Simpler, smarter fleet tracking with Argus Tracking & Fleetwise
How an integrated solution delivers more value at Te Whatu Ora Health Bay of Plenty.
At Te Whatu Ora Health Bay of Plenty, a small team manages a large fleet of vehicles covering a broad catchment area. Moving people around the health campus, visiting patients or heading out to meetings, the vehicles are always on the road, and there’s a lot to track and monitor.
Managing this complexity requires some sophisticated tech. That’s why the organisation uses two platforms to handle bookings, movement and more for its 320-strong fleet. By integrating Argus Tracking and Fleetwise, the team has streamlined many key processes, saved significant admin time and built a deeper understanding of the operation. Thomas Larkin, Business Analyst at Te Whatu Ora, explains:
“That integration, that’s one of the main aspects. Fleetwise has been our core system, and we didn’t want to change that, so I was looking for a GPS system that could work with it. The fact that the two systems talk together provides everything we need.”
Visibility, Efficiency and Safety with Argus Tracking
Te Whatu Ora had been using Fleetwise as a pool booking system but wanted to add more functionality to its fleet management – particularly in terms of GPS tracking and reporting. Because Argus Tracking could offer those functionalities and integrate with Fleetwise, it seemed like a natural solution.
Here’s a look at what the integration has meant for the Te Whatu Ora team:
Deeper Insight Into Driver Behaviour
Before implementing the Argus GPS system, the Te Whatu Ora team had no visibility of vehicles once they left the hospital site. While the admin team could call a staff member if they were late, it was far from a foolproof solution – people couldn’t answer the phone on the road, calls could be missed, and there was no way to accurately see vehicle locations or estimate arrival times.
Argus Tracking has given the team visibility in spades, which has helped deliver those key pieces of tracking information and deeper insights into drivers and their behaviour.
“Obviously, in terms of the cars, we know where the car is. Knowing where our staff are and ensuring they’re okay is one of the key things we could do.”
The management team has always wanted to use this as a health and safety tool rather than to monitor individual drivers. The system tracks the movement of vehicles, helping keep track of drivers, appointments and safety in near real-time.
“So if we’re driving in an irrational way, then there’s a responsibility to deal with that to ensure everyone else is safe. We have our responsibility to the staff, the passengers and the public to make sure we’re driving responsibly,” says Thomas Larkin.
Driving Efficiency
Of course, tracking isn’t just invaluable for driver safety. With built-in analytics and reporting tools, the platform can also track fuel efficiency and identify vehicles that may need to be retired. Because it’s integrated with the pool booking system, it can also boost efficiency in terms of vehicle use – meaning less downtime for vehicles and the potential to downsize the fleet in future.
While Te Whatu Ora isn’t using the platform to track or analyse fuel use, Thomas Larkin explains that the team is looking towards it in the future.
“I would love to be able to solve that so we can get rid of all the cars causing problems. With more efficient EVs, obviously, there’s an ability to solve that, which we want to do.”
Fleetwise + Argus Tracking – Data Integration and Deeper Functionality
Te Whatu Ora has been using Fleetwise to manage its pool bookings for a while, but the integration with Argus Tracking added functionality and streamlined the admin side in many ways. Some processes still being managed on paper are now automated, freeing time for the admin team and improving accuracy. The integration also allows the management team to gather data from different sources, helping them identify issues or trends as they emerge.
Here’s what that means for the Te Whatu Ora team:
Streamlining Admin Functions
Managing a large fleet of vehicles involves several small steps and processes. Before the Fleetwise/Argus integration, some key workflows were still manual, slow and error-prone. For example, when a vehicle was returned to campus, the driver needed to fill in a slip of paper with the return time and odometer reading. Then, an admin would enter those details into the computer system to mark the car as returned.
Now, a car is signed out in the system, then tracked and signed back in once the GPS shows it’s returned to the site, all automatically. This eliminates many of the slower, more manual parts of the process and reduces missed returns or admin errors.
Integrated GPS tracking also helps the team manage client expectations. If a district nurse is out for an appointment, for example, and the client calls to say they haven’t arrived, the manager can use the tracking data to give an accurate arrival time.
It all adds up to a system that’s far more efficient and less prone to mistakes and delays.
Data Analytics
Because Fleetwise and Argus Tracking can ‘talk’ to each other, the team can share data between systems, giving them better visibility and improved analytics. It’s also possible to bring data in from third-party sources, like the NZTA, for extra layers of insight and reporting.
While Te Whatu Ora is still developing the analytics, the goal is to spot issues, patterns or trends as they emerge, so the team can deal with them quickly.
“What we’re trying to do is put as many controls in place as we can, so if we identify any pattern, we can address it,” explains Thomas Larkin.
The Future of Fleet Management
Integrating Argus Tracking and Fleetwise has proved successful for Te Whatu Ora – from efficiency and analytics to improved tracking and staff safety. As the team build an understanding of the tools and learn more about integration pathways, they’ll be able to get more value from the platforms – and their fleet.
Thomas Larkin is keen to explore the integration further, developing data analytics controls and putting fuel efficiency tracking in place. For now, he’s happy with the outcomes and the support from the Argus/Fleetwise team.
“I definitely recommend it because of the level of support and care the guys provide,” he says.
