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What is OBD?
OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics and is an electronic system that monitors the vehicle's health. Being introduced as a global standard during the 1980s, it is now much more advanced in new vehicles that have a wide range of features.
It uses an OBD scanning device plugged into the vehicle’s designated OBD port. A user can identify faults, track the location using a device with built-in GPS and much more. With On-Board Diagnostics, once a device scans the vehicle, it will display an error code if there is a fault.
Rules are set in electrical systems that allow a range of values such as temperature, speed, resistance and voltage. If any of these measurements are outside the allowed limit then a driver will receive a warning message or a light will illuminate on the dashboard.
Advancements in vehicle telematics now take this one step further. Removing the need for additional hardware, vehicles are accessible remotely using the in-built vehicle GPS and telematics systems.
What is OBD Fleet Management?
Using the latest automotive technology, fleet managers are taking their analysis to the next level. With a wide range of vehicle data points, gone are the days when a vehicle's GPS location was the only accessible information. The vehicle’s idle status, fuel level, occupancy and health can all be monitored.
This analysis is used by fleet managers for important business choices. Including how their fleet operates and how productive it is. Using telematics and mobile data networks, data is sent to a central server that fleet managers can access and build their custom solutions on the back of. However, for a smooth implementation for your business, an API partnership is required.
How can it be used to Track Fleets?
With OBD taking analysis to the next level, it is a vital step to incorporate into fleet management and monitor the health of their vehicles. It helps with:
Analysis for components - Component degradation is a huge cost for fleet management companies. Budgeting for this is made easier, as the OBD remote access can show signs of which parts are failing first or more often.
Preventative Maintenance - If an OBD scan shows some component wear, the issue can be dealt with immediately. This can save fleet managers in the long run by preventing costly repairs and reducing downtime for a vehicle.
Driver Analysis - Fuel usage, location, journey history, speed and other driving habits can be analysed by fleet managers. Offering incentives for better drivers who take care of a company’s fleet vehicle and can save money with vehicle longevity.
How OBD Fleet Management is the Solution for Your Business
If the correct steps are taken using a trusted partner, then huge improvements can be achieved for fleet management companies. They include:
Better Customer Satisfaction
With a complete solution, teams can use automated reports for full fleet analysis. Identifying problems with vehicles in the field and acting quickly to fix them. With a lessons learned exercise to prevent similar incidents from happening again. This also helps with customer satisfaction scores. Best of all, the reports are viewable from any connected device, either on the move or in a central office.
Collects Data for Claims
With safer driving, OBD helps monitor and eliminate any dangerous drivers. Without OBD fleet management, drivers are left vulnerable in an incident. This could result in high insurance and accountability costs for a business. With one expensive claim against you, your business profits could be heavily impacted. With a bespoke app, driving data can be beneficial for insurers during a claim.
Better Driving Habits
Safety is a huge factor in all businesses. Driving fleet vehicles poses a lot of risks for businesses. As it is often the driver at risk, it may result in the bad press that damages a company's reputation. With OBD management, vehicles are monitored remotely to report any dangerous driving and can be actioned immediately. It encourages safer driving too, especially if a system is used to score driving behaviours to reward safer drivers.
Identifies Repairs
An OBD fleet management system can remotely diagnose and get to the root cause of most issues quickly. With vehicle maintenance essential for fleet longevity, steps can be taken to see what may need replacing short and long term. With the smaller issues being solved first, especially if they result in expensive repairs.
Emissions Regulations
With a host of news stories on climate change and the bad press that businesses get for emissions, fleet managers can monitor the emissions remotely. Using the OBD system, emissions such as exhaust gas temperatures, sensors and quality are sent in real-time, over the air. Allowing any excessive pollutants to be addressed immediately before inspections.
All of these systems require a fleet management app that needs to bridge that connection to fleet vehicles from a range of manufacturers. This is where High Mobility comes in.
High-Mobility’s Advanced API Pairs with Fleet Management Apps
We have unique data partnerships with major vehicle brands. This, paired with High Mobility’s advanced API gives fleet managers the tools they need to build their custom apps. Modern telematics devices and software are often different amongst OEMs.
Why use High Mobility’s API to manage your fleet?
Onboarding an entire fleet could take a lot of time to source custom APIs, and build software. Sometimes additional hardware is needed for a complete fleet management solution that works.
High Mobility takes all of this away. with our single API and range of SDKs that work with a wide range of coding languages. On-boarding your fleet of vehicles is simple. From trialling out scenarios with our simulator tool to full implementation. We have dedicated software engineers to help you through the complete process.
Fleet managers and rental companies are assured of data protection too. Data is encrypted on our central servers and sent via the cloud. We have strict measures including GDPR and ISO27001 to ensure sensitive data is handled correctly. Plus, our conformance to TISAX, which works with data protection and is involved directly with the German Automotive Industry leaves nothing to chance.
Learn more:
Vehicle Telematics Data
Connected Vehicle Use Cases
Connected Vehicle Technology
