What ridesharing companies should know about IoT
With the ridesharing industry having surged ahead so much in recent years as consumers enjoy the benefits of this service in increasing numbers, there has been a corresponding growth in the number of businesses catering to demand. If you work in this arena, you’ll know there are always new things to learn to keep ahead of the competition. One thing that you’ll want to wrap your head around is how the internet of things, or the IoT, is having an impact on the ridesharing sector.
Opportunities for Interesting Partnerships
To grow a business, it pays look for growth avenues, such as partnerships with relevant firms. This is happening in ridesharing as businesses use tech applications to team up with others to expand business, service customers more effectively, and reach new target audiences.
Uber and Lyft are both going down this path. Uber has previously partnered with Pandora and Spotify to give customers a more enjoyable and musical experience. The partnership allowed clients to create their own playlists using the Uber app. Lyft, on the other hand, has partnered with event organizers like the Sundance Film Festival by setting up special offers on rides to selected movie premieres during the festival.
Both ridesharing firms also utilize the internet of things to enter the healthcare sector. For instance, they’re making it simpler for healthcare providers, via connected apps, to schedule trips for their patients. This helps people make appointments on time and get home safely.
Real-time Driver Monitoring
IoT is used more and more as a way of monitoring drivers working in ridesharing businesses. If you’re operating in this space and have a fleet of vehicles, consider using connected devices to make sure your drivers are doing the right thing and exhibiting positive driver behavior.
As an example, take advantage of comprehensive GPS systems and other programs to work out if drivers are doing things such as canceling on passengers or speeding. This information can all be gleaned in real time.
The Ability for Customers to Tip Drivers
To grow your ridesharing business, you need to have a solid, steady stable of drivers upon whom you can rely. This won’t happen if your drivers aren’t happy, committed to your company, and treating clients well. One way to reduce driver turnover and increase satisfaction rates is to use IoT to enable customers to tip drivers. Via internet-connected devices, it’s easier than ever for those traveling in rideshare vehicles to tip on the spot, without any headaches.
Make sure you’re using dedicated rideshare software which has multiple features, including functionality related to tipping, and other new developments as they come about. This will certainly help you to keep “moving” your business forward month after month.
More Effective Vehicle Maintenance
Since one of the biggest expenses for any firm operating in the ridesharing space is the actual fleet of cars used, it’s always wise to be on the lookout for ways to decrease vehicle costs. IoT can help with this. Today there are many diagnostic ports installed in cars that have applications partnered with them, which make it easier for businesses to handle vehicle maintenance.
Via the accumulation of helpful data, you can avoid vehicles breaking down in the middle of transporting customers and ensure cars get serviced when problems are smaller and therefore less expensive. You also have the opportunity to optimize things like fuel consumption and idle time, which in turn will cut costs and reduce some of the time needed by drivers to complete manual reporting tasks.
Increased Efficiencies in Travel
Increasing efficiency in a business is a big part of success, no matter the industry. When it comes to ridesharing, firms in this sector should continually look for ways to make things quicker and easier for drivers — and better for customers in turn. One way this can be done is via electronic logging devices. These are beneficial because they remove the need for drivers to input their routes and hours driven.
Furthermore, thanks to IoT, GPS systems can talk to other applications and software programs about current traffic conditions and guide drivers to take more efficient routes in real time. This enables them to bypass things like accidents, roadwork, general congestion and other issues. In turn, fuel is saved, customers get to their destinations more quickly (or get picked up sooner), and drivers can fit in more rides per day, which equates to additional revenue.
Written by: Tiffani Wroe, BOSS Contributor
