Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/634023
EquipmentWorld.com | February 2016 41 C ontractors sometimes complain that reading telematics data is like trying to take a drink from a fi re hose – too much information, too fast. True, OEM and third party telematics offerings can give you a ton of data to look at. Then, there's the Association of Equipment Management Profes- sionals/Association of Equip- ment Manufacturers (AEMP/AEM) Telematics Standard Version 1.0 (which gives you four key data points), and the upcoming version 2.0, which yields 19 data points and dozens of fault codes. So there's your fi re hose. To help you start making sense of it, let's look at three of the most common and most useful data points: asset location, run time and fuel burn. These are available on most manufacturer telematics portals and through the AEMP/ AEM Telematics Standard Version 1.0. In future Telematics 101 ar- ticles, we will continue to explore the different ways contractors are using the data to improve safety, drive costs down and increase productivity. Keep in mind that reaping the benefi ts of a telematics system is an exercise in creative business analytics. Some users only want to keep track of their assets, but many fl eet managers and con- struction companies are compiling and analyzing the data in ways that help them fundamentally transform their business. The key to fi nding value in this data deluge is to fi gure out your goals fi rst. Then, build a data collection plan that will support those goals. Then, act on the information. Location Knowing where your equipment is at any time brings a host of ben- efi ts. If you want to keep track of when equipment enters or leaves a particular area, you can set up a "geofence" using GPS coordinates. Anytime that asset moves into or outside its fence, you can have an alert emailed or sent to your phone. This can prevent unauthor- ized use, and alert you to potential equipment theft as well. Geofences used to be circular, but they've evolved to include square shapes and polygons, and now you can even set up a geo- fence to follow a river, a railroad track, or an interstate. This latter development is particularly useful for asphalt pavers. For example, it enables you to gauge exactly where the dump trucks are in rela- tion to the paving machine that's telematics by Tom Jackson and Dan Samford TELEMATICS 101 HOW TO USE THE DATA Location, run time and fuel burn are the low-hanging fruit of telematics; but when you start to study the numbers and then act on the information, they deliver tremendous savings. ? ? ?