From dots to big data
From dots to big data
Fleet management has changed from a dot on a map, providing simple tracking data, to a full suite of services that plays a vital role in supply chains and businesses. JACO DE KLERK chats to two leaders in the fleet management sphere for more insight into this essential service.
Fleet management is paramount in this day and age. “On-demand software services enhance vehicle performance and improve driver safety, fleet security, efficiency, sustainability, and compliance,” explains Gregory Naicker, divisional director of business development at MiX Telematics Africa.
He adds that the company’s commercial fleet solutions are built around a web-based software platform and mobile applications, supported by in-vehicle hardware and peripheral accessories: “MiX solutions embrace an integrated approach to telematics, delivering actionable intelligence to solve complex vehicle- and driver-related problems.”
Great leaps forward
Worldwide, MiX Telematics has offices in the UK, the US, Uganda, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as 130 fleet partners worldwide, while the company opened its doors in South Africa 26 years ago.
During this time the industry has seen a strong upward trend in the adoption of fleet management technology that assists with all processes from administration to route planning and vehicle tracking. In many cases, this technology has shown just how innovative and solutions-driven the fleet industry can be.
“Providers like us have evolved from being dot on the map tracking businesses to telematics and technology partners. We now form an important part of our customer’s supply chains and businesses, offering bespoke solutions that are fit for purpose to each customer’s unique set of requirements,” Naicker points out. “Customers can tailor their product bouquet according to their specific needs, ensuring all bases are covered. This is an indicator of the influence fleet customers have on swaying industry trends.”
He adds that customised vehicle telematics software is also evolving at lightning pace. There is a focus on real-time data, the economic realities that drive behaviour, the more effective utilisation of business intelligence reporting tools (to review historical trends and make management decisions to change the future picture for businesses and their fleets), and the increased need for artificial intelligence (AI) technology in line with the rise of the fourth industrial revolution.
While talking about new trends that excite him, Naicker highlights that newer technological developments and the evolution of the 5G network will serve as a catalyst for greater innovation. “In comparison to 4G, 5G offers faster network speeds, increased capacity, and extremely low latency. These features will translate into smoother vehicle-to-everything communication, improved predictive analytics, and more innovative vehicle tracking and data collection on a fleet management level,” he expands.
“In addition to solutions like MiX Vision AI (real-time notification about different activities, especially driving events that affect fleet safety), this will help fleet managers to receive real-time updates, enabling them to respond quickly to emergencies. With insightful reports and dashboards, fleet managers can identify safety inefficiencies in their operations and rectify them almost immediately.”
Cliff de Wit, chief technology officer for Netstar, a subsidiary of Altron, agrees: “AI can be used in many ways to gain insights and predictions on data. For example, it allows fleet managers to proactively monitor fleet and driver performance, using AI-powered onboard cameras.”
The company also offers technology such as the Netstar AI Camera Solution, which uses road-facing cameras to provide real-time output on safe following distances and forward collision risks, while in-cab cameras monitor driver fatigue and distractions. “In-vehicle voice notifications are able to coach drivers in real time to rectify any risky driving behaviour while they are behind the wheel,” notes De Wit.
So, AI is a key technology helping to gain understanding from the telematics-Big Data revolution, tracking vehicle parameters, identifying maintenance issues, and shaping driver behaviours.
How much data is really gathered?
“As technology has advanced, sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become able to obtain ever larger amounts of data. Today, the IoT generates most of the data on earth. Some estimate that the volume of data in the world should reach 163 Zettabytes by the year 2025,” De Wit points out.
“Telematics is very much a data game today, and it is tightly interwoven with the evolution of Big Data – the processing of large, complex data sets made possible by modern digital information-storage capacity, modern analytics tools and cloud computing,” he continues.
“Big Data enables thorough behavioural and predictive analytics value to be extracted from telematics. Today, many telematics organisations have entered the Big Data field, purely because of the sheer amount of data their devices generate, and the need to acquire storage and processing capacity to deal with it.
“This melding of disciplines has brought significant benefits for individuals and organisations, and is helping to make mobility massively safer and more efficient. These are critical considerations in a time of growing environmental awareness, safety consciousness, and intense business competition.”
Reducing carbon impact through telematics
De Wit emphasises that as catastrophic climate events become more common and businesses around the world scramble to reduce their environmental impact, it’s important to remember that carbon emissions are not just about the source of the energy we use – but also how efficiently we use that energy.
“In this context, telematics and the IoT have a vital role to play. This is especially true for the transport sector, which accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon emissions,” he says. “Telematics offers businesses a chance to play their part in fighting climate change, while also improving the efficiency of their enterprises.”
De Wit adds that because telematics uses a combination of technologies to measure vehicle and fleet performance – GPS communications, sensors, and data analysis – it can be used to make safety and efficiency recommendations. “Drivers can be incentivised to make telematics-driven performance adjustments, such as reducing speed, minimising hard acceleration and cornering, braking carefully, and following optimal routes and travel schedules. These kinds of interventions can have a massive effect on fuel consumption, as well as carbon emissions,” he notes.
A Frost and Sullivan study, Connected Trucks: Impact on Maintenance, indicates that installed telematics can reduce vehicle CO2 emissions by lowering total mileage by up to 10% and decreasing idling by up to 30%, as well as reducing fuel expenses by up to 25%.
