Facilities management (FM) company Farnek says the launch of its own-house smart fleet management solution will optimise the performance of its transport fleet and improve service delivery to its customers.
The company turned to its own technology division team to develop the solution which will be used by its entire transport fleet of more than 300 buses, vans and cars across the UAE
The firm said development required a lengthy process but has “simply and ingeniously adopted and adapted the latest smart technology to produce a homemade solution”.
“This bespoke telematics system has been developed in-house by our own IT engineers, using proven technology and is a Cloud and mobility-based platform. Our fleet is now powered by IoT telematic sensors connected with Google Maps for route optimisation with our drivers, fleet, service schedule and of course our customers, front of mind,” explained Javeria Aijaz, director, Technology & Innovation, Farnek.
Operational staff at its logistics centre can use Farnek’s live administrative portal to compare vehicle inventory with the current and scheduled demand and issue instructions to the drivers (and each vehicle is fitted with a dedicated smart phone loaded with an app).
According to Farnek, the drivers log in, accept the notification based on a QR code sent to the smart phone in the vehicle and start their journey. The app automatically calculates and compares the estimated and actual journey times and presents the driver with Google Maps-based navigation, to show the most time-efficient route to take.
“All vehicles are integrated with an IoT sensor that essentially tracks the vehicle and monitors ignition status, sends idling notifications and speeding alerts, all in real time, which all contribute positively towards our drivers’ performance,” added Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek.
“Moreover, if for example we have two buses with a capacity of 30 seats each travelling to the same destination, if available, we can switch to one 60-seater bus. Furthermore, by downloading the app, customers can also track the vehicle themselves and at the end of their shifts, our own employees will be able to see where the bus is and how long they will have to wait.
He added that the solution improves safety, saves fuel and “cuts our CO2 emissions as well as reducing wear and tear on the vehicle, prolonging the operational life of our transport fleet.”
Incident reports can now be generated via the operation dashboard. This is also used to organise new transport schedules, search for the nearest and most relevant available vehicle; all corelated with customer demand.
Other reports include vehicle assignment and utilisation to monthly expense reports. There’s also a driver’s module holding driving documents and records of any previous incidents or violations, said Farnek.
Aijaz added: “Through cross referencing, these reports can identify vehicles that are maybe not performing particularly well and could require some sort of repair or maintenance. Also, we can share fuel-efficiency figures with individual drivers, which will encourage them to drive more carefully and not to leave engines idling for long periods of time.”
