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There has been a major change in the way organizations work. Their work used to rely little on technology, but in a rapidly changing environment they now rely on it heavily, and it lets them stand out and work in ways they never expected. As a result, the technologies used to track assets are now backed by tracking software.
Assets are tracked with QR codes, barcodes, GPS, and more. The kind of tracking an organization chooses for a particular asset depends on a few factors: asset mobility, location accuracy, and tracking frequency. Asset mobility is how often and how far the asset moves. Location accuracy is how precisely you need to know where it is, whether that means a building, a room, or a point on a road. Tracking frequency is how often you need the location updated, whether once a day at a scan or continuously while the asset is on the move. A vehicle on the road scores high on all three, which is why vehicles are usually tracked with GPS while equipment in a storeroom can be tracked with a label and a scan.
Vehicles are assets in many industries, such as the manufacturing and distribution industries. Manufacturers track their raw materials, and distributors track the supplies they deliver to clients. In this post, we look at how mobile apps play an important role in tracking vehicles.
Asset Tracking
“Where is that piece of machinery right now?” “Which route are our goods being transported on?” “What is the current status and precise location of vehicle X?”
All these questions can be answered only when you have asset tracking software in place, with your assets registered in it.
In the distribution industry, vehicles are the major asset. That makes it very important to have a fleet tracking app through which the business can easily see where its vehicles are.
The market for asset tracking software has grown quickly as more businesses adopt it.
What Is an Asset Tracking App?
We have come a long way, from tracking assets by hand to software that can track assets wherever they are in the world. Once that software existed, the next step was the asset tracking app: an app through which an organization can keep track of its fleet wherever it is.
This makes things easier, because people don’t need to sit in front of a computer in the office to do it. The app lets them do the work from anywhere, whether they are at a depot, at a customer’s site, or on the road between the two, and it puts the same information in front of every person who needs it.
Fleet management software has become a large and growing market of its own.
Mobile Apps for Tracking Vehicles
- People prefer working from their smartphones whenever possible, because phones are always at hand and easy to use. That creates a strong need for asset tracking software to be available as a mobile app.
- A mobile app changes the asset tracking industry, because many customers want something that is easy to use, easy to access, and works without hassle.
- When an employee works away from the office, a desktop system can’t keep up with them or show data clearly in the moment. A mobile app solves this and makes the data in the software more useful.
Also read: Optimizing Vehicle Efficiency and Maintenance with Asset Infinity
How Can a Mobile App Benefit an Organization, and What Is Its Role in Tracking Vehicles?
Employees prefer tools that are easy to reach. Say someone works in the distribution industry, is away from the office, and needs to track an asset, which for them is a vehicle. They can do it from wherever they are. All they need is a fleet tracking app.
The Benefits of a Fleet Tracking App
- Assets in the field: A fleet tracking app is ideal for tracking assets that are in the field and on the move. Before these technologies, this was difficult and often led to mismanagement. Now tracking assets has become much easier.
- Ease of use: Wherever the employee is, and wherever the asset is, once the asset is registered in the app it is easy to follow. A mobile app is easy to understand and use, which greatly reduces the chance of human error.
- Accurate inventory counts: Asset tracking makes it easy for an organization to locate its assets. Keeping track of your inventory is hard when you have a large stock and work across different locations. Employees can track assets with their phones by scanning the barcodes on them.
This also saves employees the effort of traveling to different locations to track assets. They can manage and track all their assets through their smartphones at any time. A manager who wants to know which vehicles are out, which are back at the depot, and which are due for service can find out in a few taps instead of making a round of phone calls.
Also read: EV Fleet Management & Charging Optimization
Small Businesses Need to Keep Up With Vehicle Tracking
In a changing world, it has become very important for small businesses to keep up, because those that don’t act will be left behind. A fleet tracking app, backed by GPS asset tracking, helps solve this problem, and it is worth implementing to see the difference it can make.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What factors decide which kind of tracking to use for different vehicles?
The factors are asset mobility, location accuracy, and tracking frequency.
2. In which industries is a fleet tracking app important?
Manufacturing and supply (distribution) businesses are the main users of fleet tracking apps.
3. Can a fleet tracking app track assets in real time?
Yes. With GPS trackers fitted to vehicles, a fleet tracking app can show where they are as they move.