Fleet Management Software – Excellent Tools For Managing Fleet Operations
Fleet management software is essentially computer software that allows completion of a series of specific tasks in the management of any or all aspects associated with the fleet of vehicles operated by an organization or government. This software can manage a few vehicles as well as hundreds of vehicles. It can perform a range of specific tasks from vehicle acquisition to disposal.
There are a number of compelling benefits attached with fleet management software that includes reduced insurance costs, reduced fuel costs, more accurate billing, improved customer services and on a whole better vehicle usage monitoring. Generally the managing ability of the software depends on its potential.
Components of fleet management software
The software system of fleet management works along with the GPS units to provide a unified approach for administration of fleet and vehicle fleet tracking. There are a number of elements constituting the fleet management software tools. The Vehicle GPS Unit is also an important component. The modern fleet management software systems are accompanied by Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) unit that enables tracking of vehicle location. The components also include Vehicle History Logger, which is recorded in a hardware "black box" unit present in every fleet vehicle. The information can be moved from the vehicle to a central server computer over a wireless connection. The Fleet Mapping Module allows the updated view of geographical regions, however it varies in cost and details. Fleet Reporting Module is another important element in fleet management. The fleet management software can produce the following reports –detailed route history report, begin-end day report, start-stop report, alerts report and maintenance report. Functions of fleet management software The software runs as a complex information system. The major function of the fleet management software includes collecting, storing, monitoring, processing, reporting and exporting information. It enables import of information from external sources like customs, gas pump processors, the motor insurance database, the DVLA, HM Revenue etc, as well as internal sources such as Finance and Human Resources. Further, the software must have the ability to manage tasks, processes and events. For instance, it must accomplish functions such as managing driver license, scheduled maintenance, notification of routine maintenance, MOT, and tax and insurance due dates. A competent fleet management software could execute functions such as vehicle efficiency, trip profiling, dispatch, driver/vehicle profiling, etc. apart from remote control features like active disabling and Geo-fencing. Depending on the hardware installed in the vehicles, the vehicle diagnostic information can also be connected to a management site. Selecting fleet management software In order to select the appropriate fleet management software, it is important to analyze the system architectures and operating systems. There are web-based applications, which doesn't require installation of fleet management software on personal computers (PCs), employee workstations, or other devices such as pocket PCs, tablet PCs or personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet PCs. These allow the user to use a browser to connect to a remote web server. Generally, in most of the PC-based applications a client / server architecture, Microsoft Windows operating system, and network protocols such as Token ring or Ethernet are used. However, there are fleet management software programs, which can run on other operating systems like MacOS or Linux.
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