Since the advent of mobile technologies and wireless sensor networks we are witnessing unprecedented digital transformation across industries, the ability to connect devices and things to the internet means the power to the physical world from the cyber world is now a reality; this is what is popularly known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Millions of devices, sensors, systems, and subsystems will be able to send and receive messages in a defined format to control the external environment or be to be controlled.
The transport and logistics sector is one area that has been impacted in a great way by the digital transformation occasioned by these emerging technologies, thanks to this new shift fleet management systems of today are advanced to provide virtually full view of all fleet operations.
Traditionally, the transport and logistics manager tray was always full, he was tasked with managing usage of the vehicles, maintenance of the vehicles and human resource associated with vehicles, business processes in most cases had the input of this manager somewhere along the chain, be it acquisition of supplies, sales operations, or human resource, failure of the company to meet customer deadlines in most cases for example had an element of blame on the transport and logistics manager.
In sum it was a hectic job, full of stress, a lot of paperwork and lots of telephone calls day and night. Imagine one man sitting in office making call after call to drivers to ask about vehicle mileage, how far they are from reaching the intended destination and if fuel in the tanks will be enough to complete the journey, having worries about the goods reaching safely without tamper, possibilities of car break down, or concerned about driver fatigues and driver safety.
Basically everything was at stake and appeared like an emergency. All this is now gone and the future looks bright as digital transformation takes root in the region.
Today, organization that’s deal with fleet management systems in Kenya and the region have been reaping huge dividends as they solve some of the challenges faced by transport and logistics enterprises.
First and foremost the capability to know the location of the vehicles in real-time has been touted as a significant achievement by fleet management systems companies in Kenya, this has given immense powers to the transport logistics manager to control vehicle usage, determine trips made and also know when the vehicle is being misused or doing trips that are not generating revenue to his organization. A lot of savings have been achieved this way to the credit of the modern day fleet manager, worth mentioning is that with real-time tracking is has become possible to know not only the location but also important occurrences like where the vehicle stopped and for how long, when the vehicle engine was idling and for how long, the speed on the road , this kind of information enables logistics manager determine if the vehicle usage meets the expectations of his organization and make appropriate adjustments.
Fuel monitoring capability is also another key function placed in the hands of the transport logistics manager, it has become possible to know the fuel level in the tank in real-time, this visibility is made possible by use of sensor probes that acquire and relay information to the fuel monitoring system, at the click of a button, in his computer or by mere automatic instant message by the system, the transport logistics manager knows first-hand and at all times the amount of fuel in the tank, this eliminates the need of seeking this information from third parties and drivers who in most cases prefer to reap from opaqueness to the detriment of the company profits.
On other fronts, there is rapid growth of international trade, transport and logistics companies are confronted with the need to monitor cross border trade activities, more so as a result of government regulations aimed at preventing illegal dumping of goods and loss of tax revenue, fleet management companies in Kenya have come to the aid of organizations that needs to monitor containers movement in the hinterland in compliance with government requirements for electronic cargo tracking systems (ECTS). Internally, and to earn customers trust, container tracking and sealing has attracted significant interest among large transport companies that need to dispatch cargo to their customers to ensure safe delivery and avoid disputes, in both of these cases, GPS enabled electronic seals and asset trackers are used, such that it becomes possible to know the movement, also at the same time any tamper is logged by the device and communicated in real time to the fleet management systems.
Another emerging domain is the cold chain management, for decades the sector has existed to service perishable goods and pharmaceuticals transportation, you must have seen trucks with coolers ferrying horticultural goods from Kenyan farms like in Naivasha, or trucks carrying meat for export, in such cases the storage containers besides being hauled from source to destination, they are supposed to be maintained at a particular well stated temperature, deviations from such may have a detrimental effects on the quality of the goods, a practical example is the COVID vaccine that is supposed to be transported and stored at certain temperature range, fleet management systems plays a significant role here to aid in data acquisition, reporting on deviation to avert a crisis and possible financial loss. With such practical cases it has become necessary for fleet management companies in Kenya to align with global trends and provide autonomous temperature monitoring systems.
Other important technologies that comes in handy with fleet management systems, is the ability to authorize vehicle operation by the right person, this is made possible by driver authentication and authorization function, in this case the driver attempting to operate must be the designated one, this is made possible by use of card, tags or biometric readers that are integrated with telematics device that controls the immobilization of the vehicle engine. Driver authorization can also be augmented with video telematics, in such scenarios, AI enabled cameras or dash cams that for example detect driver state of mind like fatigue, detect crash, detect unusual faces in the driving cabin among other AI driven features are installed as part of the solution.
Finally, vehicle maintenance has been a headache for most organization, through fleet management systems it has however become possible to obtain vehicle information through OBD devices and generate useful insights on mechanical heath of the car, this mostly aids in preventive maintenance. At the same time data on maintenance service schedules, renewal of permits and licenses deadlines can be captured and reminders sent to transport manager when it is due. In a nutshell, the solutions afforded by telematics are numerous, the ball is usually in the court of the organization that has fleets of vehicles to decide if it makes sense to adopt technology or to stick to the traditional ways of operation, while it eventually pays handsome returns in-terms of operational efficiency and savings, the initial costs are high, it is therefore always advisable to work with professional fleet management companies in Kenya who are best placed to guide on how to deploy the solution step by step and possess the right engineering expertise, smart embedded systems limited is one of the best providers of integrated telematics solutions in Kenya and Africa in general.