5 Benefits Businesses and Employees Gain from GPS Trackers

25th October 2019

GPS trackers have changed the way businesses and staff work for the better.

For some managers, tracking the whereabouts of staff makes perfect business sense because of the challenges it solves. Tracking devices can be used for employee safety, tracking delivery fleet or for improving security.

The benefits of GPS trackers support employers and staff in terms of productivity and work systematisation.

No matter what industry you’re in, here’s why business owners and employees should consider investing in GPS tracking.

What is GPS Tracking?

Tracking technology combines the location of a vehicle with a software interface that displays the data received. The GPS tracking device and server are placed inside the car. Information about its location, speed, route and fuel-consumption are sent to connected devices, such as a smartphone or computer.  

Global Positioning Service (GPS) tracking was mostly used by fleets for efficiency and cost-saving purposes. Now, businesses of any size and industry take advantage of the technology to monitor staff and vehicles to streamline daily operations.

1. Increase Security

Real-time location allows business or car owners to track their vehicle.

If your car is stolen, towed or moved, you’re immediately alerted and able to recover it through Google Maps integration. Higher-end GPS tracking devices allow you to remotely disable the car from your smartphone or PC. Features like this may also be added as an extra security function to prevent theft in the first place. For example, if the vehicle is left at airport parking. Once enabled the car won’t start until disabled from the GPS tracking app.   

For companies that allow staff to use business cars, off-hours notifications are effective in identifying theft as it happens.

Unauthorised access notifications use a ‘geofence’ function.

This allows you to set a boundary of an area by outlining it on the map. The GPS tracker then records designated areas and will automatically notify you if any boundaries are breached.

2. Employee Safety and Tracking

Not all trackers are designed for vehicles to deter theft and increase security.

Personal GPS trackers are also an affordable security tool to increase employee safety. Tracking wearables have a valuable alarm feature which can send an emergency SOS to pinpoint someone’s location if they need help.

Aside from safety considerations, employee tracking may be beneficial to businesses with delivery drivers or that run errands to keep track of routes, speed and fuel consumption. Access to this data offers opportunities for businesses to decrease operating costs, save on petrol and create a more profitable business, ultimately increasing job security for employees.

By tracking employees working hours and utilisation of vehicles, time and money are saved and staff are monitored to ensure safe driving hours are being implemented.  

3. Better Productivity and Efficiency 

GPS tracking encourages an easier coordination of your business’s workforce.

Track vehicles and employees to maximise efficiency by assigning new deliveries and appointments. Through detailed reports, you can streamline travel and manage potential obstacles or downtime, increasing customer satisfaction.

4. Reduce Fuel and Insurance Costs

Businesses and employees who use GPS tracking enjoy reduced costs.

This includes lower insurance premiums, fuel costs and other travel-related expenses like speeding tickets. Such savings can only result from effective planning and location monitoring.

5. Less Paperwork

Waste less time on paperwork by automating reports. For example, couriers can use digital billing to reduce paperwork and focus on the job at hand rather than mundane admin.

GPS tracking eliminates the need for logbooks. Accurate records are automatically kept of the locations, break times, distance travelled and time spent on the road. For Fringe Benefits Tax logbooks, personal vs business use is easily reported.

Legal Considerations

Before using GPS trackers in your business, provide the relevant information to employees about privacy and monitoring. GPS tracking is not prohibited in Australia. Although, it can be illegal to install such a device to determine someone’s location without their consent. Always check the Privacy Act, Fair Work Regulations and the Surveillance Devices Act in your state or region. The general rule is that the employee’s right to privacy must be balanced against the employer’s right to protect the business, streamline operations and measure performance.

For more security tips and news follow The Spy Store blog.