Pros and Cons of Vehicle Tracking Systems for Your Business

When most people think about GPS they think about getting directions, finding a stolen vehicle, or, perhaps, parents tracking the whereabouts of teenage children. For a business with a fleet of vehicles, however, a GPS vehicle tracking system increases productivity when used to its full capability.

If you have a fleet of any kind of vehicles on the roads for any reason, there are several ways a GPS vehicle tracking system can increase productivity of both the vehicles and the drivers. Whether you are a customer service manager, a fleet manager or the owner of the company, GPS tracking can help you increase productivity in several areas and show a positive return on your investment in 90 days or less.

Example:

You work for a plumbing company in U.K and you have noticed that three of the plumbers you have on the road spend far longer on many jobs than the other seven plumbers. But you don’t know why. A GPS fleet tracking system in the U.K would tell you that those three plumbers actually do the job in the same amount of time. The difference is that they spend the extra time sitting in the truck with the engine idling. This behavior affects gas mileage, individual job productivity, company customer service productivity, and customer satisfaction (because the customers can see the trucks still sitting outside their homes). The data from your GPS vehicle tracking system will report to you how long the engine is idling, where it is located while idling, and exactly when the engine was turned on and off, as well as how long the vehicle stayed in any single place all day.

A GPS vehicle tracking system can help you improve efficiencies and productivity in several ways, as the account above demonstrates. Here are some additional advantages that can help improve productivity and efficiency:

The Pros of Vehicle Tracking Systems

Resource Optimization

The GPS vehicle tracking system makes sure that you monitor your resources in real time. You would be able to know numerous aspects such as which resources are free, which routes are the best, what is the ideal speed, etc. GPS also makes you handle your resources more effectively and it builds your trust in drivers.

Customer Satisfaction

Organically speaking, business success depends upon customer satisfaction. Hence, in every business, customer satisfaction comes first. Commercial vehicle tracking systems will also help to foster customer satisfaction through proper location tracking.

Real-Time Tracking

A major benefit of this form of GPS device/tachograph software is that it enables real-time tracking of each vehicle. This would be especially important in the event of an emergency. For example, if there was an accident where help was required immediately. Real-time tracking also has implications in terms of efficiency so that a fleet can be closely monitored.

Anywhere, Anytime

Advanced technology is used in GPA real time tracking and this makes it possible to pinpoint a vehicle wherever it is, when required. Basically, the GPS device, otherwise known as the modem, sends a signal to an antenna which then sends this to a satellite and from there on the data is transferred to a Web application.

Low Earth Orbit satellites, which make up the Iridium meshed network, are located all around the globe, from pole to pole. This means that data can be transferred within seconds, no matter where and when the vehicle is located.

Efficiency

One of the issues with having a large fleet is that it’s hard to monitor such a number of vehicles. It can be difficult to prove if a driver is being inefficient in some way, like for example if they are driving too fast or idling excessively. This can cost businesses a substantial amount of money. Policies and regulations can be put in place but if these aren’t followed they’re useless. GPS real time tracking can help ensure that such policies are implemented. The GPS system sends data which can be used to assess efficiency and based on these improvements can be made where necessary. Reports can be produced which can be used in improving the business.

Safety

GPS helps ensure the safety of drivers. For example, if a driver has to go through a dangerous area or bad weather conditions or an accident occur, they can set off a trigger to indicate that help is required. This can also be achieved automatically by using the real time tracking device. For example, if a driver is not responding and has stopped for some unknown reason or if they have driven into a prohibited area, then an automatic alert can be sent out. There is also a distress button which can be pushed manually. This is where real time technology really comes into play. Immediate assistance can then be dispatched.

The Cons of Vehicle Tracking Systems

GPS Location Can be Faulty Occasionally

A GPS unit calculates the area of the device via receiving and decoding the sign from three or greater satellites. However, technical issues can cause blocking of these indicators when the line of sight is blocked bye tall buildings, trees or obstacles. Any such issues would possibly cause GPS units to reveal misguided positions.

Battery Might Drain Out

Power stoppage can bring about malfunctioning of the GPS unit, especially the GPS systems powered by solar energy or those with older batteries. A passive GPS unit consumes lots of energy even when the automobile is idle.

Some of the economic GPS units switch over to sleep mode while the car is idle or parked to extend battery duration. Or you can opt for models with easily replaceable batteries.

Employees May Feel Micromanaged

Not all employees may be comfortable with being tracked remotely. It’s important to explain they aren’t being spied on (which unscrupulous organizations sometimes do). Considering the benefits supplied through a GPS which include safety and protection from robbery, convincing your personnel to utilize the services of GPS car monitoring systems may not be a tough project.

Human Intervention

Technological spying is a shape of electronic struggle and might silently have an effect on those GPS car monitoring systems. GPS jammers also are on the upward push, specially utilized by disruptive forces.