IFMI Connected: Connectivity is unavoidable in the evolving fleet ecosystem

The message that came out of the first session of the new IFMI Connected Masterclass Series was clear: Without connectivity, corporate fleet managers can't make the right decisions to reach their targets for success. 

Connected technologies are evolving at fast pace with an increasing impact on the dynamics of the vehicle fleet ecosystem. But corporate fleet managers have limited time to define and picture their strategies and accomodate exectution with the support of connectivity. In the recent IFMI Connected session, moderated by Fleet Europe, experts from Geotab, MiX Telematics and OviDrive discussed the expanding connected fleets ecosystem, detailing the benefits of applying telematics and, most importantly, which steps to follow to become fully connected. 

The session had three presentations by André Clusen, Partner Account Manager NCEE at Geotab and Elena Ion, Senior Account Trainer Europe at Geotab;  Catherine Lewis, Executive VP and Managing Director at MiX Telematics and Yves Helven, CEO of OvDrive and Matthijs Honing, Director Consultancy & Strategic Partnership Executive at OviDrive. 

"Telematics is always needed regardless of any condition" 

Telematics has opened up a world of possibilities to enhance vehicle performance, swiftly advancing since the early 2000s, says Elena Ion. Geotab expects 95% of the vehicles to be connected globally by the end of the decade.

Eventually, by 2024 more than 50% of the cars rolling out of factories will have connectivity, bringing the connected vehicle number to 340 million globally. Through telematics, fleets won't be restrained to data only coming from OEMs but will start learning from their fleet from their online databases. The increased number of connected vehicles expands the connected vehicle ecosystem as specific regulations on privacy and compliance also shape it. "No matter what working model you adopt, logistics always requires telematics, and the demand is getting higher".  

Achieving quick wins through telematics

"When one issue is solved by applying telematics, fleets can move to the next one", says Catherine Lewis, Executive VP and  Managing Director (CSO) at MiX Telematics. "Investing in telematics shall bring benefits across the entire business, regardless of the fleet's equipment and size." 

Telematics has also started to play a critical role in compliance, from accessing real-time visibility of working hours to archiving. Applying telematics will be essential in complying with local and regional health, safety, insurance, and tax regulations. 

"Know what you want to achieve" 

"Without technology and telematics, a future-proof mobility programme is out of reach", says Matthijs Honing. "Connectivity is not only telematics," he says. In a connected world, connectivity can deliver a premium experience to employees, optimize goods and operations, and provide other benefits, including reducing the supply chain, logistics, and storage costs. 

For different fleet profiles, connected tech provides the dots of how to react to achieve goals. For instance, driver profiling according to commuting distance and working locations could result in using new mobility options, replacing vehicles with EVs or route optimization. In all scenarios, actual data exceeds the OEM provided data and offers unique insights for corporate fleets. 

Want to learn more from the IFMI? The next session will take place on 24 May with the topic of "Data-driven Fleet Management: TCO & Benefits":
•    Making the right decisions for your fleet
•    How to calculate the true cost of connectivity
•    Which benefits to expect: short, medium, long-term

To register for the upcoming session, click here, and to have more details on the upcoming IFMI sessions, click here.
 

This IFMI session is sponsored by: