Category : Telematics

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Category Archives: Telematics

A complete dispatching system using Android phones and inViu routes messenger

We have yet another inViu routes update! The saga continues with a special new messenger feature that allows employers and dispatchers to communicate with mobile workers right in the app! If you’re an inViu pro user you already know the features of the messenger plugin: you can create messages with work orders, driving destinations, and addresses and send them right to the drivers’ navigation systems. Similarly, the inViu routes messenger does exactly this, but instead of sending messages to navigation systems they go directly to the employee’s Android smartphones. App inViu routes messenger You may be asking yourself: “how is this helpful? Couldn’t you just text message the employees?” Well, aside from the fact that you are saving tons of money by using smartphones for GPS tracking instead of a costly system that requires a tracking device and a navigation system, it also opens the possibility of applying GPS tracking to all types of mobile workers – not just vehicle drivers. Let’s not forget that it also serves as a complete task, logistics, and employee management system, with backlogs and audit trails that can be exported from inViu pro, ENAiKOON’s telematics web portal. If you weren’t convinced that this is the perfect business app before, you will be now with the integrated communication system made available with the messenger plugin. Here are some of the features and benefits: Dispatching with inViu routes messenger Easy communication and task management This is the most important feature for managers. Tracking the internal communication and task delegation is key to controlling the workflow and minimising errors within a company’s operations. With inViu routes messenger, all of your staff communication and tasks will be logged in inViu pro. Having an overview of all tasks and employee locations eases the dispatching process. Clear job acceptance and verification process Employees can easily accept tasks and respond quickly using predefined, editable status texts without leaving the app. This process is streamlined so that drivers can safely and easily communicate with the dispatcher. Dispatching with inViu routes messenger Convenient routing and navigation What makes the inViu routes messenger unique is that you can send messages with an embedded destination address for specific driving jobs or location-based tasks within the app. The address will open up in the inViu routes map and further in a navigation app installed on the phone. This app would be ideal for any transport or logistics company wanting to make the switch from navigation systems to GPS tracking with smartphones. This comprehensive dispatching system only requires the use of the online software, inViu pro, and Android phones. As mentioned above, the use of smartphones makes dispatching and task delegation possible for all employees, not just for drivers. For instance, sales reps on foot can receive client location info on the go or bicycle courier companies can send all of their work orders to their employees’ mobile phones. The messenger plugin can be activated with an additional monthly subscription along with inViu pro. With the subscription, all of your mobile workers will see the new “my messages” option in the main menu of inViu routes. Download the app in Google Play or contact ENAiKOON for additional information on the messenger plugin, inViu routes, or inViu pro.

Improved vehicle dispatching and coordination with fleet management systems

According to Berg Insight’s research, the commercial vehicle fleet industry plays an essential role in the European economy. “The 6.2 million medium and heavy trucks accounted for more than 75 percent of all inland transports, forming a 250 billion Euro industry.” The research also states that in Europe, the number of fleet management systems in active use is forecasted to increase from 2.5 million units at the end of 2011 to 5.7 million by 2016. This increase in the popularity of fleet management systems is attributed to its effectiveness in increasing both efficiency and productivity. legend No wonder more companies are using telematics to manage their fleet. Telematics solutions for fleet dispatching and coordination are reliable and affordable, making them a worthwhile investment with great ROI for businesses. Legend, for instance, is the biggest towing company in Dresden, Germany, and they use a system that has significantly improved their management and operations. ENAiKOON_fleet_telematic Legend has a large fleet of vehicles to “assist, salvage, and transport” their customers. The company has a diverse set of jobs that require meticulous coordination of their fleet. Vehicles are dispatched throughout the day to various locations. Emergency calls are a regular occurrence, and they must be able to react quickly to any situation. Knowing the location of a tow truck closest to the scene is essential. The towing company’s CEO, Karsten Hiehle, knew their solution for better dispatching and coordination was the telematics system from ENAiKOON. The GPS tracking device, locate-04, was installed on every service vehicle and the web portal, inViu pro, was used to analyse the collected data. “With ENAiKOON’s telematics solutions, we increased the performance of our vehicles by 40% and customer satisfaction with our improved efficiency,” says Mr. Hiehle. “The detailed reports on our staff’s driving behaviour allowed us to provide personalised training for them, resulting in a 30% decrease in fuel consumption. In addition, thanks to ENAiKOON’s GPS devices, we were able to avoid over 20 fines for alleged driving violations by proving that the vehicles were elsewhere during the alleged times of the violations.” As a result, the fleet management system did not only improve the dispatching of vehicles, but also decreased company expenses with fewer fines and better driving. “Our investment in telematics has more than paid for itself for Legend,” adds Mr. Hiehle. For more on this fleet management solution or to receive a free trial kit, contact ENAiKOON at sales@enaikoon.com.

