TomTom WORK wins npower contract for connected navigation
TomTom WORK has been chosen by fast-growing energy generation and supply company npower to provide a connected navigation solution covering two large elements of its mobile workforce.
The system being provided is based on the TomTom WORK WEBFLEET fleet management software and includes the TomTom LINK 300 tracking device and TomTom GO satellite navigation and communication unit. Delivery of over 500 units has begun under the first phase of a contact that could see around 1700 installed over time.
Sarah Dooley, who managed the vehicle tracking project at npower, said that the contract was awarded following submissions from eight suppliers. “Each was evaluated against a set of business requirements in which TomTom WORK scored very highly,” she said. “But it was the significant additional functionality and inbuilt flexibility for further development of their system that were the deciding factors in our decision to award the business to them and appoint them as our preferred supplier.
“We felt that TomTom were at the cutting edge of innovation in the telematics field,” she added. “And we were keen to partner with a company whose products are developing at a pace that will support any future expansion of our own business and help us to maintain a strong competitive edge.”
Graham Jefferies, head of MeterPlus at npower, added that the project, which got underway in August last year, had three key targets as its basis. “We wanted to ensure the safety of our field-based employees; to improve efficiency and productivity in what is a highly competitive business environment; and to obtain environmental benefits in support of our corporate strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations,” he said.
“The people management and health and safety issues, in particular our obligations under legislation protecting lone workers and also the Working Time Directive, were of particular importance. The ability of users to log-in using a unique pin number was a significant benefit of the TomTom WORK system and one that gives us some additional flexibility, for example in making it easier for drivers to move from one vehicle to another and still be identifiable.”
Initially the units will cover two areas of npower’s operations: meter installations and revenue recovery. The first stage of the roll out covers 500 vehicles. The ability for instant two-way communication using safe touch-screen technology was considered by npower to be a major gain from the TomTom WORK system, enabling customers to be given more accurate arrival times for the engineer.
For the drivers, satellite navigation will assist them in finding their way between jobs by the most direct and quickest routes. This will bring the potential to both reduce fuel usage and to increase the number of installations that can be carried out in a day. “Knowing where each engineer is, and ultimately being able to identify their skill level on the system, also means that we can more effectively deploy them in emergency situations,” adds Mr Jefferies.
Speaking of the contract win, Jeremy Gould, UK sales manager at TomTom WORK, said: “The npower decision to implement TomTom WORK into their fleet is a tremendous accolade. It demonstrates that the system can clearly meet their primary objectives of cutting cost and improving efficiencies within their extensive fleet. We’re delighted to be working with npower and look forward to delivering the benefits that this system will bring to their business.
“The contract submission process was very rigorous, where we demonstrated the superior features of the TomTom WORK WEBFLEET based software and how this integrates with the hardware within the vehicles, and ultimately the positive affect this has on the management of the fleet. I’m very pleased that npower judged our products and our flexible approach to be right for their needs both now and as they continue to grow their business in the future”
