Are Sustainability and Future-Proofing the Same Thing?

The role of a fleet manager today is more complex and multifaceted than ever. In addition to keeping a fleet running on a day-to-day basis and striving to optimize operations in the short-term, managers are also looking ahead and taking steps to ensure their fleets are future-proof.

Futureproofing is the concept of preparing your organization to withstand inevitable changes overtime. A future-proofed fleet would be able to seamlessly adapt to new technologies, take on challenges and evolve with the times.

Some ways that fleets do this is by making use of their data to monitor progress, compare performance against industry standards, rightsize their fleet and stay informed and compliant with legislation. Today, sustainability has also become such a major element of futureproofing that one could argue they are essential to one another.

How does sustainability play a role?

Sustainability is interwoven into futureproofing for many reasons. At its core, the idea and goal of sustainability is to carry out our actions and meet our needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations doing the same. Sustainability looks to ensure and protect the possibility of future success as much as immediate success. This is essentially the same goal as futureproofing, no?

Working with so many fleets to achieve short-term and long-term success, we know firsthand how imperative but daunting sustainability can seem. The term is constantly thrown around and it can have varying meanings in different contexts.

At Utilimarc, we break down sustainable fleet optimization into three pillars: Operational Efficiency, Emissions Reduction and Cost Savings. Let’s take a look at each and how they are key to your fleet’s future success.

Operational Efficiency

Ensuring that day-to-day operations are as efficient as possible is essential for waste reduction and limiting the amount of resources used to get the job done. Using fleet data to measure resource allocation is one of the ways a manager can improve efficiency across the board. This can include utilization, fuel consumption, route optimization, staffing and more.

Additionally, fleet managers can compare fleet productivity against industry benchmarks to gauge whether their fleet is as efficient as others similar. Instead of deploying more trucks, a fleet could potentially get more use out of the ones they already have. Similarly, managers can determine whether current vehicle routes can be optimized in order to achieve greater productivity with less fuel consumption.

Emissions reduction

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is another major element of both sustainability and futureproofing. In the midst of a climate crisis, more legislation and company-specific policies are including goals of carbon neutrality to be reached in upcoming decades. Some cities, like London, Barcelona and Milan, even have low-emission zones protecting their greater metropolitan areas.

Limiting GHG emissions is essential to environmental sustainability, as it reduces the amount of toxic gases released into the environment. With more zero-emissions policies, however, meeting these emission goals will be critical to keeping a fleet in operation long-term.

READ MORE: What Impact do Low Emission Zones Have on Urban Cities?

Cost savings

It goes without saying that cost savings is another key to a fleet’s success and longevity. Luckily, fleets can utilize their data to create capital reduction strategies and identify waste reduction opportunities. Utilimarc does this through fleet rightsizing, replacement scheduling and total cost of ownership reports.

All in all, effective cost saving strategies kill two birds with one stone. While lowering costs is essential for the success of a business, it also results in usage of less resources and ultimately, less waste.

The role of data

At Utilimarc, we know that data can be one of your greatest tools for reaching sustainability goals and futureproofing fleet operations. The sustainability movement is creating an influx of new technologies, new types of vehicles and completely new metrics for fleet managers to keep track of. For fleets that don’t know how to track all these data sources, it can be impossible to measure any progress toward goals.

For fleets looking to set up their organizations for long-term success, the ability to effortlessly adapt to change is fundamental. Utilimarc’s Business Intelligence Platform helps fleets to do just this. With the ability to accurately report on these three pillars of sustainable fleet optimization, our platform provides you with a data-driven strategy that is flexible to change as the industry does.

If you’re interested in finding out how our BI Platform and custom reporting can help your fleet long-term, schedule a demo with a member of our analytics team today.

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