Managing fleet maintenance schedules with telematics

How do you know your truck or construction machine is due for service? Scheduled maintenance of vehicles is important for any business that relies on the performance of its vehicles. Transport and logistics companies must meticulously plan their fleet’s maintenance schedule to avoid vehicle failures,delays extra costs and fines. In the past, this was done by manually tracking service dates, vehicle mileage, and vehicle conditions. Today, things are a little different. With the help of telematics, companies are now able to receive automated reminders with customised thresholds for a seamless maintenance program. ENAiKOON_transport_truck How this works is that the telematics device attached to each vehicle collects vehicle data, such as mileage and operating hours, and sends this information to the ENAiKOON servers. ENAiKOON limit-checker then receives this data and compares actual mileage and actual operating hours of each vehicle with predefined thresholds and sends out alerts in case of upcoming or overdue maintenance measures to the responsible persons. Box-Monitor inViu-pro_eng This way, scheduling upcoming maintenance for each vehicle and detecting overdue maintenance is automated, resulting in increased productivity and reliable vehicle performance. Tobias Strahl, the operations manager of KAMAG, shares his story on how telematics increased their business efficiency. Mr. Strahl is the operations manager for KAMAG Transporttechnik GmbH & Co. KG, a transport company in Ulm, Germany, that has been offering transport and logistics services for over 40 years. In addition to their logistics services, they also offer full-service solutions that include maintenance and repairs of their clients’ vehicles. For this reason, having an accurate and automated maintenance schedule is critical to KAMAG’s business. Known for their use of cutting-edge technology, it was a breeze for KAMAG to adopt a new telematics system. Once they learned of the ENAiKOON fleet management solution, they installed the locate-04 GPS tracking device on all of their vehicles. Access to the ENAiKOON web portal, inViu pro, allowed Mr. Strahl and his team to view the location data for their entire fleet. When the limit-checker plugin became available, KAMAG did not hesitate to add it to their system as it made it possible to set customised alerts for their service schedule. “Before we found out about ENAiKOON limit-checker, we had to manually calculate and check for upcoming general, safety, and individual vehicle inspections,” says Mr. Strahl, regarding the time-consuming work involved in ensuring the timely delivery of their full-service benefits. “Now we are equipped with an advanced, multi-level alert system. We can plan every upcoming inspection and routine maintenance included in our full-service plan, determined by the date, operating hours, or distance travelled.” Mr. Strahl is now able to promptly send out their maintenance crew, already informed of their task with an action plan. The ENAiKOON system and its software have helped the company increase the availability and quality of their fleet, gaining trust and loyalty from their customers. To learn more on how to improve your fleet’s vehicle maintenance, contact ENAiKOON at sales@enaikoon.com.

Never lose another container again! Efficient container management with telematics

Does your company deal with containers? If so, you’re probably familiar with lost containers and the hassle associated with locating them using tedious excel spreadsheets. Thanks to telematics, those days are now over. ENAiKOON container tracking ALBA R-plus, an international waste management and recycling company, had experienced these exact issues in the past. They have over 600 waste containers throughout Europe at various locations. Once the containers are full, they are picked up and sent for recycling. The problem is that they are all collected through a central collection system for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Other competing waste companies also have their containers collected there. It is possible to accidentally pick up another company’s container. Without a proper tracking system, a company can easily lose one of their containers to another, and this is exactly what happened at ALBA R-plus. Several containers went missing; no one knew where they were or which competing company had them. There was absolutely no way of telling their location, making it impossible to recover the missing containers. ENAiKOON_container_management That was, until they discovered telematics. They searched for a comprehensive tracking solution that would allow them to monitor every container’s location. ENAiKOON’s container management system includes robust yet discreet GPS tracking devices, affordable SIM cards, and a powerful, web-based software. ALBA R-plus equipped all of their containers with the ENAiKOON locate-15, a GPS tracking device with an internal battery that lasts for 10 years. The container’s location is sent to the ENAiKOON servers via an inexpensive SIM card, allowing real-time data transmission. This data is then viewed using the web portal, inViu web, which is accessible with any web browser. “With the stand-alone tracking device, ENAIKOON locate-15, we receive a current location update for all of our containers every day, which is perfect for our container management,” comments Jean Ziemann, manager of ALBA R-plus. “The use of excel lists for our container accounting is a thing of the past. All we have to do is look in inViu web for the container location so that we can retrieve it for use again.” The integrated map in inViu web displays the exact location of each container, making it easy to identify the trade flow of recycled goods when a competitor gets a contract to pick up the materials. Most importantly, their long search for missing containers is over. For more information on the container management system, visit our case study page or contact ENAiKOON at sales@enaikoon.com.

Fresh foods require fresh ideas: How Schroeder Transport uses telematics for cold chain management

Unique, practical, and effective! Our cold chain telematics system has been customised for Schroeder Transport of Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania, resulting in reliable refrigeration, optimal route navigation, and efficient driving behaviour. ENAiKOON cold chain management The tailored solution for the family-run transport company was created with not only our proprietary software and hardware devices, but with a customised formula of plugins and accessories that guarantees continuous refrigeration of perishable goods, precise routing of delivery vehicles, and decreased fuel consumption by monitoring driving behaviour. As consumers, we take for granted the availability of fresh produce on almost every street corner; moreover, it has become an expectation in our everyday lives. This standard’s existence and maintenance is solely dependent on today’s cold chain technology, a challenge for those organisations responsible for the delivery of such goods. Fresh produce, as an idea, is an amalgamation of various processes that can be brought together with telematics. To achieve this, we at ENAiKOON have created a three-fold telematics solution using messenger, temp-sensor, and can-66. This combination has allowed Schroeder Transport to optimise their navigation, refrigeration, and driving behaviour while creating new opportunities for expanding their business. The collected data from the system is used by management only for the reports and analysis related to cold chain, logistics, and fleet management. ENAiKOON cold chain monitoring Perfect Navigation: The ENAiKOON messenger Schroeder Transport from Teterow, Germany, has equipped over 50 trucks and 40 refrigeraeted trailers with the cost effective telematics device ENAiKOON locate-06. The high-performance locate-06 is responsible for GPS and GPRS. It locates the trucks, transmits and receives their data, and shows driving direction and speed. Schroeder Transport uses a navigation system by Garmin that connects to the GPS device. The telematics web portal, inViu pro, is linked to the navigation hardware along with the software plugin, ENAiKOON messenger. This allows the dispatcher to create messages and new driving destinations in the web portal and send them to the navigation hardware. With the push of a button, the driver is able to simultaneously start the route and begin the plugin’s guided information on the navigation system for smooth execution of the driving routes. The navigation system transmits the remaining distance and driving time to the web portal, keeping the dispatcher up to date on the vehicle and trip status. Cold Chain Transport: ENAiKOON temp-sensor The key to cold chain is to know the ideal climate for fresh produce, and every product has its own favourite temperature. Leafy vegetables, apples, mangos, and pears all prefer different yet specific temperatures. Frozen fish require a temperature of 18° C below zero (-40° F) and chocolate needs to be kept at 18° C (64.4° F). There are always complexities when transporting such goods and they begin with the vehicles. In the temperature-controlled transports of Schroeder are two cooling chambers. These two chambers each have a temperature sensor that is connected to the ENAiKOON locate-04 telematics device. The sensors measure the temperature, which is then sent to Schroeder’s dispatchers through the locate-04. The freshness of their produce relies on the fine tuning done by the drivers. Before the delivery, the drivers must select what they are delivering using pre-configured buttons. Whether it is frozen food or fresh meat, the content of the cargo and its status for delivery are entered. These details are sent to the ENAiKOON system that configures the temperature of the chambers. Thresholds and alarms are pre-programmed in the system, which automates the control of temperatures and easing the process for the drivers. Furthermore, it gives the estimated time for the cooling chambers to reach their desired temperatures. Economic driving: ENAiKOON can-66 For many years, the analysis of all vehicle system data from the vehicle’s CAN-bus has fuelled our success. This has enabled our customers to objectively compare individual driving styles and fuel consumption of different vehicles and drivers in various categories. “We don’t want to compare apples to oranges, our goal is rather to develop a fair evaluation for the driver,” says Jan Schroeder, one of the two managing directors of the firm. The can-66 works for long and short hauls, which is perfect for Schroeder. The CAN-bus is a powerful tool that sends the user all important information required for analysis. The web portal, inViu pro, is configured by us so that Schroeder receives a summary of important, easy-to-read data. It can create groups and filters so that custom reports and charts can be created; for example, reports can be created comparing long and short hauls by fuel consumption, speed, and RPM. Schroeder utilises this in an ambitious way: they have configured the data so that all drivers will be ranked based on their fuel consumption. Whoever consumes more gas will be ranked lower than those consuming less. They have implemented an incentive plan based on who ranks the highest in hopes to motivate the drivers to use less fuel. Their goal of a 10% decrease in fuel costs per driver through enhanced driving behaviour is now within reach. Apply this to 50 long-haul trucks for a savings of almost $ 300,000 per year – the cost of two new trucks.

