Steve Bowden, national sales manager of Navman Wireless, answers questions about GPS tracking systems.
KEY POINTS:
Q. What kind of things are GPS tracking systems being used for in New Zealand businesses?
A. Tracking systems are used by any business that runs a fleet of vehicles, such as in the transport and service industry. The system provides complete visibility of your workforce on the road, and is used for productivity gains and improved efficiency. Companies in the service industry are finding benefits in managing fleet costs, such as billable time onsite, speed compliance, vehicle routing and the reconciliation of timesheets.
Q. What sort of cost is there in fitting these things to a fleet, and can I track vehicles day and night?
A. It costs as little as $3.80 per vehicle per day and the service provided is 24/7.
Q. What sort of equipment needs to be installed on the vehicle itself?
A. A small unit - a Navman Wireless Qube - is installed typically under the vehicle's dash, along with an on-glass antenna.
Q. How is the information transmitted?
A. It is transmitted from the vehicle to our servers via Telecoms CDMA or Vodafone's GPRS packet data networks.
Q. Is the information delayed in any way, and can the tracking system include a GPS navigation device?
A. The vehicle information is transmitted back based on time or distance. Most vehicles are configured to report in every 1km or five minutes. We offer a product called the M-Nav, which is a fully integrated navigation device that lets the office send job and route details directly to the vehicle.
Q. Do I need a high-end computer system to run the software, or can I use standard business equipment?
A. The Navman Wireless application will run on any PC or laptop as long as it has an internet connection and is running Windows 98 or later. No extra hardware is required.
Q. How expensive do the communications links turn out to be?
A. Monthly data usage is built into the monthly running cost, ensuring all costs are visible upfront.
Q. Are there any privacy concerns or problems raised by tracking staff members vehicles?
A. We are tracking the vehicle, not the staff member directly. I always suggest to my customers that they inform their staff and show them how the system works and how it will benefit the business.
Q. Can I track any staff members who might be breaking the speed limit and, if so, is that information stored with any other company?
A. You can get an overspeed report that allows the client to define a speed they consider to be non-acceptable. The information is stored only on Navman Wireless servers hosted at a world-class server facility.
Q. Does the signal get back to the GPS satellite if the vehicle is in a garage or a parking building?
A. Yes, if the garage has any windows or skylights, or the car park has open sides. When in a solid concrete building it would be very unlikely to get a position.
Q. What kind of return can people expect on their investment?
A. We have customers who are experiencing 40 per cent savings on fuel, 30 per cent savings on phone calls and thousands of dollars on wages.
