Transpoco case study Vodafone Global M2M Transpoco fleet management goes global with Vodafone M2M Vodafone Power to you
Transpoco case study Transpoco fleet management goes global with Vodafone M2M Transpoco is an Irish vehicle tracking and fleet management provider. After successfully moving into the UK and French market it is now planning a major push into Europe, with India a longer term objective. Vodafone s Global M2M platform enables Transpoco to scale globally.
3 Transpoco is an Irish vehicle tracking and fleet management provider. With the help of Vodafone It provides telemetry solutions for 10 local authorities in Ireland, along with a number of service management fleets in France and the UK. The priority for Transpoco is expansion into mainland Europe, with a move into the Indian market a longer term objective. The business was formed by three software students at Dublin City University and first started trading in 2006. We were interested in the possibilities of GPS technology and how to use it in a commercial product, says Andrew Fleury, one of the founders. It s been a steep learning curve.
Transpoco case study The need The Transpoco product centres on a blackbox, installed in vehicles, sending back regular streams of performance data, viewed by a web-based log-in. Users can track location, driver behaviour and fuel efficiency. By Fleury s own admission, with connectivity provided by SIMs from multiple suppliers, the platform was not ideal for large-scale deployment. To achieve any kind of scale, and deliver the expected service levels and reliable connectivity, Fleury knew the business would need expert guidance and a standardised platform. The solution would need to be global. The vision was always to be pan- European, he says. The solution It was clear Vodafone s Global M2M platform offered all of the above. Transpoco would be among the first Irish customers to adopt the new Global M2M Platform, but Fleury was unperturbed: We were in talks and testing for six months. We knew we would be one of the first, so it took longer than it might have done, but we now have a global platform, one we can use anywhere. It means the SIMs are the same in Ireland as they would be in India. From an initial contract for 3,000 SIMs with Vodafone, Transpoco now has an option on 37,000 as it works with Enterprise Ireland to open new export markets. For instance, the scale of the opportunity in India is just huge says Fleury. Tenders in the UK and Ireland might be for 300 vehicles, in India it could be 5,000. The Vodafone solution means Transpoco need not worry about configuration and connectivity, he says, allowing time to build relationships with local partners: We can view and control every SIM from Dublin. We can activate the SIM and monitor its performance without the need for local telecoms support. It s been worth investing the time early with the Vodafone team to create this long term advantage. We can view and control every SIM from Dublin. We can activate the SIM and monitor its performance without the need for local telecoms support. It s been worth investing the time early to create this long term advantage. Andrew Fleury, co-founder, Transpoco
5 The future Dealing with one supplier has simplified the procurement and maintenance, it is also better for costs. Higher volumes mean better prices, says Fleury. It also frees Transpoco to concentrate on product innovation. The company s standard tracking product allows fleet managers to track drivers and manage trips. A large transport firm installing the Transpoco solution could expect to see annual fuel savings of 8-10 per cent; utility companies could better manage the availability of their service engineers more time with customers, and less time on the road, means more billable hours. The system has certainly improved the efficiency of our transport department and is now an integral part of our day to day operations, says John O Callaghan, financial controller of Prompto Despatch, which has the Transpoco tracking solution across its 21-vehicle fleet. We use the system daily to track our vehicles in order to efficiently assign jobs to the closest drivers. The system is also used to monitor driver and vehicle performance.
Transpoco case study The challenge for Transpoco is in developing the next generation of refinements. It has developed solutions for tracking driver performance (flagging rapid acceleration, harsh braking and fast cornering) and another for monitoring engine performance (torque and rpm). It can also integrate data from fuel cards. The future may also involve blackboxes for private vehicles, helping lower insurance costs for drivers. It may be that this needs the arrival of a new type of insurance company, one without the baggage of one million existing customers, says Fleury. It s an interesting idea, one we re looking out for. The system has certainly improved the efficiency of our transport department and is now an integral part of our day to day operations. John O Callaghan, financial controller of Prompto Despatch
7 Executive summary Business need: Following a successful launch in the UK and Irish markets, Transpoco needed an international M2M solution to help with its global expansion. It needed a partner to help build a platform to manage and monitor transport data. Solution: After a rigorous six-month planning and testing period, the Vodafone Global M2M Platform provides Transpoco with an international M2M solution. It ensures standard pricing, global coverage and remote trouble shooting. Business benefits: Unique functionality: The ability to nterrogate SIMs and remotely diagnose issues is an important feature in a system where the availability of information can be mission critical Standardisation of communications: Global M2M Service provides a common communication platform for deployments anywhere in the world, meaning the same standard of service to all of their customers without the additional support required in managing multiple connectivity partners Tailored pricing: Consistent, predictable and manageable cost structure reduces the risk involved in operating internationally The Transpoco and Vodafone solution is now able to track customers fleet vehicles worldwide, reducing fuel costs and enabling better planning of resources The joint solution is enabling more customers to improve fleet and lower insurance costs and cuts accident rates
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