E-skills

Report

Content Table
Content Table......................................................................................................... 2
GPS: Global Positioning System............................................................................. 3
Satellites and receivers...................................................................................... 3
What are these messages?................................................................................. 3
Applications........................................................................................................ 4
Location........................................................................................................... 4
Navigation....................................................................................................... 4
Timing................................................................................................................. 4
Tracking........................................................................................................... 4
How GPS is used in private transport.....................................................................5
Map-Based Navigation........................................................................................ 5
Built-in GPS systems........................................................................................... 6
Standalone GPS-systems.................................................................................... 6
Smartphone........................................................................................................ 7
GPS tracking for package-deliveries......................................................................7
GPS and the Fleet............................................................................................... 7
Advantages......................................................................................................... 8
Enhanced Customer Service............................................................................8
Pinpoint Dispatching........................................................................................ 8
Reduced Costs................................................................................................. 8
Higher Employee Productivity.........................................................................8
Increased Road Assistance.............................................................................. 8
Improved Roadside Assistance........................................................................8
(FedExVoice, 2013)............................................................................................. 9
Disadvantages of Fleet Management:................................................................9
Think about your employees...........................................................................9
It costs a small fortune.................................................................................... 9
It means extra commitment on yours and your teams behalf........................9
Conclusion........................................................................................................ 10
Bibliography......................................................................................................... 11

GPS: Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (hereafter GPS) is the commercial name for a
technology called SatNav. It was developed in 1967 for the United States Armed
Forces and civilian use was allowed since 1983. In that year a civilian airplane
Korean Air-Flight 007 entered Soviet airspace due to a navigational error, the
plane (with a US member of congress on board) was shot down. Today we can
hardly imagine that civilian airplanes would fly without it.
(Wikipedia.org, 2016)

Satellites and receivers

GPS works with 32 satellites who are
orbiting the earth in 6 permanent lanes.
This satellites are positioned in such a way
that from any place on earth at least 4
satellites are visible.
Your GPS system can receive a signal from
one of the satellites above you. The
satellites know which position they have
from one another and can send a coded
message back on your position. The more
satellites there are above you, the more
information is available on your position,
thus your position can be located more
Figure 1. http://www.physics.org/articleprecisely.
questions.asp?id=55

What are these messages?

The GPS satellite transmits radio signals. The satellite sends out two types of
radio signals, L1 and L2. These signals are send in the UHF range, this is a range
for radio waves. The signals travel by sight, which means they can go through
glass but not through metals or your concrete garage.
The GPS signals consist of 3 parts of information
1. The pseudo random code is simply like the home address or phone number of
your satellite.
2. When starting up your GPS system, you can often view the number of the
satellite it receives its data from.
3. Ephemeris data Is data that tells where each GPS satellite is at any time. Each
satellite only sends its own ephemeris data
4. Almanac data tells your GPS system which satellites you can expect to come
across. Your GPS system then uses this data to determine which satellite to
track and forget about the rest.
(Pocketgpsworld.com, 2016)

Applications

Figure 2. http://gpsnavigationsite.com/gps-navigation-systems/

Location
The most obvious application for this technology is memorizing a location. Your
GPS device can memorize locations, this is not only practical to you but can even
be lifesaving for some. When a ship locates an iceberg, it can store the location
as such.

Navigation
This is what the system is designed for. It knows your location and it can tell you
how to get from A to B with the shortest possible route.

Timing
GPS have very precise atom clocks, the clocks last for around 1.5 years before
they need to be changed.

Tracking
The system is now widely used so that not only companies but also consumers
can locate their (ordered) products at any given time. The system can also be
used to track offenders who are allowed to leave prison (or dont have to go in)
as long as they agree on wearing a tracking device using the GPS technology.
(Infohost.nmt.edu, 2016)

How GPS is used in private transport

Although GPS is a technique which first was used by the U.S army in the 1960s,
it is now widely used by consumers worldwide. We have come a long way to
where we are now since the introduction of gps for consumers.

Map-Based Navigation
The first method of GPS for the purpose of planning a route, where websites
where people could enter their destination and starting point. Based on certain
algorithms a route was calculated. These websites were far from perfect. Typical
annoyances were complicated descriptions of the designated route. Basically
what often occurred was several different instructions for staying on the same
road. On every intersection of the highway, you were instructed to go left, but in
fact the intention was to keep heading straight ahead.

