Optimize your fleet with 5-week GPS rental.
Vehicle utilization patterns typically repeat every day, week or month so 5-weeks of usage data is all you need to optimize your fleet vehicle count.
Audit your fleet before the next procurement cycle.
Audit BEFORE procurement. An audit may find there is no need to replace some vehicles.
Reduce 
Vehicle 
Optimize BFO Utilization Audit Process
WHY OUR AUDIT PROCESS IS SO SUCCESSFUL
A typical BFO Fleet Vehicle Utilization Audit will achieve an 80%+ findings implementation rate. Our implementation rate is well above other consulting firms because our findings are supported with actual utilization data. Other firms without the GPS technology investment are confined to so-called historic ‘benchmarks’, trips counts, vehicle mileage traveled [VMT] and ratios that are indefensible when trying to justify fleet changes to staff. Most non-GPS audits fail at the implemenation stage as a result. Use a BFO 5-week GPS rental/consulting package to get results that are accurate, make sense, and can be implemented. You will be glad you did.
Here are the main reasons why the BFO 6-step audit approach is so successful.
- Templates: Projects follow a template driven path that has a proven track record. Implementation is easy and results compelling.
- Change Management: Our Change Management focus incorporates local fleet knowledge. BFO Communications templates ensure staff and other stakeholders get informative key messages at the right time.
- Commonsense results: BFO utilization analysis is based on credible GPS data that shows actual vehicle activity. The decision-making process is based on logical critical inputs such as:
- Concurrent vehicle use at a site
- Time of day/week demand pattern analysis
- Vehicle destination
- Offsite parking duration
- Trip planning efficiency
- Route selection
Managers and unions agree that a 5-week data collection exercise is a fair proposition for organizations to optimize the use of vehicle assets. Quantifiable GPS data use helps ensure commonsense management-science based results are delivered.
In contrast, Vehicle Allocation Methodologies [VAM] that use Vehicle Mileage Traveled [VMT], ratios and historic benchmarks ignore the critical factors listed above. The result is sustained implementation resistance by Managers, staff and unions that isquite justified. There is just no substitute for real utilization data!
PHASE 1 – PROJECT START UP
Use proven BFO templates to assist with project management, staff communication and data collection to make the project run smoothly from start to finish.
Provide BFO with vehicle and site details and historic fuel data and we do the rest.
Lock one GPS data logger into each target vehicle … it’s that easy!
GPS DATA LOGGER INSTALLATION/REMOVAL
Clients simply lock one GPS unit into the 12/24V/42V lighter socket of each vehicle in the audit. The tamper-proof technology helps ensure low cost installation/removal with excellent data collection compliance.
No auto-electrical skills are required. A staff member needs 15-minutes of logger install/removal training to become proficient.
One M-VOS GPS data logger takes less than 1-minute to install into a vehicle.
PHASE 2/3 – DATA COLLECTION
Data credibility is the cornerstone of our business. Appropriate equipment is not available off-the-shelf for this specialized work so BFO designs and builds its own.
Key Points:
- GPS logger data is collected for 5-weeks across the entire fleet to provide a snapshot of all concurrent vehicle activity.
- BFO has checked the 5-week collection period validity and recommends this ‘best practice’ approach that has been in use for more than 25 years. A 5-week period gathers daily, weekly and monthly utilization patterns. BFO notes that analysis for a second month adds little if any additional utilization knowledge.
- BFO GPS units record data points every 5-seconds whenever a vehicle moves.
- BFO clients report that our GPS technology can “see” through 16-story parking building structures. This unique world-leading capability means no data loss occurs if vehicles enter ‘urban canyons’ where no line-of-sight satellite signal exists. Most other GPS units fail in these environments.
- Data can still be gathered for an entire project even if no cell phone coverage exists.
- BFO has added special sensors into our design so the vehicle battery will not run flat over a weekend or long period of non-use.
The GPS equipment is permanently removed and returned to BFO after the 5-week data collection phase.
PHASE 4 – DATA ANALYSIS
Downloaded logger data is reviewed using the BFO QueryBuilder internet based analysis tool.
QueryBuilder only requires basic web skills and one onsite training session with a BFO trainer.
No database or spreadsheet skills are needed.
Users can view vehicle utilization levels by selecting date range, report type, department, cost center, site and individual vehicle combinations. Database lists are customizable to suit client needs.
QueryBuilder report outputs come in a variety of formats.
PHASE 5 – REPORT DELIVERY
BFO is able to present its findings within 5-10 days of the last GPS data logger being returned.
The written report follows 2-3 weeks later.
PHASE 6 – IMPLEMENTATION/POST AUDIT ASSISTANCE
BFO offers strategic guidance to ensure the report findings are implemented. Our company has vast experience with implementing the results and know most potential traps and pitfalls. BFO offers high-level strategy implementation advice at no additional cost.
Organization benefit when all parties understand why a decision is being made. QueryBuilder is a powerful Change management tool in this respect. Line manager concerns can easily be examined with QueryBuilder on-hand to determine if a valid case exists to retain a vehicle. Negotiation of department vehicle numbers can often be achieved amicably in one session.
