49. Daily Activity Report Start time: Stop time: Operating time: Total run time: Total off time: Total idle time: Total travel time: Number of stops: Total stop time: Ave stop time: Ave travel time: Maximum speed: Miles Traveled
For more information contact: Myron Carlisle IDA Corporation 1345 Main Ave. Fargo, ND 58103 Phone: 701-280-1122 FAX: 218-233-1886 Web page: www.idaco.com Email: [email_address]
The challenge of managing high cost, capital intensive vehicle and equipment assets is being met by systems incorporating new and emerging technologies. These technologies contribute to the ability to better direct utilization of each asset during its useful life and to focus management upon operating costs and preventive maintenance. A comprehensive remote asset management system involves a cradle-to-grave approach that recognizes every aspect of the asset throughout its life with the organization. The application of satellite GPS (Global Positioning Systems) location data combined with operations data collected via wireless communications link provides the basis for a seamless, integrated system, to totally manage mobile or remote equipment assets. The equipment fleet manager now has a powerful new opportunity to dramatically influence return on investment and ultimately improve profitability of the organization. The availability of AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) systems used heavily in transportation industries offer only a partial solution for management of construction equipment fleets. To maximize the return from investing in these technologies operational data should be included with locational data and automatically and easily transmitted to a central processing point. IDA’s TRAKIT incorporates GPS positioning and data collection together with several methods of wireless data communication to offer alternative solutions for a wide variety of applications..
“ If you don’t know, you can’t react” Information…information…information Car analogy- it’s easier to make small steering corrections to keep a car in the middle of the road than to depend on the availability of a wrecker to pull you out of the ditch. “ If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” The opportunity to manage a remote asset suffers when it is out of reach. and activity cannot be documented, quantified and summarized. Without adequate information it becomes impossible to properly manage. “ If you measure something, it gets better” A natural result occurs when attention is given to a process in business. The act of measuring a process directly influences the performance of the process. Employees conscious of being held accountable for the results of the measurement have a stake in assuring a favorable outcome.
All fleet operations have a data collection procedure now. Preventive maintenance procedures are at least scheduled on time, odometer, fuel flow readings, etc. Without employing capable systematic methods this information is collected relatively inefficiently, inaccurately and ineffectively. Direct, automatic collection of this data not only reduces costs of data collection but also provides opportunities for comprehensive, more detailed analysis not available before. An equipment asset out of sight is out of reach for management purposes. Activity and usage either directly monitored or post analyzed provides a new dimension of dynamic management capability. With a good, complete remote fleet management system the fleet manager has access to information never before available. This information can be used to offer an entirely new spectrum of management opportunities.
Radio offers the most economical alternative and is most often the selection of choice. Good, dependable operation including virtually continuous, real-time tracking by a dispatcher/supervisor can be accomplished. When mobile assets are within radio range all of the functions and features can be used for direct monitoring and management of a fleet of remote units. The range limitation of using a radio link is compromised by the unit’s ability to continue to capture information, however even while out of radio range, recording the data in a buffer included in the data collection device this information is now accessible. This buffer can then be downloaded to a central data collection point, over-the-air or by direct connection to a notebook computer. The data is then processed and analyzed providing a detailed record of the activity of the vehicle.
In-vehicle intelligence is the single biggest contributor to enabling this technology to be adapted to business management applications. Locations or events programmed into the vehicle units determine when data transmissions are initiated to the home base. This eliminates the necessity of the base computer to constantly poll the units and congesting the communications link. Reduced usage of the communications link may lessen the cost of usage. Location examples would include when a vehicle reaches a customer account site, when the vehicle enters radio contact range, if a vehicle does not reach a predetermined location by a certain time, if a vehicle enters an “out of bounds” area, etc. Event types would include excessive speed, emergency alert, excessive idle time, etc.
Maps can be overlaid with other maps and layers that may be available. The user can customize the map with a landmark symbol and label or annotate any area on the map. These landmarks and labels can either be sized relative to the zoom level or remain the same size independent of the zoom level. This feature allows the dispatcher to construct personal visual references on the map. Using these visual reference points the dispatcher can quickly determine relative positions.
