Digital Solutions for the Construction Industry

Fleet management is the process or administration of supervising and controlling the fleet and its related asset information, from acquisition to its disposal. Fleet management helps a company reduce costs, improve its efficiency, ensure compliance and mitigate the associated risks. It is used to oversee the performance and maintenance of the fleet, or vehicles to increase productivity while helping the business to run smoothly.

Companies involved in the construction business work with their unique challenges and a different work environment specific to this industry. Vehicles used for this business play a very vital role in the construction process and managing the fleet of vehicles is a challenge for the project managers. The fleet has to be maintained in good working condition and helps the work gets done better and on schedule. This needs real-time monitoring of the fleet and fleet management software plays a key role in this, which enables workflow efficiencies.

A construction fleet has a mix of vehicles and machinery like loaders, compactors, concrete mixers, tankers, cranes, trucks, etc. Such vehicles require regular maintenance, supervision along with tracking to maintain smooth operations and a workflow. When such a construction company uses fleet management software it can gain a huge advantage and benefits like reduction in cost and expenses, improvement in productivity and efficiency, adherence to compliance, and increased safety norms. Let’s explore how the use of digital systems for fleet management can help the construction industry.

Real-time tracking

Construction companies usually work on various sites simultaneously. Allocation of required vehicles and delivery schedules have to be managed to avoid work disruption. GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking devices are fitted in the vehicles and the vehicles are tracked via the Fleet management software system to determine their location. This not only helps to ensure to track movement of vehicles but is also useful in case of any breakdowns and for sending recovery vehicles in such cases.

Route Optimization and Improved fuel efficiency

GPS and Fleet management systems help reduce the variables and delays. GPS can help plan routes with minimum traffic hindrance and ensure delivery of construction material on time. Optimized routes can also help in lowering fuel costs and better vehicle utilization. Real-time GPS tracking using fleet management software helps construction companies monitor whether the drivers are reckless or not and accidents can be avoided by alerting or discouraging rash driving. Fleet management software can keep details of any mishaps or accidents and this data can be useful for legal purposes and insurance claims.

Operation Monitoring

IoT sensors can be fitted to monitor quality and quantity purposes. These sensor data can be accessed by integrating the software with the Fleet management system and monitored for speeding up operations etc.

Maintenance and Repair costs

By using fleet management software, regular data feeds can help alert companies regarding the service and maintenance of the fleet. It reduces long-term maintenance costs and helps preserve the lifespan of vehicles and equipment. The software can create maintenance schedules for each asset based on its usage and life span.

Increased Fleet visibility

Using telematics, fleet management software can easily pinpoint where every connected vehicle is located at any given point of time, including multiple worksites. There is clear visibility of all the vehicles & which helps avoid unnecessary movement of vehicles from one site to another.

The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Fleet management software can also maintain records associated with costs of owning and operating vehicles within the fleet, including maintenance costs. Knowing the TCO per vehicle or asset helps companies take strategic, data-driven decisions on maintenance, replacements, etc. Following safety protocols and regulations, maintaining inspection checklists, and paperwork are part of compliance. It’s necessary for insurance purposes and helps companies comply with all required regulations. Fleet management software helps in maintaining all such records. Operating costs. Maintaining digital records of fuel usage helps companies reduce fuel costs. Maintenance records can aid in reducing repair and maintenance costs.

Administrative Processes

Integration of third-party software with the fleet management software reduces manual input and management redundancies and helps reduce the cost of the administrative process.

Most companies rent out the equipment and vehicle fleet to meet the demands of increasing workload. Fleet management software can assist in keeping tabs on equipment spending. Real-time tracking assists in scheduling vehicles to optimize usage and reduce the idle time of vehicles. These digital solutions and analytics help companies benchmark the utilization of their fleet and other construction-related equipment against their peers while quantifying the savings due to optimization by using such fleet management software. Analytics help companies identify which project manager has been able to manage costs, increase productivity, etc.

With the increase in smart devices and apps which are paired with fleet management software, accessibility of reports, analytics, alerts, etc. is available on the go, assisting teams to take immediate decisions and quick actions for getting the work done. ERP software can also be linked with fleet management software to streamline procurement, billing & payment processes.

Using the right fleet management software development services and fleet management software plays a very important role in maintaining assets, and their utilization. It assists in the reduction of expenses and making well-informed decisions for rentals and purchase of equipment and thereby increasing the profitability of the company.