By Mike Sheldrick, Senior Editor
The fleet sector is being saturated with apps…but not all of them provide an effective way to engage with drivers.
That’s according to Chevin Fleet Solutions –a leading global provider of fleet management software –whose Global Marketing Director, Will Wycks, has warned that the fleet industry needs to consider the effectiveness of mobile apps if they are looking to enhance business functions.
“A large proportion of apps are extraordinarily limited in terms of scope, with some that are little more than skins acting as a means to contact suppliers and other third parties,” Wycks says.
“For fleets that want to develop driver contact strategies that cover anything from managing driver timetables to fulfilling duty of care responsibilities, the majority of apps on today’s marketplace don’t delve deep enough or fulfill a specific task to a high enough standard.
“The fact is, the majority of apps that are currently available to fleets are driven by the desires of internal sales or marketing teams, offering novelty apps rather than producing something that is genuinely useful.
”Wycks says fleets need to make sure apps have a real benefit and enhance existing functions, rather than introduce processes that aren’t needed.
“Consider what the driver really needs to know and what would improve the fleet’s performance. It’s all well and good using an app to collect information, but what happens to the data afterward?” he says.
“What we need to see are apps that integrate with relevant software and business functions to help reduce administrative burdens and associated costs.”
Wycks explains that Chevin resisted introducing its own app for some time, before identifying how the technology could be used in a positive way:
“What makes our app, FleetWave Forms, different from the rest is it’s an extremely flexible tool that integrates with our enterprise software but can be used to help manage not just fleet processes, but almost any other work-related task that happens on-the-go,” he says.
“Organizations can use the app to fulfill a much wider job function, for example sharing and receiving business-critical information including vehicle inspections; mobile technician worksheets; driver trip records; business expenses; accident inventory; safety and risk assessments; sales transactions; proof of delivery and much, much more. This provides a genuine benefit in reducing manual paperwork and increases the speed in which field data can be processed.”
