to better utilisation rates and can often lead to lower SMR (service, maintenance and repair) costs.
Some systems will link to operator licence cards, providing evidence of who was at the controls if a collision occurs. This feature, along with smartphone digital key codes offered by companies like Trackunit, helps to prevent unauthorised use of your machines by a third party.
The supplier, BigChange, is looking at productivity from a different perspective, aiming to increase the efficiency of mobile workers rather than machinery. HSS’ Groundcare operation recently rolled out BigChange across its field engineer team and saw its productivity improve by 40%. The operation provides hire, servicing and maintenance of equipment such as lawnmowers, chippers and strimmers. BigChange connects the company’s back office software with mobile devices and vehicle trackers into one paperless, real-time system.
HSS field engineers are equipped with rugged tablets running JobWatch, an app that replaces all paperwork. As well as digital job cards, the tablets provide access to a library of useful documents such as operator and service manuals. When an engineer is on the move, the tablet sits in a dashboard cradle, acting as both a satnav and GPS tracker.
Trakm8 Insight integrates data from a wide range of sources.
to provide evidence of completed tasks - and the customer signs off the work via an on-screen signature.
Digesting Big Data
A challenge for most hire companies is that different equipment manufacturers use different telematics systems. For example, you could have Kubota excavators and Mecalac dumpers both fitted with Trakm8 Asset; but also have JCBs with LiveLink. This could make it virtually impossible to track all assets at once.
Hire software specialists spotted this potential problem and are now coming up with all-in-one solutions to integrate data from different sources. Officially launched at the Executive Hire Show 2019, Asset Tracker from inspHire amalgamates the locations of all your telematics-enabled equipment onto a single map view, using Google Maps. As part of the integration, CanTrack, JCB LiveLink, Teletrac Navman and Trackunit, can be opened directly from within the inspHire program, eradicating the need to have two systems open at once, whilst also making advanced telematics data easy to access. This is echoed in the capabilities of software from MCS, which has integrated with an impressive 15 telematics providers at the last count.
BigChange improved workforce productivity for HSS Groundcare.
Colin Newton, HSS Groundcare Director, said: “Utilisation is the key for us and since implementing the BigChange system this is where we have seen enormous benefits. We need to keep our engineers as busy as possible and with the system we have increased utilisation from around 50% to 90%.
“Not only can we keep customers informed - on, for example, the engineer’s ETA or when their equipment has been fixed, but we can also monitor the performance of our equipment. We can spot recurring faults, which might be caused by operators themselves.”
Engineers can record parts used or needed on their job cards and this automatically updates the central stock control system and actions parts requests. Engineers also capture photographs on site
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Similarly, Trakm8’s new telematics platform, Insight, is specifically designed to accept data from third parties, so it can all be displayed in one pane. Trakm8 and Teletrac Navman are also both able to combine data from cars, vans and trucks as well as plant, creating a one-stop-shop for tracking.
A PAYG hire future?
Many telematics providers can now help hirers to analyse a customer’s machine usage, providing insight into utilisation rates on site. Working so closely with major clients to identify where they have over-ordered equipment might not initially sound like a way to boost earnings, but it does build customer loyalty.
Telematics can also allow the hire of a machine to multiple contractors or sub-contractors working on the same site at the same time - and, even, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) hire, whereby you charge clients by the hour. And in a competitive market, the ability to increase utilisation rates while lowering charges to the end user could help one hirer to stand out from the others.
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