In business, every leader has to be prepared to adapt to new situations and the latest developments in the global business landscape. That means being flexible and working to adapt to any change in your industry, whether it’s large or small.
One of the biggest shifts that the corporate world has experienced over recent years is the move towards remote or hybrid working.
What started as a necessity during lockdowns has turned into a preference for many businesses and their team members. Even now that the world has reopened after the pandemic, many companies are embracing remote work, and employees are searching for remote opportunities that will give them the flexibility they crave.
For the fleet management landscape, remote working has been touted as the future, thanks to its convenience for workers and businesses alike. Traditionally, most fleet managers worked on-site, but now many are starting to embrace remote work, or at least hybrid models where they work part-time from home and spend the rest of their working week in the office.
Employees who work remotely get benefits such as a reduced commute, the comfort of working from wherever they are and improved work/ life balance.
Businesses also get many benefits from having more remote or hybrid workers, including lower costs for business premises, a wider talent pool to hire from, as well as improved productivity and a lower chance of burnout among employees.
Still, fleet management is a highly involved task, and many businesses might find it difficult to adapt to remote work in this department.
Thankfully, we’ve got some clever tips to help business leaders to facilitate remote working for fleet managers across their organizations. Keep reading to find out more about how you can adapt and embrace this latest trend in the fleet management space.
Implement The Right Software Solutions
Technology is essential for any business that wants to implement remote fleet management processes. After all, your staff still needs to complete the same tasks, just from home or another off-site location.
That means having access to digital tools that can be accessed through any internet-enabled device. Some tasks, such as downloading tachograph information from each vehicle, are usually done in person.
Still, the right technology can allow your staff to work from anywhere that has internet access. Solutions such as remote tachograph download from a specialist like FleetGo can allow fleet managers to ensure compliance and put together regulatory reports from anywhere.
As such, the initial focus for any business looking to take its fleet management remote has to be on finding the right software and digital tools and teaching your staff to use them effectively.
Create A New Process
Your current fleet management process might not be suitable for team members who are working remotely, so you need to consider how you can adapt it to suit their new situations.
In some cases, it might be worth creating an entirely new process to support remote fleet, management employees. Consider the KPIs they need to achieve, how they can reach them remotely, and what support they’ll need to do so. You can then put together a process that will work for remote team members and allow them to achieve their goals.
Having a written process that outlines everything that’s expected of your team will ensure that they know what they need to do when they’re working remotely and will help them to feel more confident in their roles.
Additionally, having a comprehensive written document will help you to manage the expectations of your stakeholders and ensure that you can discipline any team members who can’t or won’t meet the guidelines you’ve set out.
Focus On Communication
The one major disadvantage to remote working is that communication is harder, as your staff aren’t on-site and can’t be talked to directly.
They also won’t be able to have as many spontaneous chats as they did if they worked on-site, as they’re working from home. Not only can this lead to communication problems among your team, but it can also cause isolation and anxiety for your staff.
As such, it is crucial that you make sure that you focus on communication and come up with ways to ensure that your team remains cohesive and works well together, even when they’re apart.
Luckily, there are many ways you can facilitate and encourage communication among your remote team members. These include using private messaging tools, hosting regular meetings through video conferencing software and offering one-to-one phone calls throughout the month.
Focusing on communication and making sure that your staff are always up to date with the latest company insights is crucial for the ongoing success of your remote fleet management team.
Monitor Employee Performance After Implementation
Once you’ve put your remote fleet management processes into place, you need to make sure that you monitor your team’s performance closely. If you notice any repeated issues, then you should address them with your team to see if there are any ways you can adapt to them.
In some cases, some staff might require more monitoring when they’re working remotely, but there are digital tools you can use to check that they are completing all the tasks you require.
Being proactive about monitoring your staff’s performance when they start working remotely will help you to ensure a smooth transition and help you to adapt to any unforeseen challenges that you face when your fleet management team start working from home.
Keep adapting and reviewing the performance of your team, as this approach will help you to ensure the ongoing success of the project.
Remote Working For Fleet Management: A Brief Summary
By implementing the right processes and technologies, any business can facilitate remote working for fleet managers and reap the benefits that come along with this approach.
It might seem daunting to take such an involved and important process and make it remote, but it is possible for almost any business.
Use these tips to understand everything you need to do and consider before you allow your fleet managers to work remotely. You’ll then be able to ensure that your staff can work productively and enjoy the many perks of working remotely.
