There are over 600,000 landscaping businesses in the US, so how can you stand out when customers have many options? It is critical to gain a better oversight of your lawncare company, including that of your equipment and team. However, this is where many companies run into problems.
Lawncare equipment such as lawnmowers and hedge trimmers is an investment. If you want efficient gear that produces the work customers are happy with, you will likely invest a substantial amount of money in it. Nothing is worse than something going wrong with the equipment you do not control.
The good news is that there are fleet management solutions for your landscaping business. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the benefits of fleet management systems and how they can address common issues for your business.
Intelligent Fleet Management Systems for Landscaping
Intelligent fleet management systems offer a variety of solutions to help with vehicle and asset tracking. The discreet devices provide real-time data through an online platform to manage your lawn care company tracking needs in one place. You can access fleet management systems through a mobile application or computer.
Intelligent systems offer features such as:
- GPS tracker for equipment
- Driver tracking and safety rating
- Detailed reporting, including geofence alerts
- Maintenance tracking
- Diagnostic alerts
- Time and dispatch tracking
- Fuel tax reporting
- Temperature sensors
The GPS tracker for equipment helps you track equipment in the real-time location of vehicles and equipment. Driver tracking and safety ratings keep you up to date with employee behavior and driving history. You can receive alerts, too, such as about temperature, maintenance, and geofence problems.
Lawncare Company Issues Solved
The fleet management market is expected to reach $52.50 billion by 2030, and for a good reason. Fleet management systems have many benefits, meaning all types of businesses, big and small, utilize solutions.
Whether you have just begun your business or have multiple vehicles and employees, fleet management systems can help address some of the most common issues you will face. Here are seven top lawn care company issues that fleet management systems can solve.
Maintaining Equipment
A common issue for a landscaping business is the maintenance of equipment. Ensuring that landscaping equipment is operating efficiently for business operations is essential. However, there are several challenges to this:
- Detecting certain maintenance problems
- Having the time to perform maintenance checks consistently
- Struggling to identify any commonalities with maintenance issues
- Tracking all equipment
It can be hard to avoid equipment downtime without technology such as service reminders and diagnostic detectors. Lawn care companies often have large amounts of equipment used at different times. It can be a challenge to consistently perform maintenance checks and track if there are any patterns of maintenance issues, such as a particular employee's poorly handling equipment.
Equipment Tracking and Maintenance Solutions
Fleet management systems include features such as a GPS tracker for equipment, maintenance tracking, trouble code monitoring, and alerts for the information you need, such as unsafe actions. You will have access to this information on your computer or smartphone, so you can get real-time alerts to take action fast.
For example, landscape tracking software helps you track maintenance schedules to ensure preventative maintenance is completed promptly. You will receive reminders and alerts to maintain equipment as consistently as possible.
Plus, you will have location information so that you can identify any patterns of maintenance problems, such as poor handling by an employee. For example, you can have a GPS mower, also known as a lawn mower tracker. It is the most efficient way to keep landscaping equipment in optimum condition, streamline operations, keep customers happy, and prevent business downtime and equipment misuse.
Equipment Security Using GPS
Lawn care business equipment is vital for your company, so you cannot afford to have a landscape device stolen. However, the threat of vehicle theft continues to rise, which can have devastating consequences for your business.
Finding the balance between working in various locations and maintaining security can be challenging. Vehicles are often left in new areas while work is carried out, without eyes on the items inside the van. So, how can you do business as usual and protect your items?
GPS Tracking for Lawn Equipment
One of the top benefits of fleet management systems is real-time GPS tracking devices for lawn equipment. You will be alerted if there's unusual activity, such as a change in location or unsafe driving, which could indicate theft or another security issue.
Fleet management solutions help you monitor and protect your assets. If something does occur, you can provide accurate details and location tracking to the police, which increases the chance of recovery. Fleet management systems increase the likelihood of recovering stolen items due to GPS tracking and real-time alerts so that you can take action fast.
Cutting Costs Using Insights from GPS Trackers
Around half of the new businesses fail by the end of five years, and one of the main reasons for this is financial management. All trades, including your lawn care company, should reduce overhead costs and cost savings. Those cost savings can also help expand your business and success at a much faster rate.
However, some costs can be challenging, including equipment and fuel costs. You cannot monitor what is happening in the field without technical solutions or visiting each site yourself.
Fleet Management Solutions Reduce Total Costs
Fleet management systems help you reduce costs for your business. This type of system also provides visibility on equipment 24/7. Fleet management systems and tools reduce risks and help you to avoid costly consequences. You can also avoid expensive maintenance costs by maintaining a consistent maintenance schedule, which will help you identify maintenance issues before they escalate.
Plus, you can also save on travel expenses. You can use fleet management solutions to track fuel costs and driver activity to find ways to be more cost-effective.
