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| Past Issues |
June 2009 |
Fleet Management and vehicle tracking technologies evolve year-on-year and so too does the face of the market they service. FleetWatch asked two top FM/tracking companies, DigiCore Fleet Management's Mark Rousseau and Altech Netstar Fleet Solutions' Brian Edmonds, to answer a few pointed questions about the state-of-play within the industry right now. FleetWatch: How are your products and services helping your commercial truck fleet clients lower their running costs and what are you doing to back them? DigiCore Fleet Management: Our C-track real-time FM application and reporting suite enables all our customers to autonomously lower their running costs. In addition to this, DigiCore offers a nationwide team of business consultants who actively work with fleet managers to realise the specific Key Performance Indicators identified by the fleet manager. For over five years, DigiCore has also operated a 24/7/365 Information Bureau Service providing customized value added reporting and monitoring services. If the products and services are not effectively implemented and managed on this basis, then savings will undoubtedly not be realized. Altech Netstar Fleet Solutions: Our products are used by our customers in different ways. Some are reducing costs by monitoring the routes their vehicles are driving from point A to point B. This is achieved by using our route monitoring facility where fleet operators, at the click of a mouse, can identify the most cost effective routes between multiple points of collection or delivery. This also takes into account the time of day based on certain algorithms built into the system. Other clients are improving their driver behaviour based on the recommended green band driving specifications by monitoring things like idle time, harsh acceleration and green band driving times. Overall, our fleet clients are reducing their operating costs by saving on fuel and maintenance bills. FW: Can you mention specific examples – trucking operations that have recently expressed how your systems and services are helping them reduce operational expenses? DFM: One of our many successful Fleet Management contracts is with DHL, the courier company. C-track helps them manage a fleet of over 250 ‘goods-in-transit’ vehicles. Their route optimization and planning has been improved by 30 percent and by being able to monitor and manage deliveries remotely, DHL has also increased its turnaround time significantly. Their customer base has increased by 150 percent and C-track helps them manage their deliveries to this extended customer base.
ANFS: One that really stands out is SABCO, which has achieved phenomenal success by using the system to the maximum. The company has started a project internally whereby it has pinpointed certain test sites and has determined costs prior to implementation and costs post implementation. SABCO has stated that it will release its findings to the media in due course. Value Logistics has also achieved outstanding results in one of its operations currently using our systems. FW: In these tough financial times, are fleet operators adopting FM technology to any greater extent in an effort to curtail ‘on-road’ expenses? DFM: For the last 24 years DigiCore has been implementing FM technology with professional operators. In these tough financial times we have seen a marked increase in the recognition of fleet managers of the necessity to implement C-track technology to assist with operational cost reductions to weather this period. ANFS: We have seen a marked change in the way our customers are using our systems. In the past, our systems were simply being used as track and trace tools. They are now, due to product development, being used for more advanced fleet management functions. FW: What, in your sales approach, does your product offering focus on right now, given the onerous financial climate? DFM: This is a sensitive question regarding strategic direction of the company but the market can expect new levels of technology, functionality and service delivery in the months ahead. ANFS: We are emphasising the cost savings brought to any fleet via the implementation of our systems - from fuel savings to maximizing productivity within the fleet. FW: Has your company introduced new technologies and services in recent months that enhance fleet efficiency? DFM: New C-track products are constantly under development to unlock technology for our customers who have increasing FM needs. DigiCore has invested over R20 million in the last 12 months in global R&D supporting over 400 000 systems. ANFS: Our products are consistently changing to meet customer requirements. We have done much integration into existing customer applications to allow for more accurate use of vehicle and driver information.
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2009 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line.
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