ENAiKOON partners with A M Bromley for their enhanced TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM (TMS) ®

We at ENAiKOON are excited to announce a new partnership with electronic engineers, AM Bromley, for their innovative TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM (TMS) ®. Bauma_Mining_Truck This partnership was announced on April 17 at Bauma 2013, the world’s largest international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles, and construction equipment. There they showcased A M Bromley’s TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM (TMS) ® and ENAiKOON’s GPS tracking system. Our joint project started a few months ago, and the final product will be ready shortly. Stay tuned for the official launch! TMS_Logo_Tire_orange_SM About TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM (TMS) ® The TMS is a wireless direct tire pressure gauge and monitoring system for large off-road vehicles such as mining & construction, tire testing, earthmover, container & cargo handling equipment and transit systems. The solution involves tire pressure and temperature monitoring sensors that attach to Off-The-Road (OTR) tires. The data from these sensors are transmitted to the driver’s display screen via the receiver. The data can also be analysed through the TMS Manager and the TMS Log Graph Window’s applications. Why monitor OTR tires? These industrial, OTR tires are each worth around 50,000 USD! Getting its full use and extending its lifespan is crucial to controlling expenses for any company that uses large construction and mining vehicles. Proper maintenance of these tires can help avoid accelerated wear, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce tire failures. For more information on AM Bromley’s TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM (TMS) ® visit www.tiremonitorsystem.com.

Improved operations with telematics for construction equipment rental companies

Equipment rental is a relatively new yet rapidly growing industry with some international companies turning over €1 billion annually. The reasons behind its popularity are capital release, range of equipment availability, maintenance, and compliance with standards and regulations. This explains the uptick in telematics sales within this industry, as GPS tracking of equipment can help with the latter two reasons. Excavator and dumper A comprehensive telematics system for construction equipment can retrieve all the necessary data to run a flawless maintenance program. The equipment data collected and its analysis make complying with regulations a breeze. Furthermore, having an accurate log of equipment use and location allows rental companies to run a smooth operation. Let’s take a look at how Eberle-Hald improved their business with ENAiKOON’s equipment monitoring system. Construction equipment rental management at Eberle-Hald Eberle Hald Eberle-Hald is one of the biggest construction equipment rental companies in Stuttgart, southern Germany. They have been using ENAiKOON’s telematics solution since 2007. Since then, more than 300 GPS devices are being used at nine different branches. “Access to equipment data, such as operating hours, battery condition, and loading times, at any time is of the utmost importance to us,” says Michael Busch, the company’s rental manager. “If technical problems occur, our emergency service staff will need to quickly identify the problem in order to make the equipment operational again.” The ENAiKOON telematics system enabled them to produce precise rental contracts and customer invoices by knowing exactly where the equipment is located along with its time stamp. With inViu pro, the rental company receives real-time alerts and information on their rented equipment, and having an accurate account of equipment availability helped streamline their operations. Eberle-Hald even took ENAiKOON’s inViu pro web portal one step further and integrated it for their customers to use. They gave their customers the option to see which equipment at which site is currently being used, allowing their renters to have the complete billing information to give to their own clients. The ENAiKOON construction equipment monitoring solution The flexible telematics solution that ENAiKOON offers can be tailored to each customer as exemplified in the above case. Start saving time, increase productivity, and improve rental equipment management with the construction equipment monitoring system. Contact ENAiKOON today for your free trial.

