Tracking and tracing

One of the biggest challenges by small business owners is finding the right balance between working ‘on’ the business and ‘in’ the business. Administrative burden is the bane of many owners, operators and fleet managers, so adopting a solution that both lessens the load and delivers real and immediate benefits is a logical step.

Just Power is an electrical contracting business based in Sydney’s rapidly expanding Western Suburbs. The business is largely built around tendered work from large electrical contracts across Sydney. As the tenders began to increase in size so did Just Power’s administration and logistics requirements across its fleet.

Having never worked with a business solutions provider before, Just Power sought out Forum Fleet to help overhaul and improve the management of its fleet and employee information after hearing about the TomTom Telematics technology from other businesses that had installed the solution.

Some major concerns that Just Power needed to address were how to manage employees and track their work and movements between multiple locations. It also wanted to maximise its efficiency on and off the road by reducing the amount of time that employees had to spend in transit to building sites.

Forum Fleet installed the TomTom LINK 530 Track and Trace systems to efficiently track its fleet en route to and from job sites. The LINK 530 is a user-friendly system that helps to improve overall vehicle management by providing driver IDs and detailed tracking. This enables Just Power to provide accurate employee ETAs to its customers on building sites, contributing to better service levels overall.

Provide accurate site ETAs through detailed tracking and tracing.

The functionality provided by the Track and Trace system also means that Just Power can address the issue of employee accountability, by being able to accurately record their vehicle-use activity throughout the day.

Since Forum Fleet installed the TomTom LINK 530 Track and Trace systems in November 2013, Just Power has reduced its employee overtime by 20% by being able to crosscheck timesheets against the location of the staff and their assigned job site.

Following the installation of the LINK 530, there has been an overall reduction in fuel consumption by 15%. The Track and Trace system has also helped improve driver safety by significantly reducing speeding fines and traffic infringements.

Less time in traffic, just one of the benefits.

Initially, Forum Group installed the LINK 530 devices in a small number of Just Power’s vehicles, but once the benefits and cost savings were apparent, this was increased to 11 vehicles. By giving Just Power improved visibility over its fleet and employees, as well as efficient job planning, it means that it can undertake more work while simultaneously maintaining its high standards of customer service.

Garry Tokins, director of Just Power, says, “The TomTom Telematics Track and Trace systems installed by Forum Fleet have become an invaluable part of our day-to-day operations. Our employees’ safety is always paramount to us and this helps us ensure that they get to their jobs quickly and safely.

“New business and administration efficiencies have been developed as a product of Forum Fleet’s solutions, which means we’re able to put more energy into growing the business; and as a result, we’re taking on bigger projects and contracts than previously.”