It is easy to identify employees who are not directly traveling to locations, which can slow down work and increase fuel costs. Fleet management systems allow you to find the most efficient routes and ensure drivers are compliant. Safe drivers also reduce insurance costs, which can quickly escalate with unsafe driving actions and incidents.
You can also address accident claims and other incidents more accurately, which helps balance costs. You are more likely to avoid daily overhead expenses and major costly incidents. This advantage gives you more chances to stay profitable and thrive as a business.
Employee Productivity is Maximized
A customer may provide a glowing review for your landscaping company, but how do you know whether the employee completing the tasks efficiently? Trust is essential in any work setting, and most staff are professional. However, knowing if team members are taking lunch breaks or running other errands is difficult.
Maximum productivity is critical to ensure your lawn care company is a success. You will be able to complete more jobs and expand your customer reach. But it can be hard to know where to improve efficiency if you do not have the data to analyze.
Fleet Management Solutions
Fleet management solutions allow your lawncare company to become more efficient. You will have real-time and historical data to analyze to improve efficiency at your business. You can have peace of mind that data is accurate without risk of human error or the need for you to spend hours working out employee activity.
You can also find the most accurate routes for employees to travel and figure out which employees may need further training or support to improve their working approach. You can identify employees closest to a last-minute job so that you can increase response times and productivity.
Systems also improve your efficiency. You have accurate data for employee hours and other tasks that can often be time-consuming. Spend more time focusing on how to improve your lawn care company instead.
Landscaping Business Safety
Health and safety are vital to being a successful business. You want to protect employees, customers, and your business. There are risks of injury, damage to your reputation, and even liability issues without a robust safety policy.
Many landscaping businesses struggle to enhance their safety policies. There is a risk of various workplace accidents, driving incidents, and accident claims. These claims can increase your insurance costs, too, so you want to be sure they are accurate.
Demonstrating that you have a robust safety policy is also essential to generating consumer trust. A common issue is the ability to evidence your safety procedures or produce data to back-up employee actions.
Fleet Alerts and Notifications
Fleet management solutions can help address safety issues and reduce risks. There is less chance of workplace accidents related to faulty equipment, as your maintenance schedule will be more consistent. You will also have visibility on employee actions, so you can easily manage claims and understand occurring situations.
You can also receive alerts for unsafe driving. Fleet management solutions include the ability to rate and monitor drivers. So, you can easily view performance levels, safety rankings, and dangerous behavior such as speeding.
Having the evidence helps you take actionable steps. You also can present the data, which is user-friendly, well organized, and accessible to all.
Improved Employee Communication
It can be challenging to keep in touch with employees on the road. How can you communicate messages or know which job site they are at?
As a lawn care company, your employees will often be out of the office. However, it is still vital to maintain open communication for efficient working and employee satisfaction. A common issue landscaping businesses face is how to keep that communication.
Fleet Management Solutions Give You More Time to Run Your Business
Intelligent fleet management systems give you immediate access to employee locations. You do not have to spend time trying to get hold of an employee, which can be time-consuming, especially if they have low signal coverage.
You also do not have to worry about interrupting drivers, which can also be disruptive for them. Instead, you have all the information you need at your fingertips. You can also optimize routes and communicate digitally with built-in communication tools.
Improved Customer Satisfaction and Retention
It can be challenging to retain customers as a landscaping business, as there is a lot of competition. Customers can quickly look elsewhere if they are unhappy with something, and it can be hard to identify why they did not return.
Common issues that can make customers unhappy include:
- Inaccurate job timings
- Unprofessional behavior
- Poor lawn care
It can be challenging to identify the accuracy of a client's claim without data, especially if an employee is telling a different story. It can also be hard to provide the information a client needs if your employee is on the road and you do not have accurate location tracking.
Poor lawn care is your worst nightmare as a lawn care company. There is a risk of faulty equipment and employee behavior contributing to these issues. But how can you pinpoint the problem without better control over your lawn care company?
Proof of Service and Productivity Insights
One of the benefits of fleet management systems is that you can improve customer satisfaction and retention rates. You can provide accurate information on when an employee will arrive at a site, demonstrating your reliability as a lawn care company.
You will also be able to complete tasks such as:
- Review job history
- Identify faulty equipment
- Analyze employee activity more efficiently
You will have better insights into how to improve your working approach, which will inform company changes. The result is more efficiency and professionalism, which will leave a lasting impression on clients. And this ensures better productivity overall in a fleet management landscaping business.
Invest In Fleet Management Solutions
Investing in the latest technology is key to standing out from the crowd as a lawn care company. The benefits of fleet management systems are undeniable, helping you analyze and optimize your business. The investment is also cost-effective, providing many opportunities to cut costs and maximize profits.
Are you ready to invest in fleet management solutions and reap the benefits?
Want to know more about the solutions discussed in this article? Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your lawn care business with fleet management landscaping solutions for you. Reach out to us, click here on your phone or dial: 1-877-907-0801.
