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Whether you are a Geotab whiz or just starting to leverage data to help streamline your fleet management, tapping into the power of artificial intelligence (AI) can make it easier to access critical data and gain insight to improve your overall fleet management strategy.
AI empowers fleet managers to extract actionable insights from complex datasets swiftly and efficiently, but it is critical that you are asking the right questions, otherwise known as prompt engineering.
This guide focuses on the fundamentals of prompt engineering within Geotab Ace, offering fleet managers the knowledge to optimize operations through precise data queries.
Understanding Geotab Ace
Geotab Ace is a generative AI assistant designed to simplify fleet data management, but what does that mean for the end user? By processing vast amounts of data, it provides tailored responses based on the specific operational needs of your fleet. Whether you're monitoring driver behavior, managing assets, or aiming to reduce downtime, Geotab Ace delivers insights that drive informed decision-making.
Ace, like other large language models(LLMs), is based on a conversation with the AI assistant. In layman's terms, ask a question, and the tool retrieves the relevant information. To make this easy, Geotab has even included ready-built questions based on their pillars of innovation to help expedite the process.
Perhaps you have a safety-related question. As demonstrated in the example above, the prebuilt options allow users to click the safety icon and scroll through ready-to-use prompts to access trusted insights. But what if you have a question unique to your fleet needs? That is where prompt engineering is key.
What is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering involves crafting effective inputs (prompts) that guide AI models to produce desired outputs. In the context of Geotab Ace, it means formulating questions or commands that elicit accurate and relevant information about your fleet's performance. The quality of the prompt directly influences the usefulness of the AI's response.
Best Practices for Prompt Engineering
1. Be Specific and Clear
Example:
Ineffective Prompt: "Show me driver data."
Effective Prompt: "Provide a report of driver safety scores for the past month."
Specific prompts reduce ambiguity, enabling Geotab Ace to deliver precise insights. Keep in mind that your GO device(s) collect millions of points of data every day, so the more dialed in the question, the better the results.
2. Use Time Frames
Example:
Ineffective Prompt: "What are my fleet's fuel costs?"
Effective Prompt: "What were the total fuel costs for the fleet in January 2025?"
Incorporating time frames helps in analyzing trends and making timely decisions; the more specific you can be, the better. Avoid phrases like “this year” to get the best results.
3. Define Metrics and Parameters
Example:
Ineffective Prompt: "How are my vehicles performing?"
Effective Prompt: "Compare the average fuel efficiency of diesel and electric vehicles over the past 90 days."
Clearly defined metrics allow for more targeted analysis. This example provides clear direction in both the vehicles that should be included in the report as well as the time frame.
4. Leverage Comparative Language
Example:
Ineffective Prompt: "Show maintenance records."
Effective Prompt: "Compare maintenance costs between [Group A] and [Group B] in the last six months."
Comparisons can highlight areas needing attention or improvement. This can be a great way to compare different groups within your fleet.
5. Incorporate Conditional Statements
Example:
Ineffective Prompt: "Show active faults."
Effective Prompt: "Show all vehicles with active faults with details."
Conditional prompts help in identifying specific subsets of data within your fleet. Geotab generally categorizes in terms of drivers and vehicles, and including these terms in your prompts will help the AI companion produce more accurate results.
Tips for Effective Prompt Engineering
Start Simple: Begin with straightforward prompts and gradually incorporate complexity as you become more comfortable with the system.
Iterate and Refine: If the initial response isn't as expected, adjust your prompt for clarity and specificity.
Use Natural Language: Geotab Ace is designed to understand conversational language, so feel free to phrase prompts as you would naturally speak.
Seek Feedback: Utilize Geotab Ace's feedback mechanisms to report inaccuracies or suggest improvements, enhancing the AI's performance over time.
Streamline Your Fleet Management Strategy With Geotab
Mastering prompt engineering is pivotal for fleet managers aiming to leverage Geotab Ace's capabilities fully. By crafting precise, clear, and context-rich prompts, you can unlock deeper insights into your fleet's operations, leading to improved efficiency, safety, and cost savings. Embrace these practices to transform data into actionable strategies that drive your fleet's success.
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