New opportunities for FMS growth in vertical markets

27 Nov 2008

With the overall growth of the market for fleet management systems, it is becoming clear that no single solution meets the needs of all potential customers. Sharing the basic functionality, different vertical markets have specific requirements for maximising ROI.

According to ABI Research's principal analyst, David Alexander, the major area of future growth is in real-time dispatch. "Long a focus for emergency services, the need for accurate routing is now seen as a source of competitive advantage for local service, delivery, and utility companies. And the emergency services themselves are beginning to see potential for improved performance in their processes from the development of new features driven by business needs."

A new optimisation incorporated into the latest telematics-based dispatch systems enables fleets to meet their schedules using a minimum number of vehicles travelling the fewest miles and allows to change appointments easily during the workday regarding delays and last-minute requests.

With the intended incorporation of historical and real-time traffic data, fleet managers can choose to assign their vehicles to travel using routes that minimise distance, fuel usage or journey time. And different routes will be selected depending on the time of day and day of the week.

Alexander points out, that other vertical markets are facing their own special needs: "Construction, mining and oil field exploration typically take place in very remote areas, and the data tracked is more focused on engine and environmental parameters than routing. Buses are usually not able to change their routes, but accurate information on the status and timing of an individual bus can be of great value in improving customer relationships."