Top Tech Trends: Vehicle Tracking and Wireless Forms for Mobile Workforces

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1 Top Tech Trends: Vehicle Tracking and Wireless Forms for Mobile Workforces Visit us: uscellular.com/business Call us: All rights reserved U.S. Cellular

2 For many businesses across the United States, mobile workforces are their lifeblood. A mobile workforce that is productive, efficient and committed to customer service is a boon for any business. Business leaders who have mobile workforces need to tactfully orchestrate schedules so their teams go seamlessly from job to job while having the visibility and flexibility to make real-time adjustments to better serve customers. As a business grows, the job of running it gets tougher: more workers, more customers and more competition means there is even more to manage. The good news is that U.S. Cellular offers solutions when it comes to vehicle tracking and wireless forms that will help businesses better manage increased complexity, while increasing the productivity of their mobile workforces. U.S. Cellular 2

3 Vehicle Tracking Vehicle tracking refers to the use of GPS tracking devices on your vehicles that allow business owners and fleet managers to know where their vehicles are in near real time. Vehicle tracking solutions usually involve the combination of GPS-enabled devices and software that allows you to use location data in incredible ways. For instance, robust vehicle tracking and vehicle data platforms can help managers with route optimization and scheduling, both of which make the business more efficient and save dispatchers time. Fleet tracking solutions also often monitor vehicle maintenance status and driver habits. Route optimization involves maximizing route efficiency to service a list of appointments. It can help determine a schedule that will be most fuel efficient so that drivers are not crisscrossing the state wasting time and fuel. Route optimization also leads to better customer service as it allows for more accurate approximation of arrival times for service and deliveries. Vehicle location is very beneficial for businesses with a mobile workforce. For example, say you have three trucks on the road in Iowa and a new customer calls with a request for a pickup in Des Moines. With location information, you can quickly find the closest driver to Des Moines and send them to do the pickup. That s how it works at its most basic level. However, dispatching usually isn t that simple in real life. Sending the closest truck to Des Moines to do the delivery is no use if it s already full and has other pressing delivery schedules. In that case, you d have to pick the next closest truck. Sounds simple enough, but if you re scheduling a larger fleet with a complex array of pickup and delivery assignments, it can turn into a real headache. That s where vehicle tracking software comes in: It can help manage all the complex location and scheduling variables for you. 1 Dispatching suddenly becomes a cinch. Route optimization involves maximizing route efficiency to service a list of appointments. It can help determine a schedule that will be most fuel efficient so that drivers are not crisscrossing the state wasting time and fuel. U.S. Cellular 3

4 There are many vehicle tracking and wireless form solutions on the market. GPS Trackit is an example of an industry-leading company in fleet tracking solutions. 2 Its Fleet Manager solution provides GPS location tracking, geo-fencing and remote sensing capabilities which record and report on diagnostic data and driver performance (including fuel economy), a robust scheduling and dispatch system and multi-map views that provide near real-time data on traffic conditions. 3 Another company that s been turning heads in the industry is Actsoft. The Actsoft Comet Fleet solution helps you achieve route optimization, improved driver performance (through driver scorecards) and better vehicle maintenance (through automatic scheduling alerts and diagnostic reports). 4 Vehicle tracking gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing where your assets are at all times. In addition to route optimization, benefits include: 1. Proactive maintenance alerts so you can keep vehicles on the road longer and more safely. Unexpected repairs due to poorly maintained vehicles can be a money pit and hamper scheduling. This is downtime that can be proactively planned to minimize disruption. 2. Reporting so you can view each driver s behaviors to ensure he/she is operating your vehicle safely. You can see if your drivers are regularly speeding, excessively braking or idling often so you can take corrective measures (e.g. requiring a driving safety class/refresher or dock pay). Getting pulled over by police or unnecessary wear and tear on your fleet of vehicles can be costly from a time and financial standpoint, and potentially create a poor brand image if customers and potential customers see your drivers in company-branded vehicles behaving poorly on the road. U.S. Cellular 4

5 Financial Benefits of Vehicle Tracking Route optimization can lead to great cost savings, faster delivery times and happier customers. Vehicle tracking saves you money because, by utilizing the most efficient routes and dispatch scheduling, your vehicles spend less time on the road. It s impossible to quantify the exact savings of any given enterprise (due to the complex array of variables), but you can look at it from both a fuel mileage and labor savings standpoint. It s been estimated that each mile of driving on the highway costs $ If you add that up over thousands of miles you get substantial savings. Add to that, every hour of time saved on the road is an hour saved in wages. And we haven t even factored in the other benefits of sophisticated vehicle tracking solutions. These solutions even monitor driving behaviors such as speed and braking habits. The EPA has found that fuel economy is hampered by as much as 33% by quick acceleration and heavy braking. 6 The EPA has also determined that each 5 miles driven above the speed limit results in a cost increase of 20 cents more per gallon of fuel. 7 Finally, remember the reason you re in business in the first place: to satisfy customers so that they keep coming back to do business with you. Vehicle tracking solutions result in more efficient routing which equals faster delivery times. Faster delivery times equate to happier customers. Vehicle tracking systems don t just help you get the goods there on time, they also let you know where your drivers are so that customers can get reliable ETAs on delivery and service. Vehicle tracking saves you money because, by utilizing the most efficient routes and dispatch scheduling, your vehicles spend less time on the road. U.S. Cellular 5

