Competitive market forces, rising fuel, insurance and maintenance costs, plus heightened safety and environmental concerns are compelling public and private organizations to ensure their mobile assets deliver the greatest return on investment and remain in full compliance with changing regulations. Applus enables clients to meet this challenge by tailoring hardware and software to meet the specific vehicle management needs of clients. In addition to best-in-industry technology, Applus creates a tightly integrated Vehicle Information Platform (VIP) that turns vehicle operation and maintenance data into a real-world tool for reducing equipment operational costs, lowering fuel consumption, reducing maintenance costs and downtime, improving driver safety, tracking mobile assets and streamlining compliance and reporting.
Applus Vehicle Information Platform Delivers Optimal Value
Applus leverages its proven expertise in developing emissions testing applications and technology to create new applications that enable businesses to better manage their assets and drive efficiencies across an organization. Applus engineered on-board diagnostics, for example, in an easily installed module that can capture and remotely transmit vehicle and driving data. Data on vehicles and/or equipment such as location, fuel consumption, driver behavior and maintenance status can be analyzed and the results used to optimize scheduling, reduce costs and better manage employees. Applus leadership in automotive diagnostics, customized system solutions and machine-to-machine communications can help strengthen your organization’s ability to adapt to market forces as business, competitive and environmental factors continue to evolve.
Fully Customized Vehicle Information Platforms
Integrating next-generation technology with universal communications, Applus creates vehicle information platforms that are flexible and can be customized for small and large fleets of cars, light and heavy-duty trucks, construction equipment and off-highway vehicles. In addition, each vehicle information platform solution is designed to meet specific business goals involving workforce productivity, efficient vehicle routing and scheduling, cost-effective maintenance, insurance management, fuel efficiency and all-around best allocation of resources. In addition, the business intelligence provided by these customized, tightly integrated platforms helps ensure—and document —continual regulatory compliance.
How Applus Makes Custom Vehicle Information Platforms Affordable
To create highly customized, high-value vehicle information solutions, Applus draws together three components: modular trackers, state-of-the-art control centers and a best-in-industry business intelligence platform.
Applus Vehicle Information Platforms at Work
Applus customizes vehicle information platforms to meet each client’s specific needs. Some common applications include:
Asset and Workforce Utilization. Built-in GPS allows asset managers to automate the process of resource allocation and workload balancing. Live tracking and mapping increases routing efficiencies, helps limit or eliminate unnecessary travel and reduces fuel consumption. The Applus platform allows customers to establish geo-fences and time-of-day monitors that will detect improper or unauthorized usage or theft. Another tangible benefit to Applus clients is the ability to be more responsive and effective in serving their own clients with timelier routing of mobile assets.
Maintenance and Fuel Efficiency. Monitoring vehicle diagnostic and fault codes can automate maintenance scheduling that, in turn, increases fuel efficiency and prevents costly breakdowns. Customers can design maintenance schedules per vehicle or asset-based on such factors as mileage, hours of use and fuel consumption. As pre-set limits or thresholds are approached, managers can proactively notify operators and schedule timely maintenance and/or repairs. In addition to maintenance issues, the Applus vehicle information platform allows you to monitor and manage a number of factors that determine fuel efficiency, including idling time, start and stop times and location of idling. This information allows managers to analyze historical data and averages and identify issues and implement corrective measures. Policies and procedures, for example, to reduce idle time, enforce smart driving habits and minimize unauthorized after-hours use will improve fuel efficiency. In addition, integrating the data on real-time asset location and fuel purchase time and location allows managers to easily detect fraudulent fuel expenses.
Safety and Driver Profiling. Real-time tracking of operational factors such as vehicle speed, sharp turning, hard stopping, engine RPM and rapid acceleration allows managers to evaluate individual operator behavior against posted speed limits and road conditions. Managers then have substantiation for imposing penalties or corrective measures for unsafe behavior. In addition, the historical reporting and documentation can reduce insurance premiums.
Comprehensive Electronic Examination Systems. DrivewAtch® is an integrated methodology for monitoring driver proficiency, safety and performance during the driver license testing process. Uniquely, DrivewAtch® includes audio-enabled digital cameras installed in the road testing vehicle, creating an audio and video record of driver performance and a real-time view of the road path driven during testing. DrivewAtch® technology synchronizes this video record with vehicle speed and driver acceleration and/or deceleration, providing a comprehensive methodology for measuring driver performance and road conditions.
Compliance. The Applus vehicle information platform can be customized to automate the often laborious and costly compliance reporting requirements, such as that required by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including hours of service reporting, accident and incident tracking, vehicle and asset safety checklists, emissions and safety monitoring and fuel tax reporting. This automation helps eliminate manual paperwork and avoid costly audits or fines. The Applus platform can also send mobile alerts to notify operators or management of non-compliant behavior and violations of business rules as established in the Control Center. Alerts may include geo-fencing or safety violations, excessive idling or stopping, accidents (air bag deployment) or severe engine problems.
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