6 Steps to Develop an Intelligent Fleet Management Software

It may be challenging to manage various business processes for higher efficiency and simultaneously deliver a favorable customer experience. Therefore, businesses that deal with transportation are always looking for digital solutions to optimize their operations.

The best example of such a solution is fleet management software that manages a company’s work vehicles to enhance productivity, cut costs, and reduce risks. It uses advanced technology like AI, GPS, geofencing, etc., to make operations automatic and smooth.

According to the MARKETSANDMARKETS report, the global fleet management market is expected to grow from USD 20.6 Billion in 2021 to USD 33.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 10.5%.

Whether you run a courier startup or an oil and gas delivery business, a fleet management system helps you effectively administer vehicles for higher productivity.

We’re going to look at various benefits, features, and step-by-step ways to develop robust fleet management software, and the best mobile app company in the UK can help you develop a robust fleet management application for your business.

Benefits of Fleet Management Software

A fleet management system can be computer or cloud-based with the primary purpose of collecting, analyzing, and reporting fleet data. This data is used for various purposes like measuring fleet performance, tracking and managing vehicles, monitoring driver behavior, etc. Here are some of the primary benefits of fleet management software:

● Reduce fuel and maintenance costs
● Reduce risks like vehicle theft
● Increase vehicle uptime
● Improve driver safety
● Enhance customer satisfaction
● Increase operational efficiency and profitability

Essential Features of Fleet Management Software

In this high-tech world, fleet management software is an indispensable need for a company associated with transporting products or services. We take a look at the five must-have features that will meet most of your business goals.

1. GPS Tracking

GPS vehicle tracking is one of the vital features that allow real-time monitoring of a fleet. It involves a tracking device being installed on the vehicle which then exports data to the managers. They can identify the accurate vehicle position- where it started the journey, where it stopped, and how long. Additionally, this feature lets the customer track their order progress and arrival date.

2. Driver Behaviour Monitoring

This feature allows analysis of various driver activities like speed and acceleration, idle time, harsh braking, and other unsafe habits. The managers can analyze these behaviors and share feedback with the drivers to help them avoid harmful practices and ensure productivity and safety. Driver behavior monitoring also helps in reducing maintenance costs and increasing efficiency.

3. Alerts and Notifications

Alerts and notifications are important features because they allow quick responses to solve any problems in the fleet. For example, you can set alarms to monitor driving speed, driver idle time, the temperature of goods, or sharp vehicle turns to ensure safety and efficiency.

4. Fuel Management

Fuel costs are one of the significant expenses in transportation businesses. Therefore, this feature allows you to supervise fuel levels in real time and monitor how many times vehicles are refueled. It helps you ensure there are no incidents of theft, fraud, or fuel tank leaks. The sensors alert you whenever there is fuel drainage so that you can solve problems as they arise.

5. Route Planning

Route planning uses AI technology to calculate the optimized routes for the vehicles and decrease the total distance traveled. Route optimization is necessary for last-mile delivery businesses that serve customers living in densely populated cities with harsh traffic conditions.

Steps to Develop a Fleet Management Software

Now that you know the benefits and essential features of fleet management software, it’s time to get on the steps to build a custom system that will meet all your business requirements. There are numerous companies providing app development services in the UK. Let’s start by taking the basic steps and gradually moving toward the advanced processes.

1. Define Your Goals

You must first define your software’s goal. Define why you need a fleet management system, what problems you want to solve, and what type of software is best for your requirement.

Your primary goal may be to cut down fuel consumption by 15%, supervise driver activities for higher efficiency or optimize routes for timely delivery.

A definite business goal will help the development team to have a clear vision, understand your specific requirements, and select the best tech stack.

2. Build a Team

Next, you need to assemble a team of software development engineers. Since developing custom fleet management software is a complex process, you must ensure the team is expert and well-introduced to trending technologies. You have three options for creating a team:

1. Freelance developers:

Upwork and Freelancer platforms can provide you with software engineers as independent contractors. This is the cheapest solution to get app developers in the UK, but it is unreliable because there can be less transparency and a lack of control.
Not only do you have to ensure freelancers are trustworthy, but you also have to design a work plan and manage the whole process.

2. In-house team:

The second option is you can build an in-house team by hiring software engineers and get complete control of the process. Developers can create custom software, but you will have to manage and lead your team.

The hiring process is time-consuming because you will need to hire developers for various development roles. Moreover, you may have to pay internal costs and hardware charges.

3. Software development company:

The third option is outsourcing to an established company that offers mobile app development services in the UK. Although this may be an expensive option, you can rest assured you will have the finest software meeting all your requirements.

A mobile app development company in the UK employs extremely skilled engineers who take care of everything from defining project specifications, releasing MVP, collecting feedback, and making improvements to maintaining the software.

3. Define Software Features

Now that you have a team, it’s time to list the primary features for designing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

An MVP consists of only the critical features, making the product simple and effective to improve business efficiency. Also read: https://www.ficode.co.uk/blog/mvp-software-development-can-save-your-start-up-from-failure-learn-how

This method will ensure you don’t invest a hefty amount on an idea before testing it on the market. An MVP will allow you to start by taking small steps, validate your idea by generating profits, and take further steps to make the product advanced.

4. Development

Now comes the most crucial step- developing the fleet management software. Here engineers will code, test and deploy to create software fitting your requirements. Next, a software demo will be created to allow you to evaluate performance.

5. Launch an MVP

If everything is perfect, you will be ready to launch an MVP to test the product in your company. This will help you find where the software lacks and what extra features need to be added. The team will take the feedback and continue development to upgrade the software and make it advanced.

6. Maintenance

When the software is completely ready for your business, you have to ensure proper maintenance for long-term functioning. You may have to optimize the code, add new features, or troubleshoot to improve the software’s performance.

Final Words

Fleet management software uses advanced technologies to effectively manage the work vehicles of your company and boost operational productivity. Building custom software to fit your specific business goals can be challenging.

Ficode is a leading bespoke software and app development company in the UK that can be the perfect tech partner for your business.

We have extremely skilled app developers in the UK with years of experience translating the raw idea into fully functional software. From consultation and development to maintenance of your fleet management software, Fiocde will always be there to support you in app development in the UK.
Ready to build robust software that increases your business efficiency?

Contact us now to know more about our services.