For property maintenance companies, winter is typically the busiest season, where industry players have to demonstrate their service quality and reliability. When "the situation is on", it is crucial that work can be managed based on reliable and accurate information, and done timely. To enhance daily operations and work supervision, RTH Oy relies on the Mapon fleet management system.

Our client, RTH Oy, specializes not only in traditional maintenance and repair services for properties and outdoor areas but also in track work. During the busy winter season, RTH Oy experiences an increase in the need for both manpower and machinery. The total number of vehicles and machinery equipped with Mapon tracking devices is approximately 80, and there are over a hundred Bluetooth tags in use for locating the company's various accessories, such as plows, sand spreaders, lawnmowers, and others. Machines rented for the seasonal period are also equipped with portable trackers, which are easy to use for temporary needs and can be transferred from one vehicle to another.

A common reason for property maintenance companies to use fleet management system is the industry's prevailing verification requirement. Companies must be able to accurately verify to the customer or to an insurance company in the event of an incident, where their maintenance work has been carried out and when. RTH Oy utilizes Mapon reports to verify the work done and, if necessary, the additional equipment used (for example sanding).

Another equally important reason for them to use the system is the company's own daily operations management.

“I don't know how daily work management would even be possible today without a GPS-tracking. It would indeed be very difficult,” says Juha Mokkila, Sales and Client Manager of RTH Oy.

Mapon is an important tool for RTH Oy's service managers, used alongside their own system daily. In winter, there are many sites to be plowed and sanded throughout the Helsinki metropolitan area, and consequently, RTH Oy's machines and additional equipment are in many different locations.

Mapon system displays the locations of all vehicles, machines, and additional equipment in a single view. Real-time vehicle tracking, Bluetooth tracking of additional equipment and tools, a clear map view, and the geofencing tool help in determining, verifying asset locations, and ensuring clear internal communication.

“In winter, I receive up to 80 calls daily. In addition to those, if I had to start calling through our employees to find out where they are at any given time, the situation would be quite chaotic,” describes Kim Niemiaho, Service Manager at RTH Oy.

Occasionally, unexpected situations arise that require quick reactions: if a machine breaks down or an additional tool is needed on site, you can immediately see on the map where the nearest equivalent is.

Representatives of RTH Oy recall an incident where, after heavy snowfall, the boundary between the ditch and the road became blurred, causing the machine to veer off the road into the ditch. In such unexpected situations, it is crucial to get help to the spot quickly and possibly replace the machine. Knowing the exact location of the machine is the first step. Representatives of RTH Oy emphasize the importance of asset tracking and efficient, real-time work management, especially in winter on peak season when something unexpected happens more often.

Kim Niemiaho states that in his role as a service manager, Mapon saves effort. Daily situational reactions and work supervision are more efficient and based on precise, reliable information. He can focus on the actual work, and time is no longer wasted on unnecessary things.

"Mapon has brought us indirect cost savings as unnecessary trips and time spent searching for assets have decreased, and various 'hassles' have ended,"

Juha joins the conversation and continues: "We no longer have to waste valuable work time and fuel, for example to searching for a specific tool that was left at the site, if another employee has already taken it with them to another site. It makes things much easier when we're not just relying on words, but we always have real-time data on equipment locations."

Mapon platform is part of RTH Oy's management system. It is used for workforce management and internal checks, such as verifying work hours, time spent at maintenance sites or tasks done. "If such tracking system was not available, it would often mean that work is late, unnecessary time is spent at sites, or some tasks are unintentionally done twice," Juha describes.

RTH Oy also utilizes equipment maintenance reminders. When a company ownes a lot of equipment, reminders help in planning maintenance times.

In summer and winter, you need seasonal tools. To make sure that equipment and tools are not in maintenance breaks and unavailable at critical times, it makes the most sense to plan the checks and repairs to the season when the tool is not needed as much.

Additionally, protecting expensive equipment from theft is also super important. Unfortunately, RTH Oy has had to realize this firsthand. Juha remembers how one Christmas Eve, they received a call to customer service that their tractor was randomly standing alone in the middle of a pedestrian path in an underpass without permission.

It turned out that someone had stolen the machine from a site. "We might never have even noticed this, if the machine hadn't broken due to electrical fault during that unauthorized use. With Mapon, we got clarity on the situation and the machine back," Juha recalls.

Mapon's sales manager also joins the conversation: "When we ask our clients how our system helps them, the most common answer is managing and streamlining everyday work, which ultimately translates to saved time and money. At Mapon, we strive to support and ease our customers' processes as much as possible, so they can focus on their core business instead of time-consuming admin work. Many industries, including property maintenance, benefit from having full control over their operations and fleet."

First RTH Oy began simply with traditional fleet GPS tracking. Afterwards they have implemented additional features like Bluetooth tracking, which has proven to be a very useful solution. "Our Mapon sales manager's proactivity has played a big role to make us realize how beneficial these additional solutions are for us. I would describe Mapon as an innovative and flexible operator," Juha explains.

"When we compared service providers, it was most important for us to get genuinely reliable and functional devices and service. Of course, a competitive price is also an important factor in such investments. We have been satisfied with the system – it is user-friendly and really easy for even a completely new person to learn. The implementation of new devices can also be conveniently done by ourselves. We can recommend Mapon to other companies as well. We haven't had to call about issues!" Juha and Kim summarize together.