From Data Overload to Driver Engagement: Making Telematics Actually Work

Phil Kozdemba is a seasoned business development leader with a proven track record in sales management, strategic partnerships, and technology-driven growth. At GO Analytics, he's driving global expansion by building high-impact relationships with customers, resellers, and industry partners, helping fleets transform overwhelming telematics data into clear, actionable insights. With experience spanning Microsoft and now GO Analytics—a company focused on enhancing the Geotab experience by creating workflows that make telematics data more actionable and usable—Phil brings a unique mix of innovation, scalability, and customer focus. His work is shaping the future of fleet safety and efficiency, ensuring technology serves the people who rely on it every day.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• [02:04] Phil's journey from Microsoft retail to fleet safety technology and why it feels like meaningful work
• [04:11] How GO Analytics bridges the gap between data overload and actionable fleet insights
• [06:27] Why giving drivers direct access to their own risk data changes everything
• [08:25] The power of treating drivers like adults and letting them make informed decisions
• [09:45] Building safety culture through leaderboards celebrating improvement, not just identifying problems
• [10:11] Meeting fleets where they are: from safety skeptics to fully adopted organizations
• [12:31] Why the most impactful safety direction comes from direct supervisors, not chatbots
• [14:59] Balancing biometric driver ID technology with privacy concerns and union considerations
• [17:04] The evolution of camera acceptance: from "no way" to industry standard
• [19:12] Taking a tactical approach: focusing on one safety issue at a time instead of overwhelming systems
• [21:25] How the Geotab Marketplace transformed GO Analytics from custom solution to scalable product

In this episode...

Fleets are drowning in telematics data. Terabytes of information flow in daily about vehicle performance, driver behavior, maintenance needs, and more. But having data doesn't equal having insight, and having insight doesn't automatically drive behavioral change. How do you transform overwhelming information into workflows that actually make drivers safer?

According to Phil Kozdemba, Business Development Leader at GO Analytics, the answer lies in making data accessible at every level of an organization—especially to the drivers themselves. By creating intuitive interfaces that give drivers direct visibility into their own performance, risk scores, and improvement trends, fleets can move from top-down enforcement to bottom-up engagement. Phil explains how combining AI-powered automation with human conversation creates the most effective path to behavioral change.

In this episode of RoadRageous, host Chad Lindholm sits down with Phil to explore how GO Analytics transforms Geotab's comprehensive telematics platform into actionable workflows. They discuss why driver engagement beats punishment, how to balance technology with privacy, and why successful safety programs focus on one challenge at a time rather than trying to solve everything at once.

Quotable Moments:

• "I really wanted to be part of something that I felt strongly about. I know that the work we are committed to doing is helping save lives and reduce accidents."
• "If the driver doesn't react to what's being presented to them, you're not going to inflict the change that you want."
• "Give them that information directly and let them make adult decisions with their driving behaviors. That is the core of how to make our roads safer."
• "Positive reinforcement is so important. Who's doing the best? Who's the most improved? Who do we want to celebrate?"
• "Automation is important, but it can't replace everything. There is an immediate distaste when you're being bombarded by technology versus someone you directly talk to every day."
• "What interests the boss fascinates the worker. If my boss talks to me about my actual driving, that's going to have a bigger impact than a chatbot."
• "Focus on the things that matter most. Take things one piece at a time. If you try to adapt all the functionality at once, you're going to get overwhelmed."
• "The marketplace has been an absolute godsend for us. It truly lifted our solution into a place where we couldn't have achieved it in that amount of time on our own."