NFC Technology in Telematics

We are constantly being surrounded by new technology every day without actually acknowledging its grandeur. Let’s put the spotlight on Near Field Communication (NFC), a technology also referred to as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). As consumers, do we really understand the full capabilities of this technology? NFC has been around since 1980 with slow adoption, and now this trendy technology is on the rise as we see it in contactless payment systems, public transportation, and proximity marketing. That being said, are there other uses of NFC for businesses? Many. It can deliver convenience and efficiency to a variety of sectors that employ mobile workers. Don’t be intimidated by the new emergence of this technology. It’s surprisingly easy to comprehend, use, and incorporate into businesses. Tracking tasks and employees NFC tags can contain information such as task description and instructions for a specific location. With the mobile employees equipped with NFC-capable smartphones, they can easily scan NFC tags to acquire certain product or location-specific information related to their job. Tags can also be placed on certain rooms, places, buildings, and even equipment where employees can check into. This helps indicate who was where at what time using what equipment, etc. This feature is extremely beneficial for automating the tasks for mobile employees, eliminating paper log books and saving time on administration. It’s great for cleaning, hotel, and security industries as well as any sector with mobile workers. Tracking stock and inventory Not only can you read data from NFC tags but you can also write them using NFC-capable smartphones! This means you can update certain information on the tags, like product description and inventory counts. Doctors and nurses can easily scan patient tags to acquire prescription info and details from a last visit. Retailers and rack jobbers can place tags on merchandising shelves with product info and update the stock counts for precise inventory counts. No paperwork necessary. Add a bit of creativity to these two features and the possibilities derived from NFC technology for business are endless! The system requires very little overhead and a low start-up cost for something that can save you time in employee management and training. An NFC tag can cost as little as 30 cents depending on your application, and if your employees require mobile phones, there you go! You already have your hardware. All you need is reliable and powerful NFC management software, like inViu pro, to coordinate the scanned data with its user, time, and location. To learn more about NFC technology, visit the Wikipedia page.

How to increase business efficiency with telematics

I know that many business owners are initially hesitant to invest in technology that doesn’t directly correlate to sales, but if you’re not controlling costs and managing your people wisely then you are most likely experiencing leakages in expenses and labour. This is something no business can afford during tough economic times. Telematics is a great “trainer” that will keep your business in shape, allowing you to efficiently manage your business and free up valuable time to focus more on building sales. Telematics software on a laptop Let’s first address what telematics is. It’s the union between telecommunications and informatics. It’s not just navigation systems in cars and GPS trackers, but the use of such devices along with powerful software that allows you to manage, analyse, and export the collected data to help improve your business operation. The primary use of telematics is to remotely monitor trackables (tracked assets or people). This alone can save a tremendous amount of travel time and labour costs. Knowing exactly where these trackables are located and being alerted whenever there is a change from the norm can help prevent theft and unauthorised use of equipment, vehicles, and machinery. Now imagine being able to obtain precise CAN bus and fuel level information from your vehicles; locations and tasks being performed by your employees; temperatures of machinery and refrigeraeted trucks; hours of operation of rented equipment and vehicles; and communication records with your drivers and mobile workforce. Not only are you saving time and labour costs, but also minimising vehicle and equipment maintenance costs, damaged perishable products, and fraudulent activity. Having access to detailed records without having to manually collect the information is the convenience that telematics can bring to you and your employees. The relatively new use of NFC in telematics has revolutionised remote personnel management. Your mobile employees can now scan NFC tags using an off-the-shelf smartphone to create records or to check into places without the use of paperwork. If cutting back on administration and going paperless is one of your business initiatives, NFC technology is definitely one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions. Security companies for guard tours, health care for visiting nurses, and retailers with a mobile workforce are all beneficiaries of an NFC telematics solution. No matter how big or small your company is, cutting costs and increasing business efficiency should be prioritised in every industry. To find out more on how to integrate telematics into your business, contact us for a customised solution.

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