GPS: How Much Can a System Be Worth to Your Business?

Face it: most employers don’t want their employees to see them as “Big Brother.” But, at the same time it is necessary to keep an eye on what your staff is up to. Using a tracking system, the age-old question about whether or not workers are doing the jobs they’re being paid to do will finally be answered.

Tracking systems that operate with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology make this possible, allowing you, the business owner, to sit at your computer and view the real time locations of all your vehicles on a map. It’s like riding along with each and every member of your mobile workforce at all times.

With GPS, you will heighten the efficiency of your staff, increasing the number of new customers you could service every day, and making it quicker for you to meet the “emergency” needs of existing customers.

But isn’t a GPS system expensive? Thanks to companies like Salisbury, Maryland-based Navtrak®, this sophisticated technology is now attainable and affordable to smaller business…such as irrigation contractors.

What is GPS?

GPS is a government technology consisting of a network of satellites that orbit the earth transmitting time and position information. With a GPS receiver, users can determine their location anywhere on the Earth. Originally developed for military purposes, GPS technology, in conjunction with detailed mapping and navigational programs, is now finding use with private industry to track the movement and location of company vehicles.

Vehicle tracking is one of the fastest-growing GPS applications. GPS-equipped fleet vehicles, public transportation systems, delivery trucks, and courier services use receivers to monitor their locations at all times. Not only can vehicle tracking help improve efficiencies and productivity, it can also help overcome common problems such as getting lost and vehicle theft.

How Can GPS Help Me?

So, what can a GPS system like Navtrak do for a business like yours? How about these benefits, for starters:

• Increased Fleet Productivity – Perform more daily service calls since travel time will be reduced.
• Improved Customer Service – Get precise real-time information about arrival or delivery times.
• Reduced Overtime – Employees will be able to get to jobsites more quickly. And, if they start late, leave early or take long lunches, you can track it.
• Increased Safety and Security – Know the precise location of your vehicle in an emergency, accident, or breakdown. Stolen vehicles will be easy to find. Vehicle speeds and mileage can be monitored.
• Halt Unauthorized Vehicle Use – You will get notification about a vehicle on an unauthorized path or stop.
• Quicken Response Time – You can locate, contact, and route the nearest vehicle to accommodate customers who call in for unscheduled stops.
• Reduced Fuel Expenses – With efficient routing and scheduling, vehicles will drive fewer miles.

What Equipment do I Need?

There are two main differences in GPS monitoring formats. Understanding how each one functions will determine which is right for your business.

Passive units are installed in vehicles where they collect and store the travel information that must be downloaded from the vehicle at the end of the day (or by wireless download that captures data when driven through a certain “hot-zone”). Passive systems are useful for firms that do not need to view drivers in real-time, or lack computer capabilities to do so.

Active units combine GPS satellite technology with cellular phone signals and Internet technology to send real-time information about vehicle location. Cost-effective, easy to use, and virtually maintenance-free, active systems are becoming the standard for companies who want to track their vehicles.

According to Navtrak, even for top-tier service, the cost is only about $50 per month per unit for reporting, plus airtime (which is about $12, depending upon the volume of data being sent). Each in-vehicle unit has a one-time installation cost of approximately $600. It all adds up to a daily cost of around $2.27 (or, in terms we can all relate to, less than the price of a gallon of gas).

For more information about GPS, contact Navtrak at 1-800-787-2337. Or visit their website at www2.navtrak.net.