For logistics operators and fleet owners, lower operating costs and higher vehicle uptime could mean the difference between business survival and failure, especially when margins are razor-thin in times of rising fuel prices, maintenance costs and slower economic growth.
Scania’s Fleet Management System Offering Enhanced Profitability
This is where Scania Fleet Management could make a crucial difference. The data collected on board Scania vehicles gives valuable insight into driving styles, productivity and economy. This level of tracking and diagnostics could bring significant benefits in increased uptime, improved safety and reduced operating costs.
Scania Southeast Asia Managing Director Marie Sjödin Enström said the Scania Fleet Management, which was part of the total solutions approach that Scania successfully developed in Malaysia, had seen the company’s customers achieve the best profitability and efficiency in their businesses. This was evident in the ‘fantastic’ take-up rate of 90 per cent of all new vehicles since the Scania Fleet Management System (FMS) was introduced in Malaysia on 27th November, 2014.
“To achieve the best profitability, one of the many aspects that Scania could help improve on is our customers’ Total Operating Economy. An area of interest to most operators is fuel economy, which when achieved could lower fuel cost while maintaining higher productivity. This holistic approach combines the best of having a Scania vehicle, financed by Scania, maintained at Scania, using Scania genuine parts, trained and coached by Scania to produce the best drivers; and based on vehicle and driver behaviour data from FMS. No other company could boast such a wide range of proprietary offering with a solutions-based approach that gives the results from under one roof – that is Scania,” said Marie.
And Scania‘s customers such as express bus operator Konsortium E-Mutiara Bhd were said to be extremely impressed with the results of using FMS. “Comparatively, the FMS readings are more accurate than the GPS in tracking the performance of the buses and bus captains. We are able to pin-point the exact errors that the bus captains make and advise them on corrective measures to improve their performance,” said Konsortium EMutiara Executive Director Naemah Yaacob.
Scania Fleet Management System (FMS)
Scania said the FMS connected the vehicles with the customer’s office. “You can track many aspects of driver behaviour and vehicle performance – some of the common ones and could be looked out for are high percentages of coasting, low percentages of heavy braking, low percentages of idling and low percentages of speeding. These percentages generally lead to the best fuel economy,” noted Marie.
Scania said the FMS was already installed in all new Scania trucks – customers just need to activate it to connect to their fleet’s data. In addition, all new Scania trucks came with 10 years free FMS Monitoring Package to assist customers in having better control of their fleet.
With FMS, Scania said its customers enjoyed benefits such as quick access to fleet overviews, graphic reports at a glance, views of fuel consumption, and these data helped them to make decisions that cut fuel consumption, identify vehicles that were being driven unsuitably and have better service planning that reduced unplanned downtime.
Marie pointed out that fleet operators were able to improve profits as FMS gave them clear and useful information about how their fleet was performing and what was costing them money.
“They can spot potential problems early, be able to coach drivers in adopting more economical driving habits and improving their service planning. Furthermore, monthly and yearly summary reports are also provided, their content being invaluable in identifying long-term trends and patterns. In some cases, excess fuel consumption could be an early sign of a mechanical problem. With more advanced services, they could get valuable information to help in optimising routes and work assignments,” she said.
Customers also enjoyed many other operational benefits with the extra service Scania Messaging, which offered quick and easy communication across the workforce through instant messaging.
“With Scania Messaging Service, sharing text, photos and positions increases efficiency and reduces downtime. It also offers traceability and safe storage of historical communication. Communication could take place through both our App and portal, making this an effective complement to our Control Package,” said Marie.
Scania Control Package
Scania said its Fleet Management consisted of two different service packages: Monitoring and Control. The true benefit for customers would come from the Control Package. Both Monitoring and Control Packages offered fuel consumption reports and trend by email, and service planning based on time, distance or both.
However, the Control Package offered extra benefits such as events report; performance trend per driver or vehicle (fuel consumption, driving style and usage during any period); advanced vehicle and driver evaluation; fleet position and vehicle status; driving time report with accumulated driving time for drivers; vehicle tracking over a chosen period; Geofence alarms if a vehicle entered or left a pre-determined area; quick and easy communication across the workforce; two-way communication with the vehicle, messaging, address book and routing; traceability and secure storage of historical conversation; provided full access to fleet data in a standardised format with existing telematics systems. The Control Package was seen as suitable for fleet owners who wanted to utilise the benefits of vehicle and driver follow-up as well as support their transport process with operational information.
Customers also get access to the Scania Fleet Management portal and App, and all the information offered through the Monitoring Package. It allows access to other useful information and functions, including reports on traffic light and fuelling events such as when and where refuelling occurred, the fleet’s current positions, driver activity and accumulated driving time, vehicle tracking as well as the trigger of an alarm if a vehicle enters or leaves a predetermined geographical zone.
“With the Control Package, our customers stay on top of their fleets – wherever it is and wherever it’s heading. More frequent data reporting The Control Package is particularly effective for fleet owners who need the most up-to-date vehicle information available at all times. Scania Fleet Management is about supporting our customers all the way in their business as part of Scania sustainable transport solutions for the best profitability,” said Marie.
