Fleet Management for Professionals
FLEET
If you have fleet vehicles or a sales force then you will wish to use each minute as efficiently as possible. Time is money and competition is tougher than ever.
Tracking and tracing vehicles and communication with employees is essential for efficient vehicle management.
If you also want your service centers to be constantly informed, an online system will support your planners in their everyday work. You are constantly informed of the current position and the status of your vehicles or your employees, so that you are flexible and can always react immediately: Ad-hoc decisions which often mean money in the bank. Your customers will also be grateful if you inform them of delays on time, which means you can provide them with a much better service.
Versatility
In the fields of transportation, sales force control, waste disposal or protection of property, it is important that the service centre knows the exact position of a vehicle, an employee or an order and its current status. They should also be able to contact their sales representatives or service engineers. For example when a new order has to be completed at short notice. The vehicles can be traced in detail so that exceeded time limits or deviations from planned routes can be quickly recognized. In particular when transporting valuable or hazardous goods, your customers expect this kind of service from a serious transportation or service company today.
The current location of an object is often also required in other fields:
- Just-in-time fleet management for forwarders and courier services
- Monitoring of security, industrial and hazardous goods transports
- Planning of service engineers Notification in emergency, accident and breakdown situations
- Plan of action and co-ordination for police and emergency services
- Documentation that transport and quality regulations (e.g. temperature, duration) are adhered to
- Proof of delivery documents with detailed route information.
More than tracing and communication
A modern fleet management system provides the infrastructure for tracing vehicles using satellite and tracing mobile telephones on the basis of radio networks. It provides the communication between planners and drivers with individual mobile end devices (handheld, on-board computer, PDA, laptop or mobile telephone) and data exchange using diverse channels (Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya, GPRS, UMTS, GSM/SMS, GSM/Data channel or WLAN).
The service centre can view all relevant information and constantly have a complete overview of the current situation enhanced with digital map displays. But that isn't everything: When linked to a planning or order management system, entire trips or individual orders can be exchanged between service centers and vehicle. Tracking & tracing information, when used with the proximity search function, help to identify the best vehicle or the most suitable employee for an adhoc order. Area, corridor and arrival time monitoring improve service and quality.
In addition, the mobile navigation service, which can be taken direct from the order data, is a useful help for the driver. This prevents long searching which means you save costs and valuable time.
Customized solutions
Do you require a complete system or do you wish to use functions as web services?
Or would you like to use the solution in your own software? All these possibilities are open to you!
EX4U provides solutions for everyone's requirements: PC-based fleet management – in its simplest form with every-day mobile phones as end device, solutions for sales force management in connection with call centers or dispatch headquarters on the basis of everyday PDAs, dynamic transport planning and management systems for planning commercial fleets while using professional and robust mobile end devices or object monitoring on the Internet. The solution is usually directly installed and integrated in the customer's IT environment. If required, these services are hosted and operated at EX4U’s data centers.
EX4U Fleet Management – new possibilities for you
Contact us about the best solutions for your specific requirements: The fleet services are available as standard products or as independent web services with or without user interface or fully integrated into the user’s software environment.
EX4U provides software, consulting and research for travel, traffic and transportation planning in the B2B field.
EX4U's products, such as professional route planning, transportation planning and trip planning are market leaders – and have been for years. In the business fields Traffic, Mobility and Logistics the company secures the long term future of mobility with new concepts and innovative technologies.
The business field Logistics offers a wide range of software products and components as well as consulting services for the entire logistics chain covering structural territory analysis, trip planning as well as fleet management based on
monitoring and real-time control. The Logistics business field also provides professional sales force solutions and geo-management systems.
The enterprise was founded in 1994 and has associated companies in Canada, North- Central & South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. EX4U is actively opening up national and international markets.
FLEET SERVER
Fleet service on the Internet
Fleet server makes fleet management available for your company service centre as standard solution or provides specific high-quality branch solutions (for example object monitoring) in connection with low-cost devices (blackbox). ptv fleet server has been developed for service providers or end customers. It is an independent product for object or vehicle monitoring with a web-based user interface.
- Independent product with user interface for object and vehicle monitoring as well as for sales force control on the Internet.
- The product is particularly suitable for companies, that wish to schedule vehicles, employees or objects at several locations or for service providers that wish to make their service available on the Internet.
In addition to the basic functions for vehicle management, tracing & tracking and communication, the user can select from a wide range of useful features. Just to mention a few: interval-based vehicle tracking, geofencing on detailed digital maps or an overview of incoming messages notifying the planner as soon as the vehicle leaves the defined area. This is particularly helpful in asset or property monitoring.)
The functions at a glance
- Display of current position and the status of mobile objects (e.g. vehicles)
- Interval-based inquiry of current position and status
- Overview of position and status reports
- Geofencing of mobile objects
- Alarm report if an object leaves a specified area
- Display of vehicles and customer addresses etc. on detailed European digital maps
- Management and geocoding of customer addresses
- Display and calculation of company data (e.g. working hours) on the basis of defined status reports
- Sending and receiving text messages
- User, device and vehicle management
- Definition of individual status tables
- Customized connection of mobile devices
EX4U Fleet Server live
Simply contact us to see a live presentation of the fleet server on the Internet or if you have any questions on online fleet management on the Internet.
Web-based fleet management
Fleet service enables system integrators, software operators or service
providers to access web services for fleet control and object monitoring. In addition to the basic tracing and communication services, many additional functions can be easily integrated into your application using a defined SOAP interface. These services are hosted and operated at EX4U’s computing centre. If required, mobile devices can be connected using Satellite (Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya), GSM/SMS or GPRS.
