Whether it’s bringing lumber to a work site or hauling dirt away, construction fleets are under pressure to complete each job quickly and efficiently. Time constraints are a common challenge facing construction companies. With the skilled labor shortage, U.S. general contractors are concerned about spreading construction fleets too thin across too many jobs. To improve workforce utilization, construction companies need greater access to near real-time data.
Near real-time data helps improves routing and driver behavior
According to a recent report from the business research firm Aberdeen, companies that use field service and fleet management software see a 33 percent greater workforce utilization rate compared to companies that do not. That’s because poor routing and communication between field workers and drivers can hurt workforce utilization. Not using the most direct route can mean more time in transit between construction jobsites and less time performing billable work, which can also increase fuel costs and put more wear and tear on fleets.
Fleet management also adds additional visibility into driver behavior, such as excessive idling, speeding and harsh driving. After the first month of fleet management software implementation, field service companies saw a 71 percent improvement in speeding and a 29 percent improvement in idling, according to Verizon Connect’s analysis of 719 fleets with a total of 27,347 vehicles that. Of the field services businesses analyzed, 12 percent saw an increase in miles driven between harsh driving incident alerts in the first month following the software implementation. In the second month, 38 percent of businesses saw an increase in miles driven between harsh driving incident alerts. These behaviors can waste fuel and decrease truck longevity, which may impact business performance and equipment effectiveness—two factors tied to workforce utilization.
Improved routing and driver behavior can both help improve workforce utilization. However, access to near real-time and historical data can also give fleet managers an insider view of their business to help improve customer service. After implementing fleet management software, more than half of the businesses surveyed by Verizon Connect in February 2018 saw improved customer service—a critical key performance indicator in today’s competitive landscape.
Near real-time data helps brings business impact
Before fleet management software, a typical job could take a contractor two weeks to complete; after implementation that same contractor can complete the same project in a single afternoon.
Before the implementation, the contractor used to make several phone calls between drivers and management. Now, it can track its trucks in near real-time on computers, mobile devices and tablets, helping cut down on those calls. Monitoring driver behavior has also encouraged company drivers to compete for the driver of the month award.
Invest in data to address challenges
However, fleet management software alone is not the only solution to help increase workforce utilization and operational efficiency. Fleet managers must use the data from the software and incorporate it into their measurement and reporting. For example, contractors can track how much time drivers spend driving on the road and off-road working. By reviewing and sharing this data with accountants, companies are able to receive tax rebates for off-road fuel.
Near real-time data provided by fleet management software is changing the way businesses of all sizes and across industries are making decisions. In a connected world on the go, now is the time to invest in technologies that help enhance efficiency and increase profits. With fleet management software, field service businesses in the construction industry will be ready to meet customer demands and address challenges head on.
