Best Heavy Equipment Fleet Management Software: Enhancing Your Construction Operations
The phrase "you can't fix what you can't measure" is pretty common. Whether it's analytics at the office or equipment used in the field, metrics provide you with insight into what you're doing well and what needs improvement.
Heavy equipment fleet management software does just that by collecting operations metrics and organizing processes. When you choose the right software, you can track important metrics and ultimately reduce costs and improve productivity.
What to Look for in a Heavy Equipment Fleet Management Software
Real-Time Fleet Tracking: This involves tracking your equipment so you know where it is at all times and monitoring the routes they take. This data will help you estimate equipment ETAs and operating times.
Maintenance Scheduling and Alerts: Manage your equipment maintenance by scheduling routine maintenance and inspections in advance. Then, you'll receive notifications as to when these actions are required. You can also organize work orders into a priority sequence for your team.
Equipment Utilization Monitoring: The utilization rate is a ratio that measures the amount of time equipment is productively being used for. It's important to monitor equipment utilization because it's a main factor in decisions like managing equipment performance and whether to rent or buy.
Integration with Other Business Systems: Integrating fleet management software with your other operational systems makes business processes more efficient by reducing administrative work for everyone involved. Fleet management software can integrate with an ERP, financial services, and other systems.
Data Security and Compliance: Since fleet management software has access to sensitive business and personal information, always ensure that your software of choice is secure and compliant with the proper regulations. The software can also ensure that your practices are compliant with the latest equipment and safety regulations.
Top 5 Heavy Equipment Fleet Management Software Solutions
#1. B2W
B2W is a well-rounded fleet management software that offers modules for estimating and bidding, safety and inspection, scheduling, field tracking, maintenance, and analysis. The B2W ecosystem automates a wide variety of administrative tasks in each of these sectors, including preventative maintenance plans, employee scheduling, and other workflows.
Fleet managers can use the B2W modules to create and administer forms, edit daily logs, track equipment maintenance data and KPIs, and manage work orders. B2W also integrates with multiple ERPs and accounting software. Overall, the B2W system has many unique features that address core aspects of active fleet management.
#2. Fleetio
Fleetio specializes in all important aspects of heavy equipment tracking and maintenance. The platform focuses on painting a picture of each asset's utilization, maintenance workflows, and equipment inspections. All data generated from Fleetio's modules are used to estimate the cost of equipment prior to bidding on job opportunities.
Fleetio tracks multiple metrics involved in equipment management and cost estimation, including cost per mile, service costs, and fuel costs. You can also set up automatic preventive maintenance reminders for each piece of equipment and integrate it with various GPS fleet trackers. Fleetio is a great choice for managers looking for detailed records on equipment operations.
#3. FleetWave
Like other providers, FleetWave offers equipment monitoring and maintenance management. They're used not only in the construction industry but for enterprise vehicles and other related industries.
FleetWave features can help you stay compliant with the latest heavy equipment regulations. With all employee information stored in the system, you'll be able to monitor which team members have the required licenses to operate equipment and required training. You can also automate reminders for updates, events, and required implementations to ensure consistent compliance.
#4. GeoTab
GeoTab's equipment monitoring and telematics software is specifically designed with heavy construction equipment in mind. Their telematics system, G09 Rugged, can handle the external installation and exposure to rough materials and the elements. GeoTab's technology ensures that you'll be able to get the best information on your equipment's driving patterns without it being invasive during operations.
GeoTab software enables you to run remote diagnostics and track fuel usage, machine idle time, and engine hours. If you're looking for enhanced equipment and maintenance analytics specific to heavy equipment, GeoTab fleet management software is worth checking out.
#5. Trimble
Trimble offers a combination of fleet and construction project management tools. Trimble's solutions address each stage of the project lifecycle, from concept and design to operation and maintenance. With Trimble software, you can create construction models, estimate costs, and track site positioning data. Depending on the features you're looking for, Trimble is a great option for both project management and equipment tracking.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Heavy Equipment Fleet Management Software
No matter how impressive the software is, it won't be of use to you if it doesn't address your company's individual needs. Here are a few factors to consider when choosing between heavy equipment fleet management software providers.
Business Size and Complexity: Depending on the size of your fleet and business, you may not require all of the bells and whistles offered in some fleet management software. Always review the plans offered by software providers and discuss custom options if available.
Budget and Return on Investment: Like all decisions, choosing construction fleet management software is always constrained by your budget. Once you've purchased a subscription, track key metrics like uptime and cost reduction to prove the tool's ROI.
Customization and Scalability: Out-of-the-box solutions may not address all of your needs. You can customize most fleet management software by selecting different modules, features, and the number of users and included machines. There should also be procedures in place to adjust your subscription as your fleet and business grow in size.
Customer Support and Training: These are some of the most important aspects when choosing heavy equipment fleet management software. Always inquire about the onboarding process, since you need to understand how to use the software and its features. Otherwise, you won't gain any value from the software and will want to switch to inefficient methods with smaller learning curves.
User-friendliness and Accessibility: User-friendly, accessible software is the easiest software to understand and adopt consistently.
Implementing Fleet Management Software in Your Construction Business
The implementation process for fleet management software can be summarized in three main steps: planning and implementation, employee training, and monitoring. The following tasks are involved in each of the three steps.
Planning and Preparing for Implementation
- Identify your company's core needs
- Research heavy equipment fleet management software and see if their offerings align with your needs
- Consult reviews, customer testimonials, and other sources for software information
- Establish a budget, the number of users who require software access, and fleet size
- Notify team members about upcoming changes to fleet management processes
Employee Training and Adaptation
- Consult all of your fleet management software provider's onboarding resources
- Attend all training and organize training for all employees who will use the software
- Communicate changes and provide support to your team when necessary
- Discuss implementation and progress, and ask any questions you have with your account representative
Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
- Take note of maintenance, equipment usage, costs, and other metrics before installing the software
- Analyze data collected within your fleet management software
- Post analysis, make required changes to improve processes
- Compare current metrics with pre-installation metrics to measure return on investment
Measuring What's Important
By tracking maintenance, equipment usage, costs, scheduling, and other processes, heavy equipment fleet management software lets you measure what's important. Look for equipment utilization, maintenance, security, integrations, and fleet tracking when evaluating software providers. Check out B2W, Fleetio, Trimble, GeoTab, FleetWave, and other providers to see all they have to offer. With visibility into core processes, you'll be able to make informed, data-driven decisions going forward!
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