Scania FMS sets the pace

The Scania Fleet Management System (FMS) is turning out to be a great success for Scania South Africa. We find out what potential it holds for operators

In September 2014, Scania South Africa introduced the Scania Fleet Management System as standard fitment on every new truck. FOCUS broke the news in the June issue of that year and now, two years down the line, Scania Fleet Management is proving its worth and moving from strength to strength.

Within two years, just over 4 000 Scania vehicles have been connected to the system.

“Application-wide – from distribution to long haul or mining and construction – Scania FMS is ideal for all business owners who wish to maximise the uptime potential of their fleet,” begins Faried Arnold, connected and driver services manager, Scania South Africa.

“Scania FMS allows you to view how the drivers and vehicles in your fleet are performing and what contributing factors are costing you money. You are able to proactively identify potential problems, improve service planning, monitor driver behaviour and optimise routes,” he explains.

The system is available in two flexible packages, which Scania has tailored to best suit its clients’ business requirements. The overall goal is to provide information quickly, which is accurate, reliable and user friendly – with an efficient team on hand to assist with queries.

Monitoring is the basic package. It sends the operator weekly, monthly and yearly reports, via email. The reports present a basic fleet overview with general performance indicators. The main benefit of this package is that it shows, at a glance, how each vehicle is performing and which ones require special attention – without the need to wade through long lists of data.

One can also access the Scania Fleet Management portal, from where service planning can be managed. Fault reports can be combined with planned maintenance and sent as a work order to the workshop. The service planning function provides an overview of all the equipment in a fleet, along with maintenance plans; including a calendar for keeping track of maintenance and repairs.

At the other end of the scale is the Control package. “This is an advanced set of services suitable for fleet owners who want to utilise the benefits of vehicle and driver follow-up, but also want to support their transport process with operational information,” Arnold explains.

In addition to the functions offered by the Monitoring package, the more popular Control package allows fleet managers access to traffic-light, fuel, exception and environmental reports. It also displays live fleet position information and tracking and allows geofencing perimeters to be set.

“Furthermore, both packages are integrated with the Scania Fleet Management app, while the Scania Messaging Service effectively complements our Control package. This extra service offers quick and easy communication across your workforce through instant messaging. For further peace of mind, the system also offers traceability and safe storage of historical communication,” Arnold adds.    

“With the rising costs of running a fleet, we are pleased to offer a system that is more than capable of assisting our clients to increase uptime. The technology in our vehicles, combined with the reliability of FMS, results in accurate, beneficial information 24-hours a day,” Arnold concludes.