A second nuisance was that these instructions had to be printed out before
departure. This meant that during driving, you needed to stop to read further
instructions after the page ended, unless you had a person sitting next to you,
who could do this for you. If you accidentally missed a turn, you had a problem,
because the route could not be re-calculated again.

A popular website used in those days, was Mapquest. (see below)

Figure 3 http://iniz.tk/mapquest/ 1

Built-in GPS systems

After map-based websites, came the first built-in GPS systems in cars. The first
car which had this system, was the Oldsmobile Eighty-eight in 1995. This system
was not very accurate yet, but soon after popular brands like BMW and Mercedes
introduced their own systems. First they displayed the route just in 2D, with little
or no points-of-interests shown. Later 3D maps were introduced. A few years ago,
these built-in navigation systems were an option when buying your car, but
these days, many cars have these systems built-in as a standard. The price
dropped, but quality increased drastically. Several extra features which improves
usability, like voice-commanding and connectivity with phone are easy. Bluetooth
is a technique which is used for connecting devices with each other. Also touchscreens are used more often nowadays in built-in gps systems. Earlier systems
used buttons to type or select functions or letters.

Figure 4 http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/ 1

Standalone GPS-systems
A cheaper alternative to built-in systems, were standalone GPS-systems. Popular
manufacturers of these devices where Garmin, TomTom and Mio. These systems
were very popular in the mid 2000s. They offered the complete experience of
GPS, but had to be attached and removed in the car.

Apart from their lower price, they were also easily and cheaper to update. A third
benefit was that the system could be used in any car. Even if you sold your car,
you could use this system in your next car.

Smartphone
Standalone systems like TomTom are still being sold, but these manufacturers
have a hard time to stay alive nowadays. This is due to smartphones. Almost
every smartphone has GPS built-in and a permanent connection to the internet.
Applications such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze provide real time traffic
information, complete mapping and constant updates. Above all, these services
are free to use for consumers. A smartphone can easily be mounted inside the
car, just like a standalone system. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly popular
to use smartphones as a GPS system.

GPS tracking for package-deliveries

GPS tracking has improved the overall productivity in the logistic part of most
companies while enhancing their customer satisfaction, margins and overall
profit. Better scheduling or route planning make you able to handle larger jobs
withing particular time. The vehicle tracking has great advantages for the
customer as well as for the driver, the logistic center, In this part we will dig

deeper into the positive and negative aspects of the tracking system. (Chapala,
2014)

GPS and the Fleet

In the early days of fleet tracking, in order to properly track a fleet, each vehicle
had to be enabled with a costly GPS device. The company was required to pay a
typically high monthly fee to use the satellite tracking system. While helpful,
these early systems were difficult to implement, costly to use and sometimes
inconvenient for drivers and fleet management alike. Thus it took several years
for the concept to catch on. In the earliest days, only large, wealthy fleets took
advantage of the technology.
The basic concept of fleet tracking has not changed since its inception. A GPS
tracking system uses the Global Navigation Satellite System network. This
network incorporates a range of satellites that use microwave signals that are
transmitted to GPS devices to give information on location, vehicle speed, time
and direction. Essentially, a GPS tracking system can potentially give both realtime and historic navigation data on any equipped vehicle. GPS provides special
satellite signals, which are processed by a receiver. These GPS receivers not only
track the exact location but can also compute velocity and time
Fleet tracking has been embraced by both fleet managers and the drivers they
hire. This technology provides accountability and protection to both parties,
helping drivers do their jobs better and providing fleet managers with accurate
information about fleet vehicles.
(TrackYourTruck, 2016)

Advantages
Enhanced Customer Service
GPS tracking systems for vehicles allow the fleet
managers to schedule deliveries based on high
priorities rather through conventional routes. The
exact location of a vehicle can be traced and the
delivery to the nearest point can be arranged by communicating with the driver.

Pinpoint Dispatching
With GPS fleet tracking, you can dispatch specific vehicles in real time much
more effectively than with traditional methods. Rather than radioing drivers for
their location and waiting for them to report back, a business owner or fleet
manager only needs to check their monitoring platform to determine the location
of a nearby vehicle and then dispatch them electronically.