6 Wireless Forms Wireless form solutions can be purchased on their own or with GPS trackers, and they often come bundled with vehicle tracking programs. Wireless forms allow drivers and managers alike to enter, store and transmit data using web-based data fields on their computers or mobile devices. For example, when a delivery is made a driver can record a client s signature on their Smartphone or Tablet. They can enter barcode numbers into the appropriate form fields simply by taking a snapshot with their phone s camera. Wireless forms are handy throughout the enterprise, and can comprise of timesheets, order forms, receipts and more. Why are they so handy? They reduce the need for paperwork and, in the case of receipts and order forms, can be transmitted wirelessly for instant access. Let s look at payroll, for instance. If you re still using paper time sheets you are stuck doing manual data entry into your payroll software. You also must physically collect and file the sheets which takes time and space. Collecting the sheets is especially problematic if you have a mobile workforce. They can relay their hours via , but, again, you have to manually enter the data. Traditional filing takes time that could be spent working on other things, like building client relationships. With wireless forms, on the other hand, your employees can easily log their hours on their mobile devices. Field workers can clock in and out as well as record breaks and lunches directly on their wireless devices. All activity is time, date and GPS location stamped, and information is transmitted to the office in moments. Managers can have instant access to electronic timesheets to review, correct and approve. Timesheets can be downloaded into Excel or sent directly to existing payroll applications. Wondering where to find wireless form products? In addition to fleet tracking solutions, GPS Trackit also has a software package called GPSTrackit Forms. 8 GPSTrackit Forms allow you to create custom forms from scratch or convert old paper forms into new wireless ones. All essential data can be managed using this software, including vehicle inspection data, barcodes, employee hours and more. 8 Some wireless form solutions come with software that allows you to build your own forms through a web interface. These forms can be used by managers and drivers on their Smartphones or Tablets (including industrial rugged Tablets) to record all kinds of data, ranging from time sheets to order tracking. Delivery signatures and barcode images can be captured with the device s camera and entered effortlessly into your forms. Your form data can be viewed in custom formats such as charts and graphs. U.S. Cellular 6

7 Here is a list of benefits when using wireless forms: Customer Facing Benefits 1. Push new forms instantly to all devices so that employees know what needs to be reviewed or if new information needs to be conveyed to the customer. 2. Pull up customer job history to see what has been done including pictures and notes, as well as warranty or recall info. 3. Submit new work orders immediately so that repair parts can be ordered faster. 4. Utilize embedded calculator and pricing so there is less room for math errors or incorrect pricing. 5. E-signature tools where signing is done right on the spot and electronically filed accordingly. Business Benefits 1. Save money on paper. Resource Information Systems Inc. estimates that American companies spend $8 billion per year purchasing and managing paper. 10 EPA estimates indicate the average American worker uses two cases of paper per year, totalling $80. 11,12 By switching to wireless forms you could save a bundle. 2. Save money on real estate. By eliminating paper you save on the space needed to store it. Depending on the size of your business, you could eliminate the need for expensive square footage that traditionally has been required to store filing cabinets full of paper documents. 3. Save money on labor costs. The use of wireless forms eliminates the labor hours that would otherwise be spent managing paper files. Tasks that are eliminated include sorting and shipping paper documents, filing and storing, and data entry. With wireless forms, information such as shipping order numbers and sales data is instantly stored in the cloud or on your own servers for processing. You no longer need to lose personnel hours manually entering data from paper forms into computer software. U.S. Cellular 7

8 Conclusion This is an exciting time for business leaders who rely on the productivity of their mobile workforce. As technology advances, so do the tools that are available to gain real-time visibility and control over your operations. When you use the right tools, you will notice a big difference on the efficiency and productivity fronts. And most of all, your customers will appreciate it. It will help your brand and, most of all, your bottom line. U.S. Cellular 8

9 References 1. Saving time and money: what onboard telematics can do for you 2. GPS Trackit: empowering your fleet 3. Welcome to Fleet Manager 4. Track your fleet with precision 5. How fleet management software can save you $18,000+ annually 6. Many factors affect fuel economy 7. Fleet fuel efficiency: reduce fuel costs with fleet tracking 8. With GPSTrackit Forms you can now create new mobile forms or turn tired paper forms into intelligent easy-to-use mobile forms 9. Advanced wireless forms The cost of managing paper: a great incentive to go paperless! The benefits of automatic duplexing The average office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of paper each year Visit us: uscellular.com/business Call us: Disclaimer: This white paper is provided for informational purposes only. Although this white paper is intended to provide accurate information with regard to the subject matter covered, the authors and their organizations accept no responsibility for errors and omissions. This white paper is provided as is with no warranties whatsoever including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. U.S. Cellular 9

10 About U.S. Cellular U.S. Cellular offers a broad suite of solutions for your business. Finding the right technology solutions for your business can be complicated and you want to make sure you invest wisely. Let our Business Concierge Services Team help. We ll listen to your needs, explain your options and deliver a solution that s right for your business. You ll get everything you need. Nothing you don t. And you can be confident in your investment. With a network that works coast to coast and in the Middle of Anywhere, offering the latest Smartphones, Tablets and technology U.S. Cellular has everything your business needs to stay connected and thrive. Call today for a free, informational consultation: or go to uscellular.com/business to learn more.