Geofencing and GPS data can help businesses understand their fleet operations, fleet management, and even field service technicians. With geofencing, fleet managers can track their fleet in real-time, have more control over their operations, improve operational efficiencies, and their customers’ experiences.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of geofencing for fleet management.
What Is Geofencing?
Geofencing is a valuable tool that give fleet managers a comprehensive view of their operations. The technology allows managers to create virtual borders around designated areas, such as service areas, so that fleet managers can track and monitor their vehicle fleets in real-time.
Using Global Positioning System (GPS) software, fleet managers can analyze the entry and exit times of their vehicle fleets, driver behaviour, how long it takes their technicians to complete an assigned job, and other events that occur within the geofenced area. Not only does it allow fleet managers to gather important data about their service technicians, but it helps improve efficiency by ensuring that they are billing correctly for time spent on each job.
How Does Geofencing Work?
A geofence is created with the help of GPS, which provides precise location coordinates. A fleet manager just needs to specify the diameter and distance of the fence around a particular area. Most geofence software allows fleet managers to customize the fence into various shapes.
Once the geofence is set up, businesses can track and monitor what they need within this virtual boundary, such as job site visits, duration, and frequency. Fleet managers can also receive mobile push notifications and automated alerts to get real-time tracking of their fleets.
Advantages of Geofencing for Fleet Managers
Using GPS-based geofencing for field services technicians can give small- and medium-sized businesses a big advantage over their competitors. Below are just some of the ways that fleet managers can use geofencing to make their businesses more competitive.
Improved Planning
Because geofencing relies heavily on GPS, the software updates fleet managers in real-time, which helps businesses improve their scheduling and planning. With this valuable information, fleet managers can make changes to the planned trip, which helps improve operations and keep field service technicians on schedule.
Because every business and their demands are different, geofencing software can be customized by businesses of any size to better manage their operations.
Prevent Fleet Theft
With geofencing, fleet managers can not only keep track of their fleet while on the road, but also outside of business hours.
If a vehicle is stolen after business hours, fleet managers can react faster and recover the vehicle sooner. Managers can receive real-time notifications, either to their mobile devices or their desktops, if a company vehicle suddenly moves outside of the geofence without authorization.
In the case that a vehicle is stolen, real-time GPS vehicle tracking can not only ensure that law enforcement are notified sooner, but it can also give you a better idea of what route the vehicle took, so that you know where the stolen vehicle ends up.
Understand Driver Behaviour
Geofencing can help a business better understand their drivers’ behaviours on the road. Fleet managers can watch their field service vehicles 24/7 to ensure vehicles have reached their intended destination and whether they encountered any issues on route, such as traffic delays or road construction.
This can give fleet managers a deeper understanding of operating costs and driver performance to better optimize their fleet operations and improve overall efficiencies. If managers know how long it takes an employee to do the work versus drive to the job site, it can help confirm if field service technicians are billing customers correctly and validate employee hours for HR purposes.
Improve Client Support
Geofencing software can significantly improve the customer’s experience. No one likes waiting around for a field service technician or not knowing when the technician will arrive. Again, because geofencing uses real-time GPS tracking, when a vehicle enters a specific zone, a notification can be sent to a customer, telling them exactly what time their field service technician will arrive.
Better driver communication means happier customers, higher customer retention, and better reviews for your business.
Improve Customer Service with TFP Canada
Geofencing is a powerful tool that can help fleet managers and businesses that use field service technicians be more transparent, efficient, and competitive. If your business wants to improve productivity and increase customer loyalty, contact TFP Canada, Canada’s ultimate field service provider.
Using the best technologies for web and mobile, we help businesses automate and streamline their organizations’ complex business operations. Because our software is centralized in the cloud, workflow automation is entirely scalable and changes with the needs of your company. You don’t need to purchase expensive hardware, hire additional IT staff, or purchase expensive service plans.
Taskflow Pro is a complete office management system that lets you put your business on autopilot, anywhere, and everywhere, allowing you to do what you do best—that’s grow your business.
To learn more about TFP Canada and how our cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can help automate your business and reduce costs, contact us at 647-612-3300 or by email at [email protected].
