In today’s ultra-competitive construction market, securing a bid, improving profits or sometimes just keeping the company running depends on the thinnest of margins. Here are the answers to the most often-asked questions regarding maximising productivity in the heavy construction industry.
Q: How can collecting and using real-time data improve productivity, competitiveness and profitability?
A: When margins are modest, operating costs are high and competition is hot, optimising the efficient and safe use of every piece of equipment is paramount. Savvy operators are increasingly recognising the benefits of collecting and using the insights from real-time data to inform decisions and actions to increase productivity, performance, customer satisfaction – and profitability.
Q: How can using data benefit construction management?
A: Up to the minute information from an integrated GPS vehicle tracking system provides 360-degree oversight of every aspect of your daily fleet operations, driver behaviour and vehicle and equipment maintenance. It’s right at your fingertips, and all in one place. By managing your assets and vehicles from a single platform, you can run a more efficient fleet. And, with actionable data and accurate insights, you will make smarter decisions on a day-to-day or even moment-to-moment basis that promote safe driving, optimised use of machinery and equipment, keep costs down and generate revenue for your company over the long term.
Q: How will all this information help me make better decisions?
A: When you know more, you can do more. Instant data analysis lets you keep your eye on the ball – maximising asset usage to increase productivity, preventive maintenance of vehicles, monitoring performance and keeping drivers, equipment and sites safe. Data visibility allows you to continuously improve your day-to-day operations and competitiveness. Information is power to you.
Q: Are these fleet management systems built for construction sector needs?
A: We’ve built an asset management platform specifically for heavy equipment and mixed fleets to give a total view of operations and pinpointing areas where costs can be saved and efficiencies gained.Our construction management platform connects the data from multiple OEM telematics units in one portal for easy management. You can test drive Qtanium Connect and see how it pulls in data from production equipment and interfaces with your back office systems. It enables you to see operating inefficiencies in unexpected areas and can also integrate with DIRECTOR, providing a single window for all fleet equipment and vehicles. The system shows real-time status and asset locations. Reports highlight fuel usage patterns, asset usage, job-site usage, and maintenance needs.
Q: Would it track data for sub-contractors and specialised areas so we see the entire operation?
A: Yes. Construction management systems track data, ensuring productivity remains high and KPIs are met for specific sub-industries including:
- Heavy Highway and Civil Engineering – manage important KPIs in your mixed fleet such as engine hours, equipment utilisation, maintenance scheduling, fuel usage per asset and job, regardless of OEM, make, model or year
- Lift and Crane – enhance safe operation and asset lifecycle by managing cable wear via drum rotation cycle monitoring and Load Moment Indicator (LMI) alerting
- Excavating and Grading – maximise utilisation and uptime of specialised grading and excavating assets across all of your jobsites.
- Equipment Rental – maintain visibility on location and usage of rental assets, and mitigate unauthorised “off-rent” usage or theft.
Q: How can I reduce operational costs?
A: Smart construction management software and products, including ruggedised asset monitoring and management devices, are all designed to help operators save costs and get the most out of equipment, assets and vehicles regardless of OEM mix.
Q: How do I monitor more than one site at the same time?
A: Remote monitoring allows you keep tabs on your equipment and workforce on multiple job sites, then access real time data to make instant decisions based on what is happening on the site.This added visibility means that you can identify areas of inefficiency such as poor operator behaviour, excessive downtime, idle or underutilisation of assets on a specific job site and have the information to distribute equipment between job sites more efficiently.
Q: Can I see where all my equipment is at one time?
A: GPS tracking software gives you an accurate real-time view of the location, distribution and use of all of your assets across every single job site regardless of geography, ensuring that utilisation is maximised and that excessive idling and other inefficiencies are minimised at all times. You’ll be able to monitor and manage your heavy assets and their operators as well as your service vehicles and their drivers to ensure efficient and safe usage.
Q: Are there any benefits to help improve customer satisfaction?
A: You will be able to demonstrate to customers that your operations are efficient in keeping costs down and productivity up with transparency across the whole project. You will also be able to provide proof of hours worked and machines used, which not only builds trust but also is a safeguard for both the employer and the subcontractors. The same applies to a subcontractor when they submit an invoice. It also gives the main contractor peace of mind: that the machine was on the job and worked these hours. That gives you competitive advantage and enhances your reputation for customer service, integrity and professional delivery.
Q: Can I stay ahead of maintenance needs?
A: A planned maintenance programme is essential to ensure productivity gains and a safe workplace. The maintenance module of a GPS fleet management system allows you to schedule and optimise vehicle and machine servicing, and keep your fleet maintained to the highest standards. Construction management solutions give fit for purpose and customised dashboards with real time performance data for quick identification of issues and corrective actions. For instance, dashboard data provides machine health alerts and notification schedules including OEM information from telematics. You can monitor and receive alerts on tyre pressure and heat of your TPMS equipped assets for instance.
Q: Can I improve workplace health and safety?
A: Tracking for safety is the name of the game. GPS fleet tracking systems provide a holistic picture of vehicle usage, driver behaviour and also can alert the owner or manager to issues like an overdue driver or a faulty machine. With the ability to monitor driver and vehicle behaviour in real time, use a scorecard that drivers can each keep up to date and share a replay of an event to promote better driving and identify risks and remedial training, GPS fleet tracking software provides relevant and useful evidence to lift workplace and people safety. Construction management software is also going to keep you up to date with workplace health and safety requirements as GPS tracking of people and equipment is likely to become mandatory in NZ as it is in Australia as part of the drive to keep workers and sites safe.