Green fleet initiatives not only allow small to mid-sized businesses to operate in an environmentally responsible manner, but also make it possible to reap significant return on investment and increase productivity, says Intergis LLC, a provider of mobile resource management and logistics technologies.
“Despite the [weak] economy, going green is still very much a strategic imperative for Fortune 2000 companies, explains Jeffrey Cohen, CEO of Intergis. “But the initiatives are only as strong as their weakest link,” he adds.
Cohen offers American Signature Furniture (ASF) as an example. The company, which operates in 19 states manufacturing and delivering furniture, has slashed its vehicle mileage costs by 15% to 20% using scheduling and route optimization technologies to schedule fleet moves, monitor driver activity and cut fuel use.
“This has enabled American Signature Furniture to streamline operations to reduce unnecessary fuel and resources,” explains Sonny Rice, senior business analyst at ASF. “We now deliver more furniture each day while cutting costs. Although it wasn’t the initial reason we implemented the system, we have noticed significant environmental benefits from utilizing the technology.”
In another example, Denison Landscaping & Nursery Inc. is in the business of greening their customer’s properties, and they’re “saving green while being green” as well using mapping, tracking and reporting solutions, Vericom MRM. Denison has virtually eliminated speeding in company vehicles, excessive idling at worksites and excessive mileage from employees' after hours use of vehicles or driving to unauthorized locations with the mobile resource management system (MRM). Now, supervisors monitor drivers using real-time GPS tracking and reporting to correct those behaviors immediately.
According to Sabrina L. Kittrell, the logistical manager at Denison Landscaping, Inc., “The Vericom solution has allowed us to contribute to a healthier environment and reduce CO2 emissions. We have eliminated driving behaviors that were both dangerous for the environment and costly for our company. Intergis’ solution has enabled us to greatly improve our operations while preparing us for any future emissions standards and guidelines.”
“Our solutions help companies meet current and proposed standards, with optimized routing, scheduling and real time tracking that reduces unnecessary mileage, idle time and speeding while helping better maintain vehicle fleets. By automating manual processes like paperwork and reporting, we’re reducing paper consumption and enabling companies to operate more efficiently,” adds Intergis' Cohen.
