I still find it hard to believe, but over the past 10 years the price of vehicle tracking systems has gone down by around 70%! Much of this is due to the advances being made in technology, but with the lowering prices you also find that the companies that provide them now lack the margins necessary to be able to provide the advice and support that enable a business to take full advantage of the technology.

The truth is that tracking technology is one product where the quality of the equipment and support from the provider really does count. The cheapest option may look like unbeatable value, but you can be sure if the provider has only a tiny margin to work with how can they provide you with the opportunity to maximise your business on a day-to-day basis, or indeed the ability to grow your business.

As prices have come down, tracking technology has come on in leaps and bounds and can now do everything from telling you when a van was opened, to helping monitor fuel usage and drivers’ pay. The key is to take time to understand how you can use the information to support your business and help it develop for the future.

Source a tracking system from a company that will help you grow, by providing the advice and support that will help you make the changes to your business that will make a real difference. Avoid buying your tracking systems from companies that sell it like a mobile phone contract, as you may struggle to see results.

Some of our customers have been with us for over ten years now and the number of vehicles they have had fitted with vehicle tracking has risen steadily during this time. However, initially they started with having the system fitted in just one or two vehicles and have gradually built on this.

The point I’m making is that vehicle tracking systems aren’t reserved solely for companies with an extensive fleet of vehicles. Any company with a mobile workforce – whether this is one, two or twenty – can benefit from installing a tracking system.

Equally, if your company does have a large number of vehicles, then don’t think that vehicle tracking is only an option if you commit to a system for each and every vehicle. The benefits of vehicle tracking can be seen in just a single system, so if you’re tempted to investigate how tracking systems could help improve your business, then why not install one system to start? You can then see first-hand how tracking can help you save time and reduce costs, and make an informed decision about further additions.

If you’re considering tracking for your company, but are deliberating any of these issues, why not share your thoughts, as I’m sure you’ll find others in the same boat…

If you’ve made the decision to fit a vehicle tracking system then you must have recognised the potential it offers. Whether your motivation is to cut operating costs, increase productivity or improve customer service levels, no doubt you will be looking forward to seeing the benefits of the system.

However, one thing people seem to forget is that the vehicle tracking system, no matter how good it is, isn’t responsible for improving your business – you are. Vehicle tracking systems will provide customers with real-time data, which has the potential to reveal a whole new world of information about a company, but that’s of little use if it’s not acted on.

You wouldn’t buy a Ferrari and then only drive it in first gear – that’s only the tiniest glimpse of its potential. The same is true for vehicle tracking. Fitting the system is only the first step, to really benefit you have to look at what the data is telling you and adjust your business accordingly.

So, don’t be afraid to act on what you find. It may seem daunting at first, but once you start seeing the benefits these changes bring to your business, it’ll be worth it.

If vehicle tracking has allowed you to improve your business, why not tell us how you did it?