When setting up a landmark layer it can be associated with a database file. Field names are set by the operator (requirement- no spaces). When the landmarks are placed the operator has the opportunity to fill in the information for each field. When ENABLE POINT QUERY is selected, clicking on the landmark will bring up the window showing the data keyed in for that landmark. The data can be changed at that time. Multiple landmark layers (databases) can be open any one time- you can click on one landmark to get name and address, another to get other information like tank capacities. This feature has a wide range of uses. It gives the dispatcher the ability to dynamically maintain detailed data associated with visual reference points on the map.
The Point/Click data file is a standard Paradox .db file. It can be accessed by numerous database managers including, dBase, Paradox, Access, etc. The data can be maintained externally from TRAKIT. Data originating or maintained separately from this system can be used by TRAKIT. A special field called ‘VISIBLE’ is a logical field (T/F). If TRUE the landmark will be shown on the map. If FALSE the landmark will not be shown on the map. Maintenance of this field in the database can control whether the landmark icon shows on the map. This is a good example of how TRAKIT can interface with external applications.
Alerts are a powerful, flexible and useful function of TRAKIT. A circular or rectangular zone can be indicated for each vehicle or all vehicles. Settings by the dispatcher control the type of alert (dialog box appear, audible alarm, etc) and condition (leave/enter the zone). Uses include alert of vehicles leaving an authorized area, recognizing when a vehicle enters radio range to make radio contact with the vehicle, determination of movement of a vehicle, notification of when a vehicle a reaches a destination, etc. This feature can be used to detect unauthorized use of the unit during off-working hours.
Selecting one or more of the 5 buttons on the bottom of the screen tells the Analyzer that the Reverse Geo-coding (address) is requested. Report 1 Vehicle Position Analysis Included is vehicle ID, Date, Time, User reference number, Driver number, Type, Latitude, Longitude. Report 2 Vehicle Location Analysis Included is Vehicle ID, Date, Time, Speed, Heading, Type, Road, Block, City/Area, State and Zip.
The Daily Activity Report is a popular report that provides an at-a-glance manager’s tool for evaluating activity of one unit for one day. The route taken during the day is plotted on a map along with time stamps at various intervals. A visual depiction of the route taken by a vehicle can give an instant representation of where a vehicle was - or wasn’t, during that day, and at what times. Selected data points such as start time, stop time, total idle time, average travel time, etc. Are shown. Other summary data items such as maximum stop time, maximum idle time and maximum speed can also be shown. Included is an activity graph which is a visual representation of travel/stop, active/idle times. The fleet manager wanting a quick and concise method of monitoring daily equipment utilization of pieces of equipment finds this report crucial to his operation. If problem areas are recognized the fleet manager can request other reports providing greater detail.
Use IDA’S STOP ANALYSIS report to automatically recognize the location,time and duration of vehicle stops
Any file recorded from polling or from the vehicle buffer can be exported to an ASCII format. The file can then be imported into a number of of database and spreadsheet programs for detailed, customized analysis. The data can be sorted, selected, computed and summarized to produce highly informative unique reports for operations analysis and management reporting. The data can also be used for costing, billing, project accounting and even payroll processing. The record type can indicate power on, timed interval, polled record, emergency, etc. The conversion to ASCII feature is helpful when interfacing with external applications.
The driver sees where he is and where the other fleet vehicles are. The TRAKIT-SUPERVISOR MONITOR software loads onto a notebook computer in the vehicle. The driver can monitor the same fleet activity as the dispatcher. The driver can inquire the locations of other vehicles in the fleet. Included is a powerful messaging utility. This feature can be used by supervisors in the field to monitor and direct activities of the fleet while away from the dispatch center. This option is not available on Project 25, Slip, or EDACS due to the network capabilities of the trunking system.
The powerful functions of TRAKIT combined with the open architecture design makes this the ultimate fleet management tool. IDA having complete control and knowledge of all components of the system has the resources to fully support the system. IDA has a 24 hour technical support 800 number- 800-TECH-650. Where unique functions are required IDA’s engineering team can provide custom systems.
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