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5 advantages of digital fleet management

The construction industry is known to be lagging behind when it comes to digitization. One major reason is probably that day-to-day business, especially the stubborn processing of orders, is preferred to strategic planning. Learn more about the other reasons in our article "Time for digitalization".

At Flexcavo, we recognize that construction equipment is an important factor in driving digitization in the construction industry. With our proprietary software solution FlexcavoOS, we create an orchestrated ecosystem that connects all construction machines and equipment. Learn more about FlexcavoOS here. In this article, we reveal the benefits of digital fleet management and why you should choose our solution as a construction contractor.


WHAT IS DIGITAL FLEET MANAGEMENT? 
Every construction company loves its own fleet of machines, but keeping an eye on it at all times is usually a difficult undertaking. Digital fleet management is the management of a fleet of vehicles or machines using software or a web-based fleet management system. A digital fleet management with telematics solution transmits machine data in real time. In this way, the entire fleet can be managed online, easily, at any time and from any location.

That sounds very promising at first, but why are so few construction companies still using this solution? One reason for the reluctance is probably that web-based systems would be too expensive and complex. The conversion would take a lot of time and effort, which many construction companies simply cannot afford in view of their overcrowded order books. It is now up to the software developers to provide sufficient clarification and assistance so that the construction companies nevertheless succeed in getting started with digitization. 

 

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WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A DIGITAL FLEET MANAGEMENT SOLUTION?
1. CLEAR OVERVIEW AND TRANSPARENCY

Machine data such as idle times and commercial data such as project costs converge seamlessly via intelligent interfaces in the operating system. A digital fleet management system such as FlexcavoOS therefore represents a transparent and uniform platform in which all important information is stored. As a result, construction companies always have an overview of their fleet, construction sites and projects and can access them flexibly at the click of a button. The high level of transparency and lean communication channels that go hand in hand with the software ensure not only more agile processes but also a better working atmosphere. The workload of employees is significantly reduced and they also have more fun at work.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF A HOLISTIC SOLUTION: 
You are a contractor and plan the use of your machines via magnetic boards that are only available in the office? Your employees fill in timesheets by hand and you can't decipher the handwriting? You lose track because you use different Excel spreadsheets and documents for prescribing and scheduling? If you answer yes to these and similar questions, then a digital fleet management system like FlexcavoOS will definitely make your life easier. You can view all your machines, equipment and projects in a unified dashboard. You always know when and where the next excavator is needed, and you can send messages directly to your employees on the construction site. All important information is collected in one place for everyone involved and can be accessed at any time. 



2. SAFER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE DECISIONS
Using software, construction companies get an up-to-date overview of their fleet in real time. By storing master data, such as fuel consumption, idle hours or emissions, for individual machines and equipment, dispatchers and foremen always know the condition of a machine and can analyze and optimize every operation. In addition to making safer and more sustainable decisions, the data can also be used to plan maintenance and inspections in advance. In many cases, technically related failures can be prevented thanks to networked telematics. Problems can be easily reported online, and integrated GPS tracking can even effectively counter site theft. Read here how FlexcavoOS helped our customers get back a stolen wheel loader.


CLIMATE-NEUTRAL CONSTRUCTION AS A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: For construction companies to minimize their economic footprint, it is important to reduce the CO2 emissions of their machines. Through a digital fleet management system, you as a construction company can view the emissions of your fleet in real time and regulate them accordingly. In this way, you achieve optimal utilization of the machines and at the same time contribute to greater sustainability.


3. COST AND TIME SAVINGS
A digital fleet management solution supports networking within individual workflows and simplifies work processes. What is still done in many construction companies with pen and paper, magnetic boards or various isolated solutions, is completely transferred to a cloud-based platform with digital fleet management. The disposition and prescription of machines and costs takes place digitally. Using digital delivery bills, which can be created and assigned via QR codes, among other things, construction companies save a considerable amount of time and effort. 


PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF DIGITAL DELIVERY BILL:

When a machine is sent from the construction yard to the construction site, there is usually a delivery bill with four carbon copies, which would be: Accounting, Construction Yard, Foreman and Logistician. However, in transit, the delivery bills often get lost, arrive late or not at all. This creates redundancy or delays in posting costs to the individual construction and cost centers. Using QR codes, individual machines and equipment can be assigned to a digital delivery bill, which is integrated in FlexcavoOS and can also be created there. The data can no longer be lost and it no longer takes three days for the delivery bill to reach the accounting department, as this is now possible via an interface in the ERP system.

4. AUTOMATING AND OPTIMIZING PROCESSES.
Information no longer has to be manually entered, transferred and updated in different applications, so there is hardly any redundancy or errors. Comprehensive analyses are not only easier to generate this way, they are also more accurate. The right software solution facilitates both site and cost documentation and identifies optimization opportunities. In the end, thanks to automated and optimized processes, the contractor saves time and nerves in addition to operating costs.


PRACTICAL EXAMPLE CROSS-MANUFACTURER AND CROSS-CATEGORY DATA:
With just a few clicks, fleet management software such as FlexcavoOS allows all construction equipment fleet data to be viewed, managed and evaluated in an intuitive dashboard. Interfaces using cross-manufacturer and cross-category telematics data connect construction machines and equipment to a unified platform that analyzes the data and keeps it up to date. Without any physical intervention, operating hours, fuel consumption and other measurement points can be recorded in real time in this way. 


5. MEETS THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, MODERN AND FUTURE-ORIENTED. 
The future of fleet management is digital. The focus is no longer on mere administration, but above all on increasing efficiency.  Construction companies that still rely on analog processes or Excel spreadsheets will realize, at the latest when their fleet grows and becomes more complex, that there is no way around a software solution. Because not only the requirements and the effort increase, but also the data to be managed.


CONCLUSION
Digital fleet management with digital accounting, site and cost documentation creates great time and cost savings and enables key functions to focus their attention more on strategic issues. This is also urgently needed, because the construction industry is not only at the beginning of digitization, but also faces challenges such as a change in culture, values and generations. In order for the respective change and the associated conversions to run as smoothly as possible, information and knowledge must be collected centrally. A digital fleet management solution that stores data in a cloud that can be accessed at any time via the Internet provides the perfect basis for this.

What sets us apart from other software providers in the construction industry? At Flexcavo, we own construction equipment ourselves and know the problems of fleet management firsthand. We face the same challenges as construction companies every day and have developed solutions based on our own experience to help not only us, but the entire construction industry. 

Are you an MTA manager or dispatcher and are currently looking for a suitable software solution for your construction company? We would be happy to advise you personally. Simply contact us now by phone or e-mail at https://www.flexcavo.de/kontakt.

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