Independent Security’s Fleet Safe and Sound with Argus Tracking
Independent Security has used Argus fleet management software for many years now - and with so many vehicles on the road, relies on it to keep staff and vehicles safe.
Independent Security has been keeping an eye on things since 1969, providing full-service, integrated security solutions for residential, commercial and industrial sites, including CCTV and alarm systems, access control, risk management, IT security and mobile and static patrols.
Chief operating officer Jay Bocock says Argus Tracking is an integral part of their operations and they use many of the software’s features: monitoring overspeeds to improve driver behaviour, geofencing and compliance to manage operations, and reporting like Fuel Watch and Utilisation for a more efficient fleet.
Monitoring Overspeeds Improves Driver Behaviour
After implementing Argus Tracking, Independent Security realised it had a high-risk fleet, with a risk point score well above the industry average. Because of this, the fleet was ranked at 1 star, and improving their risk points and reducing this risk was a clear focus.
Driver behaviour is a crucial element of that but is notoriously difficult to monitor and measure without capable management software. Jay explains the company used Argus Tracking’s driver-behaviour feature to monitor overspeeds that exceeded 10km in any speed zone. Daily emails were sent to the director and operations managers, so overspeeds could be discussed with individual drivers.
Within three months, they were able to drop their risk point score to the national average – a huge win – and since then, have consistently kept their score on or below the national average.
“By focusing on driver behaviour and using Argus Tracking’s capabilities, we saw a dramatic decrease in overspeeds – approximately 2/3. We still run a daily report that goes straight to our field managers, and they work with staff to improve any overspeeds. It’s about keeping our drivers smart and safe,” says Jay.
Managing Operations with Geofencing and Compliance
With operations spanning the central North Island, geofencing gives Independent Security the ability to easily monitor and report on client sites – something that used to be monitored via hourly phone calls. Now Independent Security has accurate fleet data it can use to update clients – and make sure its drivers return home safely.
Jay explains that each vehicle has its home base, so setting up geofences around those shows when drivers have returned safely from jobs, is especially important if they were out of the region. Geofencing provides accurate data for billing purposes, too – the reports show how frequently security teams were on-site and when. This is also used to flag high-priority customers.
Managing risk, and the health and safety of their drivers, is important, Jay adds, and a large part of that is making sure the fleet is legally compliant and safe to be on the roads. Before implementing Argus Tracking, Independent Security managed maintenance using a spreadsheet – a labour-intensive administrative task. It now takes minimal time for the company to see when registrations and WOFs are due.
“The next step will be to add Smart Renew – diesel miles and registrations are a pain with a big fleet, and we’d like for those to be automatically paid for us. It’s a huge reason why people want a fleet management tool in the first place,” says Jay.
Reporting: Fuel Watch and Utilisation
When asked about what makes Argus Tracking so good, Jay says it’s the team’s constant work to develop and improve the software for clients. He sees the reporting as being particularly improved over the years.
“Everything is about better fleet management, knowing where our staff are, and customer service.”
The company regularly uses Argus Tracking’s Fuel Watch report – each month it receives a large fuel bill from fuel providers, that staff just didn’t have the time to go through and reconcile. Jay says with the report they can quickly and efficiently find any irregularities. “We’ve been able to watch our mileage and private usage, as well as making sure we’re using our vehicles as economically as we can,” he says.
In addition, the utilisation report shows the company its overall use of assets and monitors the start and end times of assets each day. Running monthly and yearly reports of asset usage helps staff make better-informed and more economical fleet decisions.
To finish, Jay says he would absolutely recommend Argus Tracking. “It’s well supported and has a great suite of features that helps with fleet and people management.”
