Smooth Implementation Part 1: The Right Solution

As a business owner, you already recognize the advantages fleet management solutions offer in helping you promote safer driving behaviors, increase productivity, and improve customer experience. But a major concern in any significant change in a business is a return on investment (ROI) for that change and minimizing disruption to your daily operations. 

A smooth implementation is key to seeing that ROI quickly. It may seem obvious that procuring a powerful solution is the first step, but there are five things you want to do before signing that contract to ensure you’ve found the solution that best fits your business.

1. Establish goals.

You want to identify and prioritize your goals for the system before you buy, including all the metrics you wish to track. It is more important to focus on a few key areas that will benefit your organization the most, so try to stick with just two or three short-term goals to start. For example, if you are looking to improve productivity by optimizing routes, you want to measure the average route distance to determine benchmarks for each vehicle type in your fleet. You could also measure the change in fuel spend to determine how effective your optimization of routes has been

2. Do your research.

There are many GPS fleet tracking companies to choose from, but the quality of the technology and customer service varies. Choose a provider that is willing to take the time to dive into the specifics of your fleet, your goals and what you hope to accomplish. Look for a system that offers an intuitive dashboard from a provider known for being user-friendly, innovative and financially stable. Technology is a big investment, so make sure the company is backed by responsive, knowledgeable account managers and customer care representatives. Ask for referrals. Talking with customers who have had both successes and failures with the systems you are considering will help you get a full picture of the system’s capabilities. Create a checklist of the features and functionality you need.

3. Request a demo.

A trustworthy provider will be willing to demonstrate its system and walk you through the various features. These should include dashboards, reports, live maps, alerts and route replays, so you can see first-hand how you’ll be able to use the systems to track vehicles and analyze data. Make sure they focus on demonstrating how the features you are most interested in will work once it is deployed to your entire fleet.

4. Get buy-in from management.

No matter how functional and dynamic a fleet management system is, if management and supervisors aren’t on board, your implementation will suffer. Get everyone on the same page by helping them understand what you want the system to accomplish. Share your goals and show how the new system will help you reach them. You should also outline the benefits that GPS fleet tracking will bring to your company’s overall bottom line.

5. Get buy-in from drivers.

Getting buy-in from your drivers before implementing your system is a key element to ensuring a smooth and successful transition. Make sure to emphasize the impact the new system will have on customer service, including the ability to respond more quickly and to complete more jobs. Assure your drivers their safety and the company’s reputation are your top priorities. Outline how the system will benefit drivers directly, like an incentivized driver safety program, if you plan to use one.

Learn more about how to make implementation smooth for your business with our free ebook 10 Steps for Purchasing and Implementing a Fleet Management Solution.