President of IntelliShift, Doug Eden, discusses why a tailored solution is a better fit for larger, more complex companies that the traditional off-the-shelf telematics solutions available today.
Changing vendors in our industry is very disruptive to business operations. So why are we seeing so many large organizations with extensive asset and vehicle holdings looking to move from their current provider?
Constantly evolving business requirements, SaaS tools, and competitive threats require maximum business agility. To effectively manage a multi-purpose connected asset and vehicle fleet, a company needs to be able to adjust operational processes to match its unique and evolving business needs, and not be hamstrung by limitations from a packaged solution. A configurable solution designed for connected operations will return easy-to-understand insights from the volumes of data it captures and address a business’s changing needs.
Off-the-shelf or “as-is” products aren’t meant to be highly configurable. While resellers may be able to customize a product, this leads to other issues. Below are three reasons providers with tailored solutions better meet their customers’ needs.
Aligning the Software Development Process with Customer Needs
Customers are beginning to require more from their technology partners and are willing to abandon a solution that won’t meet their long-term needs. Control over the product roadmap and continuous product improvement is critical for a long-term relationship between a provider and customer. Distinct from a reseller, a solution provider has full control over feature requests, integration projects, and configurations that align with the customer’s roadmap. This interests larger organizations who need platform and business process flexibility. Additionally, providers that adapt agile product development processes can ensure faster and more regular product improvements.
Owning the Solution Implementation
The company that engineers the software and supports the targeted market segment is best suited to ensure a successful implementation. A well-planned implementation not only aligns with the client’s business processes but also to its strategic roadmap, ensuring the customer won’t need to make significant changes as the company evolves.
In my experience, I have found that anything less than full control of the onboarding experience by the provider results in more problems, translating to time and money wasted. A weak implementation process can lead to problems in the future.
Focusing on Customer Experience
The customer experience spans the entire relationship lifecycle, from the product roadmap to client support and beyond. Working with a solutions provider that does not control the roadmap or that intentionally designed a one-size-fits-all model rarely results in a stellar, scalable experience for the customer.
Fundamentally, larger organizations with diverse business units and processes won’t receive the guidance needed from a provider with a one-size-fits-all model. Traditional telematics platforms are rigid and not designed to be configured and optimized for complex, mission-critical processes that span different roles and teams. To make these solutions “fit” requires customization of the product or adaptation of the processes – both of which negatively impact the customer’s experience, outcomes, and ROI.
IntelliShift’s operational intelligence platform is exactly what’s needed for companies to fully monetize connected assets, equipment, and vehicles. IntelliShift’s modular approach enables our specialized onboarding team to configure the platform to achieve the client’s short and long-term goals and evolve along the way with new real-time requirements. And, by connecting the platform with back-office applications (Finance, HR, etc.) and visually presenting data to business process owners (Fleet, Safety, Compliance, Maintenance, Finance, etc.) in ways that are applicable to their roles and personal KPIs, our customer success team ensures that IntelliShift is the smart, strategic choice for and large business.