Business owners around the world have begun to use GPS tracking devices to monitor a variety of different metrics. These include the movements of business shipments, vehicles, and the most important resource: employees. In these unprecedented times, it can be more difficult to keep track of your workers. When you take into account the Novel Coronavirus (or COVID-19), it can be incredibly cumbersome to keep your employees safe. Let’s look at five benefits of using a GPS tracking device to keep them safe while monitoring your bottom line.
GPS Tracking Device Benefit #1: Managing Working Hours
When it comes to using GPS technology to monitor employees, the first benefit comes down to understanding their work patterns. Requiring that your employees use a device to clock in and out of the building is an efficient way to keep a handle on the payroll. This serves two functions. First, it can quickly reveal employees who adhere to time and attendance policies. This can allow for corrective actions to occur before it’s too late. Second, using a GPS device can be used to determine scheduling patterns. This can be particularly useful when anticipating holiday-related absences.
GPS Tracking Device Benefit #2: During COVID-19, It Still Works
While tracking an employee’s location with GPS may not seem effective during the current pandemic, it can be more useful than you think. With a large percentage of your workforce working from home, asking them to use a device to scan into their home office doesn’t have to be complicated. Install a timekeeping app that uses a geofence to track productive hours.
Consider how you can use the data you collect from these start and end times to better balance work and life commitments. As an added side note, elements of GPS tracking can also include health care tracking. During the current pandemic, having accurate records of employee health and wellness can prevent outbreaks. Health problems can be both costly to your business and deadly to your employees and their loved ones.
GPS Tracking Device Benefit #3: Managing Your Fleet Safely
If your business uses a fleet of vehicles, knowing who has the keys and where those vehicles are at any moment is essential. Much like the other benefits we’ve already looked at, using a GPS tracker to monitor the location of vehicles serves multiple functions. In addition to location services, these devices can be used to monitor how employees are functioning within said vehicles.
Whether that involves monitoring productivity levels, speeding, mileage, or fuel expenditures, GPS can provide some helpful metrics that allow you to manage human and inventory factors. Using GPS data to manage these metrics will also make tracking that much easier. While the old way of using paper logs to track expenses is still usable, electronic recordkeeping makes it even more accurate.
GPS Tracking Device Benefit #4: Communication Made Easy
When your workforce uses GPS technology to monitor employees and keep them safe, many companies will provide additional features in the monitors. One such feature is group texting. While the exact specifications and restrictions will vary, many devices allow employees to chat amongst themselves, thus making it easier to avoid missed shifts. It should be noted that issuing these devices adds a level of protection and anonymity amongst employees. While Employee X might know how to reach Employee Y about trading shifts, they won’t have access to personal information that could put one another at risk.
GPS Tracking Device Benefit #5: Workplace Improvements
While a lot of what we’ve discussed so far has dealt with managing costs or human resources issues, this benefit will be different. When using tracking systems, stakeholders can learn incredible anecdotal information that goes beyond policies and procedures. Managers and other leaders can understand how the structure of your building impacts employee choices.
For example: let’s say that your company has a cafeteria onsite. Less revenue is coming in and your leadership team wants to determine why. Using GPS data to monitor employee actions can show if there is a reason for this activity. If more employees are suddenly leaving the property, consider what changes have been made. It may also be good to look for ways to reverse this trend.
Another example: observing break times might seem like an HR-related attendance and time policy, but it can signal needed improvements. If there is excessive tardiness returning from breaks, observing how employees use these times can be helpful. It could be more than just losing track of time. Returning late from breaks can be caused by a lack of adequate facilities like bathrooms. It could also be caused by a lack of supplies like microwaves for heating lunches. It might even simply be a signal that the distance from work to the break areas is too far. Using GPS data can be beneficial without being punitive.
Tracking the World: Keeping the World Safe…One Employee at a Time
Now that you’ve seen a few benefits of using GPS tracking devices, it’s time to consider how Tracking the World can help your team. We design custom GPS technology for a variety of uses. Whether you are in the market for personal security, asset location, or vehicle accounting, we can meet your unique needs. You have choices in the features that you can make available to your employees. We’ll find the best plan to secure your people and your bottom line. When you’re ready to learn more about the devices we offer and how we can assist you. Contact us right away!
