Making a good profit in the service industry depends on several factors, but one of the most important is efficiency. Minimizing the time it takes to get from one customer to the next, speeding up the billing cycle, and having the ability to analyze your operations are all critical elements of improving efficiency. A GPS tracking system can help you achieve all of these goals and more.

Using Your GPS Tracking System to Optimize Operations

No matter what types of services your business provides, the ultimate goal is to make money. Having all of the components of your operations running smoothly is the surest way to do this. A GPS tracking system can help you streamline operations in multiple ways.

1.  Serve More Customers

Drivers in the field often rely on managers and dispatchers to assign routes or tell them where to stop next. If it is up to drivers to choose their routes, you could be spending money on wasted labor and missing opportunities to serve more customers. A GPS tracking system can help everybody do their jobs better with the following features:

• Real-time mapping – When dispatchers have the ability to see all of your vehicles in the field, they can make better decisions about assigning routes to drivers. After entering the customer address information, a simple click will tell you which vehicle is closest. Your drivers will get to customer sites faster and be able to make more stops in a day.
• Route optimization – After identifying the closest vehicle, either the dispatcher or the driver can quickly determine the most efficient route. You can also create route plans at the beginning of the day and assign them to each driver. Confirm that they stayed on track with the route comparison feature that provides a map overlay of the actual route versus the planned route.
• Mobile tools – When drivers in the field stay connected to dispatchers and managers, they are more efficient and more accountable for their time. Resources like the Driver Tablet Site enable easy two-way communication to make dispatching easier and faster.

2.  Get Paid Faster

A GPS tracking system can be used to optimize the billing cycle to improve cash flow and help you increase profits.

• Time sheets and reports – A GPS system gives you accurate data in real-time, which means you don’t have to wait until time sheets are submitted each pay period to initiate billing. Because Driver Time Sheet Reports give you an actual account of a driver’s time in a vehicle, you can easily verify time sheets and ensure that your billing is more accurate.
• Mobile tools – If you use the Driver Tablet Site for dispatching and routing, don’t forget that you can use your tablet with third-party apps to get contracts signed or collect payments on-site. 

3.  Analyze Performance

You can’t make improvements if you don’t know what works well and what does not. A GPS tracking system provides objective data that you can analyze so you can make informed decisions about your business. Do you have one or two drivers who stand out? Use the Detailed Report to find out what they are doing differently. Do you have an employee that may be slacking on the job? Use reporting tools to evaluate their behavior and take corrective action if necessary.

If you are committed to growing your service business, a GPS system may be just what you need to take it to the next level. For more information about how GPS tracking can help you increase worker productivity and save money, download our free e-book.

How would you improve operations with GPS tracking?