FORD has updated its connected services with a complimentary new fleet management tool that could reduce downtime by as much as 60% for fleet customers.
It has expanded its FORDLiive connected uptime system with Telematics Essentials –
Delivered by Ford Pro – the manufacturer’s new global vehicle services and distribution business for commercial and government customers.
FORDLiive is a key pillar of the company’s always-on relationship with customers to help enhance their fleet operations. Ford Telematics Essentials delivers maintenance alerts based on real-time vehicle health data. The alerts help businesses to maximise uptime by reducing the number of breakdowns and achieving quicker servicing and repair times.
Harnessing connected vehicle data from the fleet, FORDLiive also links businesses to the
support available from the Transit Centre network through Smart Diagnostics so that the
productivity of each individual vehicle can be optimised.
Ford Telematics Essentials supports higher productivity via an easy-to-use web-based interface 1 that displays key details and maintenance alerts as well as each vehicle’s current health status to help managers plan more effectively and maximise vehicle utilisation.
Owen Gregory, director, Commercial Vehicle Aftersales, Ford of Europe, said: “Having instant visibility of the health of every connected vehicle is a real game-changer, and promises to transform how businesses run and maintain their fleets.”
FordPass Connect modem has been standard on Ford’s core commercial vehicle range including Transit, Transit Custom and Ranger since mid-2019. Fleet managers can view a summary of their entire fleet and receive key information for each individual vehicle.
An overview shows how many of each model customers currently are operating in their fleet and the current connectivity status of every vehicle. Other displays show individual vehicles’ mileage, oil life and engine hours, helping fleet operators to proactively schedule preventative maintenance and eliminate the costs and unplanned downtime of avoidable breakdowns and repairs.
Smart Maintenance alerts clearly display any required actions for fleet managers, who can
immediately click through to service scheduling at a convenient time for their business. The
Ford Telematics Essentials display divides fleets by statuses including “Up to Date”, “Action
Soon”, “Action Now”, “Overdue” and “Off the Road” for maximum clarity on current vehicle
availability.
The software can recognise and securely share more than 4,000 Vehicle Health Alerts and descriptions to help fleet managers and Ford dealers deliver the fastest, most effective corrective action.
When permissions have been provided by the fleet customer, Transit Service dealers will be
able to see connected vehicles’ health information from the past 60 days, helping them
diagnose issues before the vehicle arrives in the workshop and to prepare the correct technical
and parts support for optimum turnaround times.
In more complex cases, dedicated uptime experts in FORDLiive Centres with access to real-time data will fast-track the required support to get customers’ vehicles back on the road as soon as possible.
