| For companies whose staff are routinely working | | | | hand-held personal tracking device. |
| in the field, or need to attend customers' | | | | Where a GPS tracking device is fitted to a |
| premises, then the answer to questions such as: | | | | company vehicle, then as well as the efficiency |
| "How can my workforce become more | | | | benefits noted above, the presence of the |
| effective?" can, to a degree, be answered | | | | tracking device can save fleet running costs in a |
| through the productivity and efficiency gains of | | | | number of ways, for example through deterring |
| knowing where your people are located at any | | | | inappropriate use. A typical comment from a |
| given time, and how long they have spent on site | | | | business owner is as follows: |
| for each particular task. | | | | It (GPS vehicle tracking) results in cost savings |
| This information can not only help you to react | | | | and deters against out'of'hours use. Our |
| quickly to changing circumstances (e.g. who is the | | | | operatives are aware that we know the speeds |
| nearest engineer to a given location), but also | | | | at which they travel, affording us a significant |
| provide valuable insight into the length of time a | | | | reduction in our annual operational costs. To |
| particular job is taking. Is a particular engineer on | | | | summarise, the types of GPS tracking device that |
| site for long enough to complete work to the | | | | are suitable for workforce tracking applications |
| required standard? Conversely, are staff | | | | include; |
| completing a job effectively, but in less time than | | | | Small personal tracking units that can be carried |
| you are allocating as standard? If so, then | | | | or worn without inconvenience. These often have |
| perhaps you can update your planning | | | | a limited capability to make voice calls - generally |
| assumptions, or reward individual staff who are | | | | to just a handful of pre-programmed numbers. |
| clearly more effective than their peers. | | | | The capability to make calls to a limited set of |
| Today, obtaining this information is no longer the | | | | numbers can provide an alternative to issuing |
| preserve of the innovative business - GPS | | | | staff with mobile phones so that they can contact |
| tracking devices are available for a range of | | | | the office, as well as eliminating the temptation to |
| applications, and the cost of a managed service is | | | | use the a phone for personal calls. Dedicated |
| down to a few pennies per day per unit. GPS | | | | tracking application software that can be installed |
| tracking is now a commodity whose benefit far | | | | onto a mobile phone with GPS capability or a |
| outweighs the costs involved. | | | | similar Blackberry device which enables the phone |
| A secondary benefit that users are discovering is | | | | to work with the GPS tracking service in the |
| that staff who are aware that their location can | | | | same way as a dedicated tracking unit. |
| be seen by their employer become more | | | | GPS Vehicle Tracking devices that are attached |
| productive, and even their driving habits improve | | | | to a business vehicle and can then continually |
| once they realise that their driving speed can be | | | | update the vehicle's location. |
| monitored as well, even if they just have a | | | | |