Telematics In Construction: Optimising Asset And People Management

Competition in the construction industry sector is intense, with large scale infrastructure projects, massive housing developments and the ongoing work in quake affected areas underway. Construction firms facing large volumes of work with a thinly spread workforce need to focus on efficiency to save money and to stay ahead of competitors.

Adopting robust technology is a key way to improve productivity, save costs and deliver better customer service. GPS telematics systems deliver relevant data on the condition, performance and location of assets in the field.

Telematics in the construction industry falls into two categories – on-road and off-road – each gaining differing benefits from technology. And for those on-road vehicles that regularly use private roads, GPS tracking can provide accurate data for claiming RUC refunds.

On-road construction telematics

The use of on-road construction telematics systems can be broken down into three sub-categories – the movement of people, the movement of materials and the movement of vehicles.

Site reporting is a key feature offered by telematics, keeping managers up to date with which members of the team are on site. Ensuring that human resources are in the right place at the right time, means team members are in place to complete the job when it needs to be completed. Knowing who's on site and when is also an important health and safety consideration.

Telematics systems also make it much easier to monitor the movement of materials, so that managers can ensure materials are on site when they're required. By facilitating the movement of materials in this way, telematics makes it simpler for construction teams to progress according to their planned schedules.

Using telematics data, fleet managers can pull an automatic report that shows when vehicles have travelled on private roads or off road altogether. The accurate record proves what portion of the journey company trucks were not on public roads, so the company can claim back the Road User Charges. The distances may seem minor, but they do add up and can represent thousands of dollars of savings .

Enhanced route planning, and the resulting reduced fuel costs, bring further improvements in efficiency. As does enhanced monitoring of driver behaviour which allows fleet managers to highlight and devise strategies for eliminating undesirable driver conduct, including harsh braking, tailgating, aggressive acceleration and rough cornering. This too can deliver real improvements in fuel efficiency.

Off-road construction telematics

Telematics can also be used to track the location and performance of plant equipment. It's all about utilisation and maintenance, as well as helping construction firms to cut hire costs. Tracking machine hours, enables managers to not only keep tabs on the location of equipment, but also report on whether that equipment is being utilised across multiple sites.

Naturally, equipment which isn't being used isn't generating revenue. Optimising equipment distribution across sites can therefore accelerate progress with construction projects – allowing them to be completed quicker, and eliminate unnecessary spending on equipment hire. Enhanced fuel usage measurement provides further insight into when equipment is running without being in use. This again helps to improve efficiency by reducing unnecessary idling.

When it comes to maintenance, telematics systems include equipment fault code notifications and assist with the planning of maintenance schedules, helping to keep equipment operational while maximising output and minimising the need for hire.

Stay on top of the construction game with technology that optimises your assets