SaaS field service management

When you’ve got a fleet of vehicles on the road, how do you keep track of your drivers? How do you know that fuel consumption is being kept as low as possible? What about the administrative end? How do you keep a close eye on expenses and employee time sheets and invoices that accumulate? And, finally, how do you track all of these things in real time?

Companies of all sizes, with fleets ranging from just a few vehicles to hundreds of vehicles, are facing the challenges associated with managing their vehicles and streamlining their field operations every day. For example, MSW Planthire, a trench digging specialty company in New South Wales, had poor visibility into its fleet, with no vehicle location data or security system. Routes weren’t properly tracked, leading to unnecessary expenditures on overtime and upkeep for vehicles that were being used for employees’ personal trips. Pure Plumbing Professionals, also in New South Wales, a company drowning in paperwork, was spending unnecessary time on administrative tasks and compromising customer communications.

Issues like these require solutions that go beyond simple GPS programs and office management tools. More and more, successful serviced-based businesses are turning to cloud technology to mobilise their field service management processes.

Pure Plumbing Professionals implemented Fleetmatics WORK, where information is stored in the cloud, enabling users to automate their back office activities and reduce paperwork. Pure Plumbing immediately saw a positive impact on the business, as accounts became easier to manage with a dashboard that allows managers to see all clients, suppliers, jobs and employees in one place. Likewise, MSW Planthire turned to Fleetmatics REVEAL to improve its processes and increase field visibility in a major way. The solution provided visibility into field activity and actionable insight into driver behaviour and workforce productivity. The system improved the company’s routing and dispatching, which decreased payroll discrepancies and also helped decrease vehicle misconduct.

It’s clear that field service management solutions can have a tremendous impact on the service-based industry in Australia.

Joseph Boyle is Vice President Sales, Global Field Service Applications, Fleetmatics. He has 15+ years’ experience in technology and business consulting with a proven record in start-ups/turnarounds of software/SaaS companies. Currently, he is responsible for global revenue across Fleetmatics’ customer base and field service management software.