consulting services that cover both technical and business aspects. Visit our fleet management page and contact us.
Lead Generation Tool to Reduce Manual Work
Our client, Afore Capital, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, aimed to automate their lead generation processes but struggled with existing out-of-the-box solutions. To tackle this challenge, they sought assistance from our team of Akveo Retool experts.
The scope of work
The client needed a tailored solution to log and track inbound deals effectively. They required an application that could facilitate the addition, viewing, and editing of company and founder information, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplicates. Additionally, Afore Capital aimed to integrate external tools like PhantomBuster and LinkedIn to streamline data collection.
The result
By developing a custom Retool application, we streamlined the lead generation process, significantly reducing manual data entry. The application enabled employees to manage inbound deals efficiently while automated workflows for email parsing, notifications, and dynamic reporting enhanced operational efficiency. This allowed Afore Capital's team to focus more on building relationships with potential founders rather than on administrative tasks.
Learn more about the case
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Our client, CutTime, a leading fine arts education management platform, needed a scalable CMS application to improve vendor product management and user experience.
The scope of work
We developed a Retool application that allows vendors to easily upload and manage product listings, handle inventory, and set shipping options. The challenge was to integrate the app with the client’s system, enabling smooth authentication and product management for program directors.
The result
Our solution streamlined product management, reducing manual work for vendors, and significantly improving operational efficiency.
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The scope of work
Our team developed a custom reconciliation tool designed specifically for the needs of high-volume transaction environments. It automated the processes and provided a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring discrepancies and anomalies in real-time.
The implementation of Retool significantly reduced manual effort, as well as fostered a more efficient and time-saving reconciliation process.
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A leading spirits and wine seller in Europe required the development of an internal mobile app for private client managers and administrators. The project was supposed to be done in 1,5 months. Considering urgency and the scope of work, our developers decided to use Retool for swift and effective development.
The scope of work
Our developers built a mobile application tailored to the needs of the company's sales force: with a comprehensive overview of client interactions, facilitated order processing, and enabled access to sales history and performance metrics. It was user-friendly, with real-time updates, seamlessly integrated with existing customer databases.
The result? Increase in productivity of the sales team and improved decision-making process. But most importantly, positive feedback from the customers themselves.
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The scope of work
Our experts ensured the client that all the requirements could be covered by Retool. And just in 40 hours a new software was launched. The tool had a flexible and easy-to-use interface with user authentication and an access management system panel – all the company needed. At the end, Retool was considered the main tool to replace the existing system.
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The scope of work
The project initially began as a proof of concept, but soon enough, with each new feature delivered, the company experienced increased engagement and value.
We developed a web tool that integrates seamlessly with Phantombuster for data extraction and LinkedIn for social outreach. Now, the company has a platform that elevates the efficiency of their lead generation activities and provides deep insights into potential client bases.
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Confronted with the need for more sophisticated internal tools, an owner of IP Licensing marketplace turned to Retool to utilize its administrative functions. The primary goal was to construct an advanced admin portal that could support complex, multi-layered processes efficiently.
The scope of work
Our client needed help with updating filters and tables for its internal platform. In just 30 hours we've been able to update and create about 6 pages. Following features were introduced: add complex filtering and search, delete records, styling application with custom CSS.
Together, we have increased performance on most heavy pages and fixed circular dependency issues.
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The scope of work
Determined to break through limitations, our team of developers turned Retool. We decided to craft an MVP Dashboard specifically for Google Cloud users. This wasn't just about bringing data into view; but about reshaping how teams interact with their cloud environment.
We designed a dashboard that turned complex cloud data into a clear, strategic asset thanks to comprehensive analytics, tailored metrics, and an intuitive interface, that Retool provides. As the results, an increase in operational efficiency, significant improvement in cost management and resource optimization.
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Our other client, a SaaS startup, that offers collaborative tools for design and engineering teams, was on a quest to supercharge their sales efforts. Traditional CRM systems were limited and not customizable enough. The company sought a solution that could tailor HubSpot to their workflow and analytics needs.
The scope of work
Charged with the task of going beyond standard CRM functions, our team turned to Retool. We wanted to redefine how sales teams interact with their CRM.
By integrating advanced analytics, custom metrics, and a user-friendly interface, our developers provided a solution that transformed data into a strategic asset.
In 40 hours, three informative dashboards were developed, containing the most sensitive data related to sales activities. These dashboards enable our customer to analyze sales and lead generation performance from a different perspective and establish the appropriate KPIs.
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Our client, a leading digital credential IT startup, needed a lot of internal processes to be optimized. But the experience with low-code tools wasn’t sufficient. That’s why the company decided to hire professionals. And our team of developers joined the project.
The scope of work
The client has a program that designs and prints custom badges for customers. The badges need to be “mail-merged” with a person’s info and turned into a PDF to print. But what is the best way to do it?
Our developers decided to use Retool as a core tool. Using custom components and JavaScript, we developed a program that reduced employees' time for designing, putting the data, verifying, and printing PDF badges in one application.
As a result, the new approach significantly reduces the time required by the internal team to organize all the necessary staff for the conference, including badge creation.
