Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/549063
I DA U N I V E R S A L J u l y -Au g u s t 2 0 1 5 47 recent blog from WIRED criticizing the impenetrable so ware programs that run John Deere's ag tractors has created quite a stir in the equipment community. In a nutshell, the author Kyle Wiens reports farmers are hopping mad that there are so many sensors and computers running these machines that you need the dealer to diagnose problems and maintain the equipment. You may own the tractor, but according to the article, the OEM owns the so ware that makes it run and you can't hack it, tweak it or change one line of code. Farmers, who like to hack, fi x, tweak and repair stuff , hate this – or at least the two Wiens talked with hate it. Wiens is the co-founder and CEO of iFixit, an online repair community and parts retailer known for their open source repair manuals and product teardowns. So he has a vested interest in open source so ware. Wiens thinks you should be able to tinker with the so ware that controls your phone, as well as any other device or machine, no matter if it's a household appliance, an ag tractor or a $400,000 bulldozer. At the heart of the problem is Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Section 1201, which claims the so ware codes that run all these sophis- ticated machine operations are protected by copyright laws. Without an exemption to the Act, many fear the automo- tive and equipment OEMs will have a monopoly on parts, maintenance and repairs. "We want big brother watching out for us." A lot of similarity exists between diesel-driven ag equipment and construction machines. But when you talk to heavy equipment contrac- tors and fl eet managers – and I've talked to dozens about this over the last decade – you get a diff erent opinion, o en 180 degrees opposite of what the farmers Wiens cited and automotive enthusiasts are complaining about. Business decisions, not emotional ones For most contractors, pride of ownership takes a backseat to performance and productivity. Most of the so ware programs running these machines do exactly that – maximize productivity, eliminate downtime and minimize fuel consumption. Additionally, this so ware controls the complex exhaust emissions systems in this equipment which has cut pollution going out the exhaust stack by more than 95 percent in a decade. Tinkering with the emissions parameters on any modern diesel powered machine today is a serious violation of Environmental Protection Agency laws. It's akin to dumping your used motor oil in the creek out back and will get you in just as much trouble if you're caught. A decade ago, I would occasionally hear grumbling from some contractors about having to buy or lease so ware to perform diagnostic tests on machines. But with the rapid emergence of telematics data, that argument seems to have vanished. Integrated into the so ware that controls the machines, the telematics systems today will o en give you early warning of potential problems and thus prevent catastrophic and expensive failures. Caterpillar's predictive diagnostics will enable more "repairs before failure" in future telematics updates And depending on the vendor and how you set it up, today's telematics systems will let you check the health and operating parameters of any machine anywhere in the world from a web-enabled computer, tablet or smart- phone. Telematics enabled machines will even call your phone if the sensors and so ware think something needs immediate attention. Additionally, OEMs are using telematics to harvest the data coming off the sensors to improve the design and shorten the new product intro- duction cycle. Today, most major OEMs are collecting that information in real time resulting in an almost contin- uous round of improvements. And when there is a constant stream of telematics informa- tion coming off a machine, warranty claims get a lot more honest – on both sides. Last but not least, the safety risks of tinkering with the so ware on a 40-ton dozer that can literally push a building off its foundation are so great that no contractor in his right mind is going to try it. If there is any complaint about the telematics revolu- tion, it's that today's systems give contractors and equip- ment managers too much information. One group that has more skin in this game than anybody is the Association of Equipment Management Professionals, a group of heavy equipment technicians and managers. e average AEMP end-user member manages a heavy equipment fl eet worth $157 million and wields an annual equipment acquisition budget of $16.5 million. In an email dialogue with fellow AEMP members, Larry LeClair, a certifi ed equipment manager and fl eet manager for AJ Johns in Jackson- ville, Florida, wrote that the resistance to OEM so ware A Continued on page 49 Software on John Deere, All Other Heavy Equipment only "Destroys" an Antiquated Idea of Ownership