Sandeep Kar on the cost of safety
In the February 2019 edition of Autosphere’s Fleet Digest, Fleet Complete Chief Strategy Officer Sandeep Kar weighed in on the debate that higher repair costs could deter managers from making the switch to advanced sensor technology.
He argued that with the right planning, and the right tailoring of technology to your business, the long-term positive impact of advanced driver assistance schemes (ADAS) is far greater than the odd repair cost.
Of course it’s true that more advanced technology is going to be more expensive to fix, and to fix to an adequate standard. This revelation should come as no surprise; the most cutting edge product on the market is always going to demand the best quality care, and a price tag to match.
Until we see widespread adoption of advanced sensor technologies—which is happening as we speak—we will be faced with three key barriers that drive costs up:
- the technology is expensive in its own right,
- the parts are in short supply, and
- so too are the people appropriately trained to complete the job.
But while it may take more planning than simply driving to your local mechanic, forward-thinking fleet managers know that the support they need is available—it’s just about knowing where to turn.
“Service and maintenance will be dispensed at dealership locations,” said Kar, adding, “this is very delicate equipment that needs to be handled by technicians who are trained by the OEM”.
And finally, perhaps most obviously, is the simple fact that fleet management software and sensors definitively reduce costs across a whole range of factors, including by driving collision and crash rates down by at least 20% .
So while repairs may cost slightly more, they’ll be needed far less often. Plus, these fees will pale in comparison to organisation-wide savings.
And any fleet manager knows that there is more to good business than bringing down costs. When considering the dramatic safety, productivity, and customer service improvements made possible through fleet management technology, the opposing argument quickly dissolves.
Read the full article on The Cost Of Safety from Fleet Digest.
