A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
The Internet of Things (IoT), or embedding objects with software, sensors and Internet connectivity to allow them to send and receive data, has become much more pervasive. Fleets are more connected than ever by sensors and GPS tracking systems and, whether you’ve already adopted telematics or have yet to, analytics and insights enabled by IoT are going to become more sophisticated. Data is going to become more accessible and a much bigger factor in how companies manage their fleets and assets.
We spoke with three fleet management and telematics experts to get their take on where the industry is headed in 2018 onward, and data was the common thread tying them all together:
Daren Lauda, vice president & general manager, North America, says data from across different types of equipment and software applications will be united:
“A massive amount of data is available to be captured from on and off-road assets. When this data is aggregated it can deliver great value and insight to fleet owners. However, it is hard to realize this value when data is managed and stored within multiple disparate systems. For example, data may reside in systems from multiple telematics vendors, on mobile devices owned by drivers, and/or other systems deployed by OEMs. Assembling this data into useful and actionable information is incredibly difficult for fleet owners. In the future, fleet owners will increasingly demand that fleet-wide data be managed in a single location. Driven by this need, we will see telematics providers and OEMs work to open up that stream of data. It’ll take time, but the future of the industry is all about data connectivity, bringing together everything a fleet owner would want to know.”
Rachel Trindade, global vice president of marketing, says the focus will shift from hardware to software solutions and innovation:
"Data is going to be a huge influencer in this space next year.”
“In the next five years most vehicles will be installed with some kind of modem and telematics solution. The analytics applications built on top of the data being collected is where companies will get the leverage to run their businesses better and solve for key industry problems like the workforce shortage. Ultimately, companies will have to change to drive more productivity per individual. They just won’t be able to replace many of those workers. Data will be the great enabler of that and more. It’ll become far more accessible for fleets of all sizes and give them the insights needed to remove bottlenecks in operations and find efficiency. Data is going to be a huge influencer in this space next year.”
Mika Majapuro, who leads Teletrac Navman’s construction vertical, says technology adoption will continue in the construction space:
“Multiple forces – labor shortages, low labor productivity, more demanding owners, new software solutions becoming available at lower prices – are coming together to drive technology adoption in the construction vertical. I expect telematics and IoT to play an increasingly important role in how construction companies manage assets. In the future, predictive analytics powered by machine learning, will become crucial and, for example, help reduce and eventually eliminate unplanned downtime. Algorithms that track data over time will be able to accurately predict breakdowns, which will let companies do preventative maintenance and inspections at opportune times rather than having to service broken equipment when they’re in the middle of an important task. Data is all about planning and visibility, and analytics will be used to optimize and streamline various operations from maintenance, to job costing, to safety.”
To learn about the insights being delivered by GPS fleet tracking today, visit: Vehicle Tracking Systems