Reduced Costs
Cutting down costs by altering fuel usage is made possible by fleet tracking
solutions. For instance, guiding drivers through lighter traffic, monitoring over
speeding and scheduling deliveries based on location proximity of vehicles allow
substantial saving of fuel costs.

Higher Employee Productivity

GPS tracking device for vehicles offer real-time monitoring of vehicle movement
thus avoiding unnecessary idling. Unauthorized use of vehicles, poor time
management and inefficiency in handling deliveries can be reported using these
tracking solutions. (Eelinktech, 2004-2014)

Increased Road Assistance

There is always much uncertainty on the road. With fleet tracking solutions, the
company can monitor all vehicles using a single platform and provide the
required assistance in case of emergencies. Timely action minimizes risk and
helps keep up with the promised customer service.

Improved Roadside Assistance

Emergencies happen. Whether they're the result of a vehicle malfunction or
something more sinister, GPS solutions can decrease response time substantially
by identifying the location of a vehicle, whether it is disabled or still in motion.
(FedExVoice, 2013)

Disadvantages of Fleet Management:

Think about your employees
Remember you need employees to keep your business running. By introducing a
GPS fleet tracking system, they may feel an invasion of privacy on your behalf.
Realistically, if you deal with the situation properly, the majority of your drivers
will go with your new idea but having an open discussion is key.
Give them a reason to like the tracking system. An example could be introducing
a rewards system. It is key that you get them on your side and tell them about
the improvements the tracking system will give them and the business.

It costs a small fortune

Vehicle monitoring systemsIf you think the expenses on your lorries or vans are
already very high, then you may want to think twice before investing in GPS fleet
tracking. Not only will it cost you to have the system installed but you will then
have to pay a monthly charge that could cost you as much as $100 per vehicle
per month, add that up, and youll understand what I mean by small fortune.
Although it will save you money on fuel in the long run, you may want to talk to
your accountant before making such a large investment. It may also be worth
mentioning that this new fountain of knowledge will need someone monitoring it,
so you may have to employ more people to make the most of the data you will
be capturing. Its particularly useful when running a business that relies on
vehicle monitoring systems to keep track of logistics.

It means extra commitment on yours and your teams behalf

You will inevitably see a mound of benefits flowing in from your investment but
who and when is anyone going to be analyzing all this juicy data to meet your
end goal which was to improve your business from an operational point of view?
Make sure you have the resources to own and make the most out of this hi-tech
system. In addition to this, be prepared to be in it for the long haul; most service
providers ask for a three-year commitment.
Remember if you invest in a more advanced type of GPS tracking system you will
find that it does most of the work for you. You will not have to pay anyone to sit
in front of the screen day after day. This said you do still need someone to set up
appropriate alerts and reports in order for you to keep track of your system and
employees.

Conclusion
There are no such real disadvantages of fleet management, as every person in
fleet business needs to know minute detail about their fleet, wants to keep
record and has to track down their vehicles using tracking technologies. And this
all falls in managing a fleet.
(Roseindia, 2012)

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Bibliography
Chapala. (2014). Opgehaald van
http://www.slideshare.net/BharathChapala/vehicle-tracking-system-usinggps-and-gsm-techniques
Eelinktech. (2004-2014). Opgehaald van http://www.eelinktech.com/blog/top-4benefits-of-choosing-fleet-management-tracking-solutions-for-your-ecommerce-business/
FedExVoice. (2013). Opgehaald van
http://www.forbes.com/sites/fedex/2013/04/23/5-ways-gps-tracking-givesbusinesses-a-competitive-edge/#69bcc16c61b2
Infohost.nmt.edu. (2016, 12 10). Opgehaald van
http://infohost.nmt.edu/~mreece/gps/applications.html
Pocketgpsworld.com. (2016, 12 10). Opgehaald van
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/howgpsworks.php
Roseindia. (2012). Opgehaald van
http://www.roseindia.net/technology/gps/fleetmanagement/what-are-theadvantages-and-disadvantages-of-fleet-management.shtml
TrackYourTruck. (2016). Opgehaald van http://www.trackyourtruck.com/blog/briefhistory-gps-vehicle-tracking/
Wikipedia.org. (2016, 12 8). Opgehaald van
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System

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