You already know managing a successful fleet operation requires much more than just tracking a fleet of assets. In reality, fleet operations have many dependencies (i.e. drivers, schedules, deliveries, service, fuel costs) which can be extremely difficult (some impossible) to manage with spreadsheets alone.
The transportation industry is continuously evolving, and so should your operations. While spreadsheets are easy to create and manage with a limited amount of information, there is no denying the serious deficiencies of using fleet spreadsheet management to run your entire business. In consequence of spreadsheets’ constraints, they limit the growth of your business and cause issues that compromise the health of your business both operationally and financially. It’s time you finally make the move and invest in the technology that is going to transform the way you run your business today — and here’s why.
If your fleet still relies on spreadsheets for operations, there could be some opposition to change considering that it’s simply the only system your team has ever known. Companies can also be reluctant to invest in fleet management technology due to an unpredictable environment or making cuts as a result of decreasing revenue.
While these are important issues, there are an ample amount of advantages that your company continues to miss out on when choosing not to switch. In a progressing world of technological resources, the lasting advantages which fleet management software provides override the price of the investment and will continue to help your business grow, rather than restrict it.
Take a look at fuel for example. Gas prices continue to fluctuate with no sign of cost stabilization in the near future. Now while you can’t use trucking technology to lower the national gas price, it can definitely help drivers use gas more effectively. By creating optimized routes in real-time, upgraded navigation technology ensures that expensive resources are not wasted and operational costs don’t skyrocket — even if gas prices do. This technology produces an incredibly fast ROI simply by making sure your most valuable resources are optimized.
Delivery invoices, drop-off charges, driver schedules, logistics data — with all the complicated information and communication that is moved around in a single trucking business, it’s a miracle that truckers get anywhere at all. Today’s transportation management software allows paper trails and messy handwriting to be eliminated, storing those vital documents electronically in a central location that is easily accessible to all employees. This also leads to the minimization of human error and data entry mistakes, resulting in much more accurate records for your business.
Many companies today now rely on relevant data for strategy creation. Data allows businesses to create real-time analyses on current fleet tactics and determine the success of these approaches or where improvements can be made. As a result, managers are able to quickly review performances and then make informed business decisions about their strategies. Real-time analysis also makes A/B testing easier than ever. If you are interested in trying a new strategy, fleet software technology allows it to be implemented with quick results for comparison.
Additionally, modern fleet management software allows data to be stored in the cloud, which means it is available anywhere with internet access. As long as there is connection, managers can keep track of their business no matter where they are.
Gone are the days of managing your fleet with spreadsheets. With fleet management technology, you’ll see increased margins, more organized operations and an improved business strategy all within one purchase. The long-term benefits that fleet management software provides far outweigh the price of the investment and will enable your company to continue to grow beyond the rows and columns of Excel spreadsheets.
Want to see what high-quality fleet management technology looks like? Contact us today to set up your free demo.