To better manage equipment fleets and cut costs, contractors are increasingly using telematics technology, which blends on-board instrumentation and Internet computing. The recession has forced firms to do more with less, fueling innovation to remain competitive. Telematics has become a digital-age toolbox for succeeding in today's tight economy.
Just ask Jeff Ciampa. As operations manager for Aggregate Industries' Northeast region, he processes 23,000 invoices annually from 120 vendors that transport building materials on the company's behalf. Ciampa has reduced paperwork by 70% by combining a global positioning system with payroll accounting software. Both are uniquely configured to reflect regional prevailing wage rates. The materials company first implemented a custom-tailored, hybrid system from software provider HCSS, Sugar Land, Texas, for its Saugus, Mass.-based Northeast region in 2011.