Fleet management analysis plan: 4 steps

Advances in data generation and collection in transport operations have driven a logistics revolution in companies, also known as logistics 4.0, in which various systems and technologies have been adopted to make fleet managers' and supervisors' work easier and faster.

However, organizing and analyzing the large amount of data generated by fleets adds complexity, making an analysis plan essential for more effective management.

Planning is the best and most practical way to understand which data should be collected and how it should be arranged to contribute to one of your operation's most important stages: decision-making.

Read on to learn:

• What is a fleet management analysis plan?
• How do you develop one for your fleet?
• What should this analysis plan include?

What is a fleet management analysis plan?

An analysis plan consists of planning how to collect, organize and analyze your company's data. In fleet management, this data relates to transport, from acquiring a vehicle to refueling control and the operation's other important processes.

This plan also determines which types of analysis will be performed, how they will be carried out, the period over which data will be compared, and other information.

Thus, a fleet management analysis plan serves to:

• Organize the necessary analyses;
• Determine relevant data for the analyses;
• Define how often each piece of information is collected;
• Identify the most appropriate metrics and performance indicators;
• Assess and keep track of progress toward fleet objectives.

How do you develop an analysis plan for your fleet?

You need to go through 4 steps to build your fleet management analysis plan:

1 – Map fleet processes

Identify all processes in your fleet's routine and determine which should be included in your analysis plan to find areas for improvement, as well as when the data should be collected.

Besides helping you know what belongs in the plan, this is also a way to identify failures and periods of low productivity that can be addressed using modern tools that align your management with a culture of transport innovation.

2 – Select the most relevant indicators

Based on the objectives set for the company and fleet, consider which elements in your processes contribute most to achieving them.

This gives you better direction when selecting the performance indicators that make the most sense for your management.

3 – Identify the best way to collect the data you need

Choosing the most suitable tools is fundamental to achieving the desired results. You should therefore focus on ensuring they will provide the necessary data with high precision.

There are various modern tools and systems that speed up transport operation routines; you simply need to identify which meet your fleet's needs.

In maintenance management, for example, the electronic checklist or maintenance system are the alternatives that make the most sense.

4 – Implement the fleet's data collection and analysis routine

Training fleet employees in the selected tools is a first step toward starting a new data collection routine if you do not already have one. Describing each employee's tasks and routines is also very important.

Make sure you have a management methodology that also makes assigning and visualizing each employee's tasks easier, such as kanban.

Everyone needs to understand the importance of how data analysis in fleet management works, and how their tasks help gather important information for the company.

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What should a fleet management analysis plan include?

This depends on the objectives set for the company as a whole and for the fleet individually. They are the starting point for any decision about data and metrics to keep track of, and they are also where your plan starts taking shape.

In general, a fleet management analysis plan should include:

• A description of company and fleet objectives and goals;
• Identification of processes that contribute to these objectives and why;
• Performance indicators for each selected process;
• Analysis and comparison parameters to understand goal achievement;
• Tools used to collect and analyze information;
• Those responsible for each step;
• Guidance and recommendations for generating fleet reports.

If your operation has a Fleet Policy, all these issues may be described in that document, since they provide guidance on this important stage of daily operations.

Even so, it is worth understanding how a fleet management analysis plan on its own can provide a better view of this activity and what is needed for everything to run without problems or errors.

Especially in large operations, where the fleet manager is not solely responsible for data analyses, an area-specific plan helps everyone involved understand the process through organization and definitions of how it works.

Want to learn even more about organizing your management and using more data to make decisions? Read this post!