GPS Can Benefit Your Mobile Business

GPS is quickly becoming an indispensable business tool, as ubiquitous and necessary as the rolodex was and the cell phone is. Despite the many benefits that GPS brings to traveling businesspeople it seems that while even grandma and grandpa have a unit of their own, businesses are slow to roll them out to their workforce.

With GPS units dropping in price and becoming easier for anyone to use small business should be looking to add them to their arsenal for anyone who travels, even if the travel is occasional.

While employees have their own reasons for wanting a GPS unit for business trips there are three compelling reasons for businesses to provide their employees with GPS Units. By equipping employees with GPS units for all of their travel businesses can expect to save gas, save money and improve their customer satisfaction, all from a tool that can be had for close to $100.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute recently concluded a study of male and female drivers from 18-50 years old which looked at how using a GPS unit for travel affected their driving habits. The study found a correlation between the use of a GPS unit and safer more efficient driving.

While observing the driving habits of these individuals the study found that those who used GPS drove less, requiring less fuel. By adding a GPS unit to all of their vehicles or keeping a few floating units in the office small business can begin to cut their fuel expenditures across the board. While the payoff from fuel savings on a GPS unit is admittedly not instantaneous the additional savings and benefits make GPS a worthwhile investment.

The study also found that drivers who were using GPS made better driving decisions and practiced safer driving with 53% of participants feeling that they were more alert when using a GPS unit. It's no surprise that these respondents felt this way when a driver is trying to juggle a Google maps printout, keep up with traffic and read street signs in a poorly lit area bad decisions come easy. With turn by turn GPS directions employees are better able to concentrate on the road avoiding costly incidents. When employees make better driving choices small businesses need to worry less about expenses from employee accidents including lost productivity and higher insurance premiums.

Possibly the most important reason to get a GPS unit during these times of fierce competition and increased customer choice is that employees will be more relaxed and less stressed, allowing them to provide better customer service. The study found that 72% of the drivers felt less stress while driving with GPS which doesn't just enable them to make better driving decisions but to make better business decisions when they get there.

The importance of an employee's composure when dealing with customers is extremely important and removing one of the most stressful pieces of a business trip, navigating an unknown city, from the equation is an excellent way to help them keep their cool. Reduced stress for frontline employees whether in sales or support can completely transform the customer experience. Employees are less likely to arrive late, or upset because they took a wrong turn on the way allowing them to focus on the customer instead of stewing about how hard it is to find the meeting place.

The Advancement department at Bluffton University began providing GPS units to employees who travel on a regular basis earlier this year. The employees have found the units to be easy to use and have greatly reduced their need to rely on a paper maps. The GPS units have also helped them find restaurants and meeting locations in other cities when donors changed their mind at the last minute. GPS has also proved valuable by routing them around traffic jams to keep appointments on time. The use of GPS has allowed these professionals to better serve Bluffton's donors as well as meet the needs of Bluffton University more efficiently.

Small businesses looking to empower their employees with GPS navigation have two main options; small portable units and in dash navigation systems. One of the keys to successful implementation is to provide all employees with the same model or brand of GPS especially if employees will be sharing them. Portable units are often cheaper than in dash units and offer the added benefit off easily being transferred from employee to employee based on needs. In dash units can be added to many leased vehicles and are typically coupled with services such as GM's OnStar for added functionality. These permanent units also offer a cleaner installation with less clutter which may be important if employees are regularly transporting clients and customers.

With all of the benefits that GPS brings for such a low price it's hard to imagine why any business with traveling employees wouldn’t empower them with GPS.