Data does value: Connected Fleets Expert Meeting on data in fleet management

Aliaksandr Kuushynau, Head of Wialon, participated in the panel discussion at Connected Fleets Expert Meeting together with Erik Maes, Managing Director at Renta Solutions. Their talk was moderated by Steven Schoefs, Head of Strategic Relations at Global Fleet. The experts met to discuss the role of data in fleet management: current tendencies and emerging trends. This post contains a short summary of their discussion.

Aliaksandr started by pointing out that telematics service providers play a crucial role in fleet management. They install GPS tracking devices, collect and analyze data in connected systems, and then assist fleet managers in making decisions based on processed data. 

However, even though modern software systems receive a lot of useful data and are able to process it correctly, fleet owners don’t use all this data in their work, and therefore miss the opportunity to optimize their processes.

The reasons for this are various. Sometimes there is too much data, and it’s hard to choose the right data that ultimately provides the business with valuable insights. Even when the right data is selected, data-driven decisions don’t emerge naturally from the process. For example, some countries face driver shortages that make fleet owners reluctant to act on data indicating a need to improve driver behavior. In addition, it is still a common practice for company owners to install a telematic solution solely to comply with regulations or obtain a license, without using it at all. Taking current challenges into account, both experts agreed that fleet telematics will be indispensable in future, even if that’s a future many fleet owners aren’t prepared for.

The panelists turned their attention to the ongoing electrification of cars, which is driving new trends in data collection. Erik mentioned that electrified fleets need less care, and fleet owners rely less on historic data. To manage the fleet effectively they rather need to get information about mileage, battery lifetime and residual value in advance. Thus, vehicle electrification turns the fleet industry more and more to proactive data analytics. 

The full recording of this expert conversation is available on YouTube. Get more insights about the present and future of data in fleet management in the video below:

The first ever Connected Fleets Expert Meeting organized by Nexus Communication took place on 1 June and brought together leading industry experts to discuss different trends and challenges in fleet operations. The event attracted more than 250 participants from 38 countries representing data and service providers in the automobile sphere, hardware manufacturers, leasing, rental, and insurance companies. The second Connected Fleets Expert Meeting will take place in October 2023.

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