Why Small Business Fleets Need GPS Asset Tracking Technology

By SkyBitz • Published April 3, 2016 • 6 minute read

For a small business, asset tracking may seem a bit extreme. It may seem like something only the big boys need — something that only huge companies performing jobs around the world might have use for. However, this simply isn’t true. Asset tracking software has huge benefits for small service-based companies because it enables you to be more efficient and to better serve your customers. For any asset you own, tracking and monitoring that piece of equipment — whatever it may be — gives you useful data on its use and location. This information can then be used in a variety of ways get your business running better and making you more money.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways asset tracking could help you:

Monitor your employees’ work so they get things done

If you’re a small business owner, you need to make the most of every job that comes your way. That means that you and any employees you have are working as efficiently as they can be. With asset tracking, the ability to track power-take-off (PTO) events means you can see exactly how often and how long machines are in use for. You can then take action when you see that an asset isn’t being used — as a result, you’ll be able to ask your crew why they aren’t using it, or move the piece of equipment to a different location where it will be used. Maybe they just aren’t working as hard as they should be, or maybe there’s a deeper issue underlying everything. Either way, you’ll have a clearer insight into the problem and your employees and your assets are being used much more efficiently than before — getting your customers’ work done faster and more efficiently.

Provide your customers with accurate bills

As a small business owner or contractor, you’ve probably come across those customers who like to haggle everything. No matter what bill you give them for your work, they think it should be lower. Some customers just love to argue over bills, and they’ll question the hours of labor you and your crew put in. With GPS tracking technology solutions, you can give them an accurate report on exactly how long the job took and show them how your business’s equipment was used. Having this information available goes a long way to adding weight behind how your company invoices their clients. This way, those occasionally angry back-and-forths over billing are taken care of and you have the data to show to the customer.

Make sure your assets are being used efficiently

As a small business owner, you need to make sure everything’s where it should be and that it’s working, right? With GPS tracking technology solutions you get information on exactly where each asset you own is at any one time. You can even set customized alerts to give you updates on where that drill or water pump or whatever piece of machinery is throughout the day and whether it’s in use or not. This is helpful when you want to make sure your employees are working on a project but you can’t be there to monitor their progress. With asset tracking, you get the assurance that they’re onsite with their equipment turned on whenever you need it.

GPS tracking technology solutions are particularly useful when you’re working with noisy equipment in neighborhoods with designated quiet times throughout the day. For example, say your crew is working in a park in a residential neighborhood. Asset tracking technology alerts you if they’re using their equipment at the wrong time of day. This could help you avoid some pretty hefty fines if any of the residents complain.

Asset tracking is also helpful when a job suddenly changes. Maybe you arrive at a site only to realize the job has a much bigger scope than you’d originally thought. Chances are, you didn’t think to carry the exact equipment you need so now have to spend time tracking it down. With asset tracking, you’ll be able to locate exactly what you need and make arrangements to get it to your current site so you can better address what your customer is looking for.  

Provide better customer service to your clients

With asset tracking you get a better idea of how long jobs are going to take because you can analyze how efficiently your assets are being used. This results in a much clearer picture of your workday, and, as a result, you can give more accurate estimates to your customers about when they can expect you. As many people know, one of the worst ways for anyone to spend any amount of time is by waiting for a service visit — we all have those horror stories with the cable company. With GPS tracking technology solutions, you can give your customers smaller windows for when you’ll reach their location, translating to less wasted time for them and a happier customer for you.

Tracking down missing items

Similarly, sometimes things just go missing. It’s not necessarily malicious theft; people may just leave things behind at the site they’re working on one day. Asset tracking lets you see exactly where you left your equipment so you can quickly go back and recover it. That way, you never have to worry about the cost of buying replacement equipment or wasting hours of your time revisiting past work sites to see where you might have left it. Instead, with GPS tracking technology solutions, you’re able to get the missing asset back and carry on working as soon as possible, meaning less time lost and more time spent with customers.

Small business owners can look outside the box with asset tracking

Everyone knows profit margins can be tight for small business owners. But looking outside the box at something you might think is only suited for bigger companies — like asset tracking software — can actually help you run more efficiently, provide better service to your customers, and bring in more revenue for your business.