Whether you are in the transport business, manufacturing, catering, construction or retail fleet management is an important component of your day to day activities – you need to know where your vehicles are, keep track of fuel consumption, make sure that they are serviced regularly and that problems are dealt with as they arise. The best way to do this is with reliable fleet management software. Before you go online and buy a fleet management app there are a few things you ought to know:
- Not all fleet management apps are created the same. They can vary in many different ways. There are some that are created only to manage a few vehicles while others can manage hundreds of trucks. Some are created to store information locally while there are some that send details to a cloud for easy access. There are some fleet management apps that will give you very detailed information, while others will only keep track of vehicle location and maintenance requirements. What does all this mean for you? It is best to define your needs so that you can find an app that can fulfil your requirements.
- Some apps can be customized to suit your needs. The best fleet management app makers know that one size does not fit all. Before they sell you an app, especially for a big fleet, they will talk to you about any special requirements that you may have. If there are any additional features you would like incorporated they will add them for a fee, but you will get exactly what you need.
- Choose for the future, not for now – if you are currently running a small fleet you may think it wise to save money and buy an app that can only manage the vehicles that you own right now. This is not a good idea – it is recommended that before you buy an app like this you should think 5 – 7 years down the road – how big do you think your fleet will be then? Buy an app that can manage a bigger fleet so that as you grow you don’t have to go back and find one that can accommodate your growing needs.
- Support differs between app makers – you may find an excellent app that can do all sorts of things but when you run into a problem there is no one at the other end to help you out. This can be hugely inconveniencing and cost you lots of money. It is best to check out the support side of any fleet management app that you have in mind before you invest.
- Never buy before you test – the saying “all that glitters is not gold” is spot on when it comes to fleet management apps. At first glance an app may appear to solve all your problems but you don’t know how it will perform when your drivers are out on the road. Don’t buy fleet management software from a company that is not prepared to allow you to do a test drive.
Lastly, if you buy fleet management software and are not happy with it don’t hesitate to find a new one – there are some excellent apps out there that can solve all your fleet management problems.