Web service without user interface which can be integrated into other applications
For system integrators, software providers or service providers
Basic services at a glance
- Administering mobile objects
- Sending and receiving text messages
- Easy checking of current object positions
- Interval-based inquiry of current position and status
- Multiple position request of several single positions
- Receiving status messages including relevant position information
Looking for something special?
Choose from a wide range of extra features tailored to your specific requirements. By integrating further web services from the EX4U logistics platform you can use additional services. For example it is possible to display positions on a digital map or integrate general or customer related points-of-interest. You can also access applications like routing, proximity search, area or corridor monitoring, mobile navigation, order management, arrival time monitoring or reporting.
Fleet management integrated as standard service
EX4U fleet service provides the infrastructure for vehicle tracking as well as for communication using different end devices via all kinds of communication media. The service can be integrated into existing systems such as vehicle fleet software or route planning. EX4U fleet service thus builds the basis for the standard product fleet manager as well as the Internet solution EX4U DataServer.
TOUR ASSISTANT
Tour assistant allows the user to optimize the entire logistic process chain, even down to the vehicle. The line of products consists of three complementary packages running on all Pocket PC end devices regardless of the particular hardware that is used.
- All trip information available straight from the mobile end device
- Professional trip monitoring for the service centre.
Basic package
The basic version provides the transfer of trip information using downloads (e.g. in WLAN) from a trip planning system such as intertour. Trip lists with stops, customer information and orders are then available for the user on the mobile end device. A direct connection to an integrated solution for navigation provides basic driver navigation to the customer. With this version you have an easy-to-use and modern alternative compared to printing trips and maps – an effective introduction to transport telematics.
Basic functions
- Transfer of trip information from a trip planning system (e.g. intertour)
- Display of trip lists with stops, customer information and orders
- Connection to an integrated navigation solution (both onboard or offboard with dynamic traffic navigation available)
Advanced package
The advanced package documents the order status of deliveries, thus allowing trips from each order to be managed per stop-off point down to package levels. Another remarkable feature is that the service can be linked to a delivery scan. If the operations centre is connected online (GPRS or SMS) with the vehicle, it is possible to transfer trip-, vehicle-, and order-related status messages, even during the trip. Otherwise the actual data can be uploaded at the service centre after finishing the trip.
Advanced functions
- Basic functions
- Trips of each order can be managed per stop-off point down to each package by documenting the order status upon delivery (order status with position and time details from GPS)
- Connection to a delivery scan in connection with the order status (depending on the end device)
- Documentation of driver-related working hours data by entering driver status reports (driver status with position and time details from GPS)
- Online return of trip, driver and order related status messages to the service centre during the trip
Integrated version
The up-grade ”Integrated” allows the user to link the application to EX4U’s logistics platform. Trip data are then transferred to the mobile end device and data on the current trip status is returned.
Single positions and the current status can be checked online and interval controlled by the operations centre. The planner can also send text messages to the end devices and receive reply messages. In this version the tour assistant works with the internet-based fleet solution fleet server or the EX4U logistics platform.
Integrated functions
- Connection to the tour assistant (functions the same the advanced package) to the EX4U logistics platform for transferring trip data to the mobile end device
- Transfer of actual trip data to the EX4U logistics platform (position and status reports)
- Online request of individual positions and status
- Online request of interval-based position and status
- Sending and receiving online text reports
FLEET MANAGER
Get control of your vehicle fleet with the EX4U fleet manager. Track vehicles, send text messages, receive text and status messages and the mobile technology can also be extended, for example with navigation software.
- Standard product with user interface
- Entry-level solution for smaller companies
The functions at a glance
- Vehicle tracing
- Sending text messages
- Receiving of text and status reports
- GSM tracing in within various networks
Your advantages
- Fast and flexible decision-making
- All relevant information available at all times
- Simple communication
- Short routes, high efficiency, short delivery times
Route planning and trip planning
The logistics platform modules can extend this to provide a complete system solution with trip planning and fleet management including further functions such as online planning, freight invoicing and reporting/controlling. All systems work with the same map material.
Fleet tracing with mobile and satellite phones or GPS
The solutions to fleet tracing are based on the EX4U fleet service. This provides two technologies for locating your vehicles. The low-cost version: using GSM tracing with a standard mobile phone or via satellite services (Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya), which provides precision tracing between 200 meters in city areas and (up to) 20 km in rural regions. In addition, text messages can be sent using SMS directly from the software between company service centre and mobile phone. Status reports can be sent from the mobile phone to the company service centre. GPS tracing is recommended for exact positioning. It is also possible to switch from mobile phone tracing to GPS tracing later.
Navigation
The ideal addition is mobile navigation, as the driver takes his route with him on his pocket PC or mobile phone and is directed to his destination using voice output and optical navigation instructions.
Two standard products are available for you: fleet navigator as onboard solution or nav service in connection with a service centre providing current traffic information. Please contact us for availability at your country.
How the modules interact with each other
The component-orientated structure of the EX4U solutions for online fleet control enables a simple linking of various applications to an integrated transport planning and control system on a joint database. Standardized interfaces perform the data exchange with various end devices and external systems.
Your advantages:
Reduce costs
Your planner can greatly reduce routine activities such as "phoning around".
That saves time and increases efficiency.
Better service
More customer satisfaction. Because software from EX4U means you can deliver on time, keep customer appointments much better and you can provide your customers with more information.
Improved planning
Your planner can follow each status change for vehicle, order or driver. In addition, he has the possibility of including current events in the plan, even during the trip. Quasi real-time planning!
Better overview
Vehicle positions are displayed on high quality digital maps including important information, such as status.
This means that your planner always has a clear overview of the situation.
Complete clarity
Transport services can be seen and calculated using the route which was actually driven and deliveries are stored. This means more information for your customers and your controlling department.
All communication channels for all end devices
You are independent and can choose yourself, which end devices you wish to use and how the communication with service centers should be operated.
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