When Kansas-based Department of Public Works realized their management software was holding them back rather than improving their operations, they decided it was time for a change. 

The fleet services division of the Unified Government runs an operation of more than 1,300 fleet assets, ranging from sedans and heavy-duty trucks to commercial construction equipment and other miscellaneous specialty vehicles. They also oversee the purchase and disposal of all assets and handle the maintenance of those assets throughout their lifespans, including upfits. 

After years of struggling against a software that wasn’t actually intended for fleet use, the Unified Government found a fleet maintenance and optimization platform that fit their needs, helping improve communication with their team and enhancing access to critical fleet data — no matter where they are in Wyandotte County.

Trouble-shooting and Research

With fleet management software and other fleet solutions becoming more widely available — and widely used — fleets are better able to run their operation efficiently and optimize any daily processes and workflows. That said, not all solutions are created equal, nor are all fleets. What may work for a fleet of more than 1,300 could be a poor fit for small to medium fleets and vice versa. 

Jeff Miles knew pretty immediately that there was an issue with the software in use when he first became the fleet manager for the Unified Government. “I figured out really quickly that that software we were using, it was really designed for other assets within a municipality, and they were trying to mold it to a fleet department,” he explains. “Just to be honest with you, it looked like a train wreck.” 

Not only was the fleet hobbled by a platform that wasn’t designed to fit its industry — let alone its needs — but managing all the different systems that ran the fleet was consuming time and resources from all sides of the operation. “When you have to have two internal employees on three different lines dealing with your fuel software, fleet software, and internal IT department, getting them to communicate with one another, that tells you you need a new solution,” says Operations Superintendent Samantha Merritt.

For government fleets, getting funding for a fleet solution can be tricky, so choosing what will work best for you the first time can save a lot of heart ache. But, like Miles, you could be inheriting a faulty system. Whether you’re starting new or just looking for a change, a lot of research needs to be done before deciding on a solution. Some things to consider are:

• Features and functionality: What are the fleet’s goals for implementing a new solution; what are you trying to accomplish or what problem are you trying to solve? Are you using other solutions like telematics or fuel cards that you’d need to integrate into a single platform?

• Usability: If using a fleet solution is too slow and cumbersome, it becomes less of a solution and more of a problem. Trial and demo different options to find one that not only has the features and functionality you need but is easy to navigate and use.

• Onboarding assistance: Even the best fleet solutions out there can prove useless if improperly implemented. Make sure the options you’re looking at provide initial onboarding with ongoing training and resources available, such as videos, webinars, help centers, etc.

• Scalability: One of the most important — but sometimes overlooked — qualities of a good fleet solution is scalability. A scalable solution is better equipped to handle growth and rightsizing fluctuations in the fleet, including asset acquisition and replacement.

Switching to a more scalable solution with integration features allowed the Unified Government to stop jumping technological hurdles and instead spend more of their time focusing on their actual job descriptions. They chose a solution with a user-friendly interface and dashboards designed for fleet data, which helped ensure quick onboarding and easy adoption across the board, regardless of any individual’s software proficiency.

"The ease, the simplicity, the overall user-friendliness just in that first product video, did it for us," Merritt said.

Focusing on Improved Communication

Communication is a major element in a functional fleet — and often the most frustrating when it fails. This was something the Unified Government had to contend with when they realized they were coming up short on a couple fronts, the biggest of which was difficulty in communicating around maintenance issues. Knowing this was a core challenge, the Unified Government chose a solution that could play a role in improving communication.

Now, for Randy Hand, Lead Fleet Technician, the ability to send messages on the fleet’s new platform is vital in keeping everyone in the loop around work orders. “I use [our software] to communicate with the guys so that the employees, the mechanics, and the team members know everything that’s going on,” Hand says. “[It] helps us get those vehicles back out on the road quickly.”

Lead Fleet Mechanic Eric Yeager saw another benefit to the fleet’s solution: it became a great equalizer in making sure that everyone was being heard in the process of running the fleet, in the maintenance process and beyond. “When I first got here, the system was in the dinosaur ages,” Yeager says. “Before, we were like, ‘Are we heard?’ But now, everyone has an input. Everyone’s voice matters.”

Maintaining Fleet Data Visibility

The old adage, “If you can measure it, you can manage it,” is especially applicable in fleet and highlights the importance of fleet data. After all, you can’t know if you're overspending on fuel if you don’t know how much you’re spending. Likewise, you can’t source the cause of an issue if you don’t know there is an issue to begin with. This is where — you probably guessed it — fleet solutions come in.

As the Operations Superintendent, it’s Merritt’s job to make sure that everything is flowing smoothly throughout the fleet, and the new software gives her immediate insight into all the moving parts of the fleet services division. “My dashboard is kind of my baby; I check on [it] every single morning,” she explains. “So, every day I check my inventory value that’s on my dashboard and then a lot of times, I will check our work orders right after that, go over to our pending approval.”

“I review a lot of the work orders alongside the lead technicians, and I make sure that our notes are taken, parts are charged out, time is charged,” Merritt continues. "With [the new software], everything is on the surface. There's no having to dig for what you're looking for.”

Having robust fleet data available at your fingertips via a solution’s mobile app can have added benefits when it comes to data accessibility. “I can be at home and I can work on tickets,” Hand says. “I was in a meeting and we were discussing a unit. I was able to pull it up on my phone and tell them everything about that unit.”

Whether you’re moving away from an older system or wanting to upgrade from tracking fleet data with a pen and paper or spreadsheets, having a general idea of the benefits a new fleet solution can provide is only the start. Determine the needs and goals of your fleet, including the features and functionality you’d need in a solution to meet those goals. Make sure the communication features a solution provides will enhance rather than hinder daily operations, and focus on a scalable, data-driven solution that can provide insights into every facet of the fleet.

Rachael Plant is a senior content marketing specialist for Fleetio, a fleet optimization platform that helps organizations run, repair, and optimize their fleet operations.