How to analyze fleet performance using reports

The volume of ‘big data’ that’s available can be overwhelming. But identifying the right information is crucial if you want to effectively manage your fleet. And if you know what you’re looking for, big data can be transformed into small numbers that really make a difference.

 Data on shop operations, vehicle service schedules and fuel is essential, but it has real value when it’s actionable. 

Understanding what data could be useful for your fleet management analysis begins by assessing what information will help address your most pressing challenges. 

You may have access to an extensive volume of data, but it’s important to understand that it may not be in your best interests to analyze all of it.

So where can you expect to reap the benefits of effective fleet analysis?

First, you need to realise that some data may not be relevant to your goals. However, if you pinpoint data that can improve aspects of your operation then you’re well on the way to using information effectively. 

Areas to consider include:

Procurement:

Use your knowledge of how assets have previously performed (and their operating and maintenance costs) to purchase and specify vehicles. 

Maintenance:

Manage maintenance and repair activities to improve technician and workshop productivity – and lower labor expenses – by evaluating workflow, throughput and downtime. 

Inventory:

Reduce your parts inventory costs with knowledge of stock usage and availability, as well as supplier pricing trends. 

Fuel:

Lower fuel costs by analyzing vehicle performance to reduce usage. You can also evaluate purchasing programs and practices.

Safety:

Improve safety and risk with intelligence on driver behavior, and by analyzing data relating to accidents, damage costs and repairs.

And what areas can be addressed with fleet management reports?

Your next step is to enable a means of fleet analysis reporting. Advanced fleet software lets you generate fleet management reports for different areas of fleet analysis, including:

• Vehicle age and mileage by type and cost center
• Maintenance compliance based on overdue fleet inspections and preventive maintenance by user department
• Fuel use by vehicle, and total and current spending by fuel type
• Fleet costs per mile, vehicle, user or shop and technician

Visibility into these and other aspects of your fleet operation are key to driving up performance and efficiency, however, they are also nearly impossible to analyze without accurate and focused fleet reporting.

Only with fleet management analysis tools can you turn complex and highly detailed data into actionable and valuable fleet analysis reports.

What tools are available for fleet management analysis?

There are a number of reporting solutions available on the market today, all of which work to automate everyday workflow functions – including reporting – to effectively filter and present the information that you need to analyze.

Reports are presented in an easy to interpret, graphical format with the ability to drill down into key intelligence to provide insight into specific information needs.

Custom reporting capabilities for fleet management analysis are enabled by tools like query builders and KPI wizards that build lists, charts and graphs. Report builders can also generate filtered table views of complex data for analyzing performance and trends.

Data rules can trigger automated alerts and reminders that business-critical information is available, and events can be set to automatically generate reports based on a range of date, time and other parameters. You can even ensure the right reports are seen by the appropriate people by setting up user permissions related to specific roles.

Advances in vehicle and asset technology are likely to continue making more data available for fleet analysis and reports – but only if you’re able to analyze this data effectively can it be useful for making informed decisions to support a wide range of operational improvements.

With fleet maintenance operations under continuing pressure to improve efficiency and productivity, effectively using reporting capabilities is the only means of lowering costs and improving your fleet’s bottom line.