“Cutting CO2 emissions is a commitment most countries have made as part of the Paris Climate Accords, which aim to combat climate change by limiting global warming to substantially below 2°C – and ideally 1.5°C – by 2050,” says De Wit. “Part of our commitment and responsibility to ensure a liveable planet for our children is that we deploy all of the technological resources at our disposal to meet these commitments – our survival depends on it.”
De Wit says the government is likely to soon start making policy changes to encourage the move towards fleets with lower carbon emissions, asserting: “Telematics can help us achieve these emission goals through the power of data: measuring driver performance, scheduling preventative maintenance, mapping effective routes, and encouraging efficient driver behaviour.”
Gathering this data are vast numbers of connected precision-measurement devices: part of the IoT. These include digital thermometers, tyre-pressure monitoring systems, vibration sensors, and weight sensors. CO2 sensors are also now available that can measure engine carbon dioxide emissions in real time.
“The suite of sensors a fleet owner requires can be tailored to their business needs. Data is then gathered and applied to ensure loads are optimised, delivery trips are minimised, and vehicles are run as efficiently as possible,” says De Wit.
“As fleets begin the transition to electric vehicles, telematics will also be used to ensure that trucks are always adequately charged and that their charging schedules and locations are mapped for optimal efficiency,” he continues.
The efficiency advantages of telematics come in addition to the greatest priority of all – protecting human lives. “Businesses have a duty of care to their staff and contract workers,” De Wit emphasises. “In the event of an accident or a roadside breakdown, telematics allows enterprises to receive alerts, track the location, and ensure help arrives quickly.”
While the climate benefits of fleet telematics solutions are significant, they will have limited appeal unless there is a clear business case for using them. Fortunately, those business benefits are becoming increasingly evident, with De Wit stressing: “It’s a technology that all fleet managers should investigate as part of their business model.”
How much data is really gathered?
“As technology has advanced, sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become able to obtain ever larger amounts of data. Today, the IoT generates most of the data on earth. Some estimate that the volume of data in the world should reach 163 Zettabytes by the year 2025,” De Wit points out.
“Telematics is very much a data game today, and it is tightly interwoven with the evolution of Big Data – the processing of large, complex data sets made possible by modern digital information-storage capacity, modern analytics tools and cloud computing,” he continues.
“Big Data enables thorough behavioural and predictive analytics value to be extracted from telematics. Today, many telematics organisations have entered the Big Data field, purely because of the sheer amount of data their devices generate, and the need to acquire storage and processing capacity to deal with it.
“This melding of disciplines has brought significant benefits for individuals and organisations, and is helping to make mobility massively safer and more efficient. These are critical considerations in a time of growing environmental awareness, safety consciousness, and intense business competition.”
Reducing carbon impact through telematics
De Wit emphasises that as catastrophic climate events become more common and businesses around the world scramble to reduce their environmental impact, it’s important to remember that carbon emissions are not just about the source of the energy we use – but also how efficiently we use that energy.
“In this context, telematics and the IoT have a vital role to play. This is especially true for the transport sector, which accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon emissions,” he says. “Telematics offers businesses a chance to play their part in fighting climate change, while also improving the efficiency of their enterprises.”
De Wit adds that because telematics uses a combination of technologies to measure vehicle and fleet performance – GPS communications, sensors, and data analysis – it can be used to make safety and efficiency recommendations. “Drivers can be incentivised to make telematics-driven performance adjustments, such as reducing speed, minimising hard acceleration and cornering, braking carefully, and following optimal routes and travel schedules. These kinds of interventions can have a massive effect on fuel consumption, as well as carbon emissions,” he notes.
A Frost and Sullivan study, Connected Trucks: Impact on Maintenance, indicates that installed telematics can reduce vehicle CO2 emissions by lowering total milage by up to 10% and decreasing idling by up to 30%, as well as reducing fuel expenses by up to 25%.
“Cutting CO2 emissions is a commitment most countries have made as part of the Paris Climate Accords, which aim to combat climate change by limiting global warming to substantially below 2°C – and ideally 1.5°C – by 2050,” says De Wit. “Part of our commitment and responsibility to ensure a liveable planet for our children is that we deploy all of the technological resources at our disposal to meet these commitments – our survival depends on it.”
De Wit says the government is likely to soon start making policy changes to encourage the move towards fleets with fewer carbon emissions, asserting: “Telematics can help us achieve these emissions goals through the power of data: measuring driver performance, scheduling preventative maintenance, mapping effective routes, and encouraging efficient driver behaviour.”
Gathering this data are vast numbers of connected precision-measurement devices: part of the IoT. These include digital thermometers, tyre-pressure monitoring systems, vibration sensors, and weight sensors. CO2 sensors are also now available that can measure engine carbon dioxide emissions in real time.
“The suite of sensors a fleet owner requires can be tailored to their business needs. Data is then gathered and applied to ensure loads are optimised, delivery trips are minimised, and vehicles are run as efficiently as possible,” says De Wit.
“As fleets begin the transition to electric vehicles, telematics will also be used to ensure that trucks are always adequately charged and that their charging schedules and locations are mapped for optimal efficiency,” he continues.
The efficiency advantages of telematics come in addition to the greatest priority of all – protecting human lives. “Businesses have a duty of care to their staff and contract workers,” De Wit emphasises. “In the event of an accident or a roadside breakdown, telematics allows enterprises to receive alerts, track the location, and ensure help arrives quickly.”
While the climate benefits of fleet telematics solutions are significant, they will have limited appeal unless there is a clear business case for using them. Fortunately, those business benefits are becoming increasingly evident, with De Wit stressing: “It’s a technology that all fleet managers should investigate as part of their business model.”
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