Fleet managers for companies from a wide range of sectors including logistics, public transportation, construction and development planning, delivery companies, fast food outlets, and many more can hugely benefit from utilizing GIS mapping software. GIS is a very powerful tool for managing, analyzing and leveraging spatial data. This helps organizations and companies improve network planning, control costs, enhance customer service, expand technology, and evaluate and maintain efficient operations.

 All logistics challenges have a location based factor. Typically it’s something in location A that really needs to be in location B. Matters are complicated when we add in requirements such as time, route and cost. Using location analytics tools to analyze your logistics and transportation network from end-to-end allows your company to become more spatially aware. Whether you are a retail supply chain looking to optimize the routing of your goods form the distribution center to your stores, or a Freight company looking to improve visibility and tracking of your fleet, location based GIS technology will significantly increase productivity. Combining technologies such as Wi-Fi location information, RFID, and barcode scanning allows seamless logistical visibility within your warehouse and distribution centers. Tracking the movement of critical cargo does not have to end at the loading dock. Indoor location technology makes it possible to provide indoor routing instructions to your operational staff as they work with incoming shipments and configure outgoing shipments in cross docks and staging areas. 

With same day delivery becoming an industry standard, optimization of your distribution network is a vital task. Modelling the impact of driving conditions is important for achieving on time delivery metrics. Using real-time location based GIS technology for routing and re-routing of distribution assets improves safety for drivers, journey time, fuel costs, asset management, and is an essential tool for empowering your business.      

GIS mapping software can help you more effectively plan and manage your fleet by increasing the number of deliveries per route while decreasing excess capacity. Route planning is a key factor in reducing a company’s expenses. Daily Fleet movements and maintenance schedules need to run efficiently without compromising on customer service. Huge cost savings can be made on operation expenses through significant reductions in routing planning time, mileage, and overtime. Saving time on mileage means you reduce fuel usage, and also reduce your carbon footprint. This also helps meeting and exceeding client and customer expectations.

The software can be integrated with existing data in regards to the workforce, fleet, and customer management systems. Up to date GIS data means your company executives, dispatchers, and company reps have access to the most up to date geographical information in a user-friendly format.

Every corporation’s logistical and transportation needs vary widely, and there is a fine balance to ensuring that the right things get to the right place at the right time. (This includes travel for executives, managers, sales and service personnel, as well as goods and materials, which can spend a significant amount of time in transit.)  All of this activity involves the constant shifting of locations meaning GIS technology becomes the ideal tool to make operations run smoothly and efficiently.

On top of a list of maps and highlighted routes, GIS can help companies pull together crucial disparate information to manage what they do at each location. This is done by integrating data from geospatial content such as maps, images, applications and other geographical information commonly used for planning, deploying, operating, and optimizing transportation and logistical systems.

With GIS technology you have the ability to visually track equipment, personnel and events. You will be notified if any problems arise during delivery. Assets that are tracked can be visually analyzed over time which means problem areas can be quickly identified and corrected. Another key advantage is the ability to ensure that drivers stay on route at all times and on schedule. Drivers will have to follow dispatched routes with turn-by-turn directions. Vehicles that stray off course will be automatically re-routed and directed back to the original scheduled route. This helps drivers follow the exact roads and streets needed to reach their destinations. This all effectively means that operational and maintenance expenses are centrally managed and accounted for.  

Case Study:

‘A timber company transporting logs to South African plantations kept running in to the same problem. Its trucks had a difficult time navigating turns. Many South African logging roads are too sharp and narrow to allow certain trucks to pass. With GIS technology the timber company can calculate forest density, vehicle capacity and vehicle turn radius determine the best route to deliver the wood at the lowest cost. Companies could apply a similar approach to service personnel when calculating the estimated lengths of certain repair calls, and individual capacity of technicians to perform certain types of work.   

GIS technology could also be used to resolve a completely different problem; reducing the cost of mandated transportation of children to school. Planners could determine the optimum locations of bus stops to reduce costs by keeping the number of bus stops to a minimum whilst still reducing the distance children had to walk to arrive at the bus stop.

When applying the same methodology on a much larger scale, companies could use similar techniques to construct a distribution network and appropriate location of warehouses within clusters of customers. GIS systems also allows for more accurate data, such as real distances rather than estimates, as well as actual travel times based on traffic lights, road capacity, traffic and other factors, instead of undifferentiated distances.

Both the public and private sectors have heavily invested in GIS, and it is expected that this market for GIS will continue to grow along with the need for GIS skilled professionals.

Learn more about the Business Mapper GIS software tool, developed by Paperless Trail Inc. the software is ideal for all of the logistical and transportation uses and benefits discussed in our above article. 

Note: If this article leads to you making an inquiry to us, please use reference RE: BM-129 when you email us with your inquiry.