Vodafone Qatar has enhanced its IoT fleet management offering, which lets businesses increase the efficiency of their fleet operations.

The latest iteration delivers real-time information such as traffic data, vehicle location, fuel consumption, vehicle status and employee work-time, and is managed end-to-end by Vodafone Qatar.

Two variations of the update are available. The Advanced offering gives enterprises access to a range of features that can be tailored to individual requirements of both company admins and drivers. The Plug & Go version is for businesses that do not require such complex features and enables company admins to streamline quickly their customer services and operations.

Both provide tracking, alerts and reporting and all data are accessible through a dedicated web portal or a mobile application to allow for remote access. Furthermore, the Advanced version allows users to assign tasks, dispatch jobs and plan routes for drivers.

Features include:

• Fleet module to monitor and track vehicles in real time and historically
• Instant communications between drivers, fleet and admin for alerts and notifications
• Maintenance module for keeping track of vehicle maintenance operations
• Driving analytics module for driver shifts and behaviour insights
• Schedule management for assigning tasks and route planning
• Reports module to generate different data available throughout the platform

This has been developed to provide company admins and drivers with two separate interfaces that provide tailored sets of information, synchronised in real time.

Overall, it delivers faster response times through more efficient job allocation, reductions in fuel costs due to shorter journeys, higher revenues as drivers complete more jobs and better customer experience from faster lead times due to route optimisation.

The IoT technology has also been proven to help companies that manage fleets meet regulatory and corporate sustainability targets by reducing fuel use and carbon emissions.

“Businesses should harness IoT as a strategic asset to support their commercial decisions,” said Mahday Saad Al Hebabi, business services director for Vodafone Qatar. “But implementing new technologies can be daunting and can often be a reactive move rather than a proactive, strategic decision. Our aim is to make the selection and adoption of IoT easier, more accessible and affordable for all businesses. Our next-generation fleet management, underpinned by our strongest ever GigaNet network, means that they can leverage new technologies and digitally transform their operations while building customer trust.”

The IoT is changing how businesses operate by optimising costs, helping them better connect with their customers and tackle market challenges head-on. Vodafone Qatar develops end-to-end IoT offerings that are in line with global standards, designed for the local market, and it claims to offer far-reaching connectivity via one platform as well as competitive rates.