Action Steps:

• Empower drivers with direct data access: Provide drivers visibility into their own risk scores, trends, and improvement progress
• Combine automation with human touch: Use AI tools to identify issues but rely on direct supervisors for meaningful coaching conversations
• Celebrate positive behaviors: Create leaderboards highlighting top performers and most improved drivers alongside risk concerns
• Focus on one challenge at a time: Start with a single high-priority safety issue (like cell phone use) before expanding to other areas
• Communicate technology changes clearly: Ensure drivers understand what's being recorded, why it matters, and how it protects them
• Build tactical implementation plans: Roll out safety technology in structured phases rather than all at once
• Leverage ecosystem partnerships: Utilize marketplace platforms to scale solutions faster and reach larger customer bases
• Prioritize driver engagement over punishment: Frame safety programs as tools for improvement, not surveillance mechanisms

Transforming Telematics Data Into Driver Engagement

In a recent episode of RoadRageous, host Chad Lindholm welcomed Phil Kozdemba, Business Development Leader at GO Analytics, to discuss how fleets can move beyond data collection to meaningful behavioral change. The conversation centered on making complex telematics systems accessible, balancing technology with human connection, and implementing safety programs that drivers actually embrace.

From Microsoft to Fleet Safety Technology

Phil shared his journey from running business-focused pilot programs at Microsoft to joining the fleet safety space. His background in integrating software with hardware to help businesses save time and money translated naturally to fleet operations, but what drew him to GO Analytics was the opportunity to do work that genuinely saves lives—a mission that makes the role personally meaningful.

Key Discussion Points:

• Making Geotab Data Actionable: GO Analytics builds intuitive interfaces on top of Geotab's comprehensive telematics platform, creating dedicated workflows for every organizational level from drivers to CEOs.
• Driver-Facing Transparency: Unlike many risk management systems that focus only on management reporting, GO Analytics provides drivers direct access to their own performance data, enabling self-coaching and adult decision-making.
• The Human Element in Safety Technology: Phil emphasized that while AI automation helps identify issues and streamline processes, actual behavioral change happens through face-to-face conversations with trusted supervisors.
• Positive Reinforcement Culture: The platform includes leaderboards celebrating top performers and most improved drivers, not just highlighting risk concerns—building safety culture through recognition.
• Privacy and Biometric Technology: The discussion addressed the complex balance between streamlining driver identification through biometric systems and respecting privacy concerns, especially in unionized and public sector environments.
• Camera Technology Evolution: Phil noted how driver-facing cameras have evolved from controversial "no way" technology to increasingly accepted industry standard as privacy concerns adapt to our connected world.
• Tactical Implementation Strategy: Rather than overwhelming fleets with comprehensive functionality all at once, Phil recommends focusing intensely on one high-priority safety issue before expanding to additional concerns.

The Geotab Marketplace Advantage

A significant portion of the conversation focused on how the Geotab Marketplace transformed GO Analytics from a custom solution for a single customer into a scalable product reaching major fleets worldwide. The "Order Now" patent status opened doors to enterprise customers that would have taken years to reach independently.

Conclusion:

Phil's insights demonstrate that effective fleet safety technology isn't about collecting more data—it's about making existing data accessible, understandable, and actionable at every organizational level. By combining automated intelligence with human connection and focusing on driver empowerment over enforcement, fleets can create sustainable safety improvements that protect both people and business operations.

PROFILE DESCRIPTION:

Phil Kozdemba Business Development Leader at GO Analytics with proven expertise in sales management, strategic partnerships, and technology-driven growth. With experience from Microsoft's business solutions division, Phil now drives global expansion by helping fleets transform overwhelming telematics data into clear, actionable insights through the Geotab ecosystem. He specializes in building high-impact relationships that scale innovative safety solutions while ensuring technology serves the people who depend on it daily.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Phil Kozdemba on LinkedIn
• GO Analytics
• Geotab
• Geotab Marketplace
• Chad Lindholm on LinkedIn
• IMPROVLearning
• Previous episode with Emily Garza on fleet complexity and continuous learning

Sponsor for this episode:

This episode is brought to you by IMPROVLearning.

At IMPROVLearning, we're dedicated to transforming driver education through innovative, research-backed training methods.

Our SPIDER™ Driver Training platform combines humor with proven brain-training techniques to help drivers anticipate and avoid potential dangers on the road.

With over four million students trained, we know that learning sticks best when it's engaging, short, and actively tested — resulting in fewer crashes, violations, and safer drivers overall.

To learn more about how IMPROVLearning makes roads safer one driver at a time, visit improvlearning.com.