{"id":2230,"date":"2020-01-10T19:38:22","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T19:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=2230"},"modified":"2020-01-10T19:38:23","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T19:38:23","slug":"how-to-choose-the-telematics-vendor-that-is-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-the-telematics-vendor-that-is-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose the Telematics Vendor That is Right for You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Source: https:\/\/www.geotab.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

About 60\nto 80 percent<\/a> of the cars sold in 2017 contained installed telematics.\nAccording to data from JATO Dynamics, around 86.05 million units of passenger\nvehicles, vans, pickups and light commercial vehicles were sold during that\nsame year. Potentially 68.04 million vehicles worldwide currently use\ntelematics and the number is growing rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With telematics technology becoming more accessible and necessary, companies are realizing the importance of investing in a telematics solution for their fleet and picking the right provider. Just as passenger cars are increasingly coming with telematics built-in, there are opportunities for trucking companies as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many articles that list what to look for in a\nprovider and how to choose a telematics solution but oftentimes the focus falls\non features such as driver behavior monitoring, live tracking, reporting and so\non. These features are indeed extremely important. However, if you do not have\na telematics partner to guide you through using these features to achieve your\nunique Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and troubleshoot issues long after\ninstallation, there\u2019s a good chance that you will not achieve maximum Return on\nInvestment (ROI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Service for Life Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not many companies can offer their customers \u201cService for\nLife\u201d \u2013 a category of customer service that goes way beyond sales,\nimplementation and troubleshooting. This holistic approach \u2013 which can in fact\nbe described as more of a partnership \u2013 involves Account Management, Customer\nCare and other teams working proactively with customers throughout the terms of\ntheir contracts to ensure their business objectives and KPIs are met. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These objectives could include saving money, improving\nsafety, reducing fuel consumption or increasing vehicle utilization. So, if\nyou\u2019re in the process of sourcing a telematics provider or switching over to a\nnew one, ask them whether they offer the implementation, data capture, support\nand success services on a Service for Life level. Implementation services\ntelematics doesn\u2019t just start and end with the software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The software can only provide ROI if proper planning and\nimplementation is done beforehand. Before you go full speed ahead, a true\ntelematics partner should be able to schedule a demo of their telematics\nsolution for you. The provider gets an opportunity to practically showcase what\nthey\u2019ve been telling you and prevents you from deciding too hastily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your provider should also use this opportunity to\ndemonstrate their expertise by helping you define your fleet\u2019s goals and sets\nappropriate expectations. If you do not know what you want to achieve with a\ntelematics system, then you will not know what to measure once installation is\ndone. And you can only improve what you measure. For example, if your goal is\nto reduce fuel costs, your provider should be able to tell you what features\nare vital to achieving that goal and how to properly incorporate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Look For<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When communicating with you, your telematics partner must\nuse their expertise, your fleet\u2019s history and current status (such as vehicle\nutilization and operating expenses) to uncover your KPIs and then guide your\nfleet towards how to use their system to achieve these. Any telematics-related\ndecisions should be made in a way that is future-proof so that any potential\nchanges in goals don\u2019t necessitate a complete (sometimes expensive) overhaul of\nthe system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training is also an essential part of implementation\nservices. After the system is installed, drivers and other relevant employees\nmust be given in-depth training (by experts in the field) on what the features\nare and how to use them appropriately in real-life situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These experts must also explain why the system is necessary in the first place and how it will benefit those who engage with it. Even better is the provision of documentation to go along with this training, which should be used for future reference as well as refresher courses to ensure the system is continuously being used as it should be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the end, implementation services should help encourage\ndriver buy-in and acceptance, too. This is important as it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n