Telefónica: Increasing efficiency throughout the fleet

The challenge: Increasing efficiency throughout the fleet

Telefónica de España has a fleet of more than 600 vehicles distributed throughout Spain. The employees who drive these vehicles are in charge of keeping all the physical telecommunications systems, such as antennas, in good working order. Therefore, these fleet vehicles are very important for the maintenance department critical to business. Alberto Viña, manager of the Telefónica internal fleet was given an important task. He was asked to find efficiencies anywhere and everywhere possible. To take on that challenge, a greater understanding of the fleet’s operations was required. “We needed greater fleet visibility, more useful and accurate data on our vehicles, such as mileage or fuel consumption, and we needed to know how they were being used to improve the efficiency of our fleet,” says Viña. Telefónica also wanted to make drivers more accountable for their driving behavior. However, as with many fleets, increasing awareness of the importance and benefits of safe driving was a challenge.

The solution: Expanding possibilities with rich data

Telefónica set out to find a telematics solution that could provide more than just GPS location. “At some point the data obtained from GPS was not enough for us. We wanted to go beyond simple positioning and its derived data. We were looking for something more accurate and reliable,” says Viña. The Telefónica fleet opted to use Telefónica’s own fleet management solution powered by Geotab. The fleet knew it would benefit from the greater operational insight provided by Geotab.

Tapping into rich, accurate GPS and engine data

Knowing a vehicle’s location is important for efficient routing, but it’s insufficient for optimising an entire fleet. The Geotab solution collects engine data in addition to GPS data, which significantly expands the possibilities for positive change within a fleet. The solution also transmits accurate and relevant details such as mileage, speed, fuel economy of the vehicle, as well as the driving habits — including braking, speeding, idling — of the driver behind the wheel. “Geotab’s solution offers not only real and useful data, but it also allows you to put the data into context and to draw your own conclusions from customised reports,” says Viña. Other aspects that encouraged Viña to choose Geotab were the notifications of engine trouble and failures, APIs for easy integration, and compatibility with all renting companies that work with the Telefónica internal fleet.

Quick installation and reliability

The ease of installing the solution and setting up custom reporting functionality in the fleet management software were important factors for choosing Geotab. Telefónica saves time and money thanks to the simple installation process. In contrast to other solutions, the small Geotab GO7 device connects to a vehicle’s OBD II port in minutes.

The speed of installation minimises downtime, meaning fleet drivers can get back to business right away.
An added benefit to the Geotab GO7 telematics device is its support for a wide range of vehicle brands and models. The corporate reliability of Geotab allows Telefónica to focus on business and not any potential headaches of a telematics solution. “If for any reason there is an issue with the device, the driver brings it back to us. We give him a new device, he connects it, and in three minutes it is working again,” says Viña.

Easy installation

The results: Greater fleet safety and fuel efficiency

Telefónica successfully reduced speeding and accidents

“As a fleet manager, whenever an accident occurs, I feel responsible. It is my duty to ensure that every vehicle is in perfect condition and this solution helps me to do that,” says Viña. “By monitoring the driving profile, for example, accidents have been reduced considerably,” explains the internal fleet manager at Telefónica. Each driver is identified whenever a vehicle is shared. We collect data on harsh acceleration, braking and cornering, as well as seat belt use.
The Geotab technology allows fleet managers to set parameters for each of the indicators mentioned above, and more. The system scores each vehicle on safety factors. A report can be sent to drivers so they can see exactly which areas need improvement.

The Telefónica team further reinforces fleet safety by sending drivers safe driving information and tips. “We don’t seek to punish the driver, but rather transmit the values and benefits of efficient, optimized, and safe driving,” says Viña. In the case of a traffic accident, the Geotab solution can be used to reconstruct the conditions that caused the collision — a very useful tool for helping determine responsibilities.

Fuel consumption reduced by 10%

Aside from coaching drivers on their driving habits, Telefónica also targets speeding in their fleet. By law in Spain, commercial vehicles are not allowed to exceed 90 kilometers per hour. The Geotab GO7 device transmits accurate speed data and the platform generates a daily report indicating where speeding exceptions were committed.
Currently, the average fuel consumption of the fleet is 6.3 liters per 100 kilometers. Interestingly, somewhat less than the minimum consumption estimates of vehicle manufacturers. When asked about future goals, Viña says, “Although Geotab’s solution offers a variety of possibilities, at this time we focus on two things every day: ensuring the maximum safety for our drivers and reducing our fuel consumption.” There are a variety of things that drivers and fleet managers could do to optimise the fleet and the safety of its drivers — but it can only be done after learning the real uses and behaviours of their vehicles on the road.

As a direct result of this effort, Telefónica decreased speeding and has been saving 10% on fuel. Telefónica also reduced their CO2 emissions (emitting less than 6.353Tn per year).

Conclusion

Finding efficiencies anywhere and everywhere: that’s the daily goal of Telefónica’s internal fleet manager. Telematics has supported Telefónica tremendously in this effort. The reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are some of the great results obtained by using telematics technology. And better yet, drivers are seeing a critical improvement on the job: a considerable reduction in the number of accidents.

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From the fleet manager

“If for any reason there is an issue with the device, the driver brings it back to us. We give him a new device, he connects it, and in three minutes it is working again.” — Alberto Viña, manager of the Telefónica internal fleet