We all know that an effectively managed company is essential to achieving success. Savvy leaders ensure their company’s growth by keeping close tabs on efficiencies and returns.
For many companies in construction, fleet vehicles are a large expense and an area where efficiency can be hugely improved. The management of commercial vehicles, or fleet management, is a way for fleet owners, operators, and other stakeholders to gain maximum visibility and efficiency from their fleet operations.
Fleet management software allows construction companies to maximize productivity, meet agreed-upon timelines, keep on (or under) budget, gain maximum visibility of operations, and produce transparent and accurate reporting.
Let’s dive into the different ways fleet management software helps construction businesses.
1. Increase productivity
Productivity is a major driving force when it comes to a company’s bottom line. When the right measures are put into place, they allow employees to do their job with ease and a high level of efficiency.
Fleet management software can help construction companies increase the amount of material moved and the utilization of existing equipment and operators. That means faster dispatching, decreased drive times, flexible scheduling, and maximum backhauling opportunities.
Since we live in a digital age and new regulations are encouraging e-ticketing and digital record keeping, it’s no surprise to see construction companies adopting more paperless solutions to their business practice. Digital fleet management software streamlines workflow, communication, reporting and more.
Paperless ticketing and digital records speed up payments and offer more trust and security with to-the-minute, digital invoicing.
With fleet management software, dispatchers and operators are able to address issues right away! Dispatchers can send time-sensitive information to all drivers on the same job in just one click. Operators benefit from clear, digital direction and proof of work and can instantly send requests to dispatch. This enhanced tech means no roadblocks and everyone is free to carry on with their work quickly and without worry.
2. Improve communication
Communication is key! When everyone is on the same page and fully equipped with the information they need to do their job, workflows move at a much faster pace.
Interactive fleet management programs improve dispatcher and operator communication time and accuracy. This results in fewer dispatch calls or texts, improved scheduling, and reduced dispatch errors altogether.
Drivers are now able to download a fleet management app directly onto their smartphones, enabling quick and precise communication between dispatchers and drivers. Most fleet management software and applications are compatible with any smartphone and can be found in the Apple or Google Play app stores. Many fleet management software companies even provide 24-hour support, and dispatch and operator training for these programs. That means there are no gaps in communication or workflow!
When introducing a fleet management system to your construction business, be sure to look for one that is multilingual and offers remote training for dispatchers and fleet managers. Along with improved communication, this can be beneficial for recruitment, onboarding, and retention.
3. Simplify management
Managing a team, big or small, can be a challenge. Knowing the status of each job and those involved is critical to a successful workflow.
Fleet management software allows company leaders to capture valuable information from existing workflows, optimize trucking routes and material movement, and track high-risk material.
With fleet management software, you are able to clearly monitor and track:
- Truck location – through GPS and cellular networks, dispatchers and company owners can see accurate truck location and job information.
- Truck activity & cycle times – gain a clear and precise understanding of truck time in and time out, distances and time of each trip.
- Truck performance – through sensors in smartphones, fleet management programs are able to gather valuable truck performance statistics including speed, braking, and more.
Get the full picture of each project’s progress with applications that include an activity stream on the project level so you can see the history of changes as well as the assignments.
Having an all-encompassing program at your fingertips, which tracks and optimizes each job available allows for massive improvements. It makes it easier to manage people and jobs and helps to create a unified workforce.
4. Enhance reporting
Gathering accurate and detailed data tells us what is working and what is not. Data can help businesses make key operating decisions, improve efficiencies, and provide valuable insights and recommendations.
When companies use fleet management software, they can expect in-depth information on jobs, billing accuracy (trucks worked vs. billed), and both historical and real-time reports.
Custom dashboards and progress reports that are available through fleet management software compile operator and truck performance data to help users make better decisions on things like cycle times, delivery actions, billing reports, and compliance recommendations.
Fleet management software companies like TREAD offer Geospatial and IVMS reporting. Geospatial reports provide detailed trip data, which can be broken down by site, project, fleet or driver. The IVMS reports, short for In-Vehicle Monitoring System reports, use sensors in smartphones to produce safety statistics and note results for driving focus, speeding, and more.
5. Amplify forecasting & visibility
Whether you’re producing or transporting asphalt, soil, or other materials, having clear visibility allows you to accurately forecast for the future.
Utilization data gathered from fleet management reports help construction companies improve budgets, contracts, and timelines. That means an increase in order accuracy and contract precision and a decrease in production cost oversights. Budgeting is made easier with precise estimations and bids.
Having a more accurate understanding of workflow can also help with better labour utilization, scaling existing labour over unnecessary hiring.
When projects are properly estimated, contracts and budgets are more likely to stay within the agreed terms – and who doesn’t love staying on (or ahead) of schedule?
Fleet management software for construction businesses
At the end of the workday, if your construction company wants to protect its cash flow, increase productivity, improve budgets, timelines, and visibility — while analyzing data and delivering action-based reports on where to find operational efficiencies — you’re in luck. TREAD is a digital platform that replaces analog and disparate legacy solutions with a cloud-based online platform.
This fleet management software makes the business of moving construction materials easier, faster, and more profitable; with paperless practices.
This is a guest post from Tread.
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