Continental fleet management and telematics facilitate better efficiency at construction sites

By MEq August 22, 2019 20:15

Continental is taking a more active role in the area of fleet management systems for the construction industry – with a special focus on digitalization and telematics. Over the mid-term, the technology company will be able to offer fleet operators and construction companies worldwide a fleet management system that is brand-independent and is based on products the company is offering today. In addition, Continental will be offering vehicle and machine manufacturers more micro-services based on fleet management information. It can also partner with customers to develop a complete telematics ecosystem. Continental experts believe that this will allow the industry to leverage tremendous efficiency potential that has lain dormant so far.

Today, a full 95 percent of all construction projects take too long or are too expensive according to the McKinsey report “Reinventing Construction.” Along with external reasons, this is also due to insufficient information being available in real-time, e.g., on the status or utilization of vehicles. In this context, Mario Branco, Head of Business Development for Off-Highway Applications at Continental, names three significant advantages that companies with digital fleet management have over the competition: better utilization, lower maintenance costs, and more reliable planning.

“Those who work with us on telematics and fleet management can utilize equipment better, reduce maintenance costs and coordinate job assignments optimally. Merging the data of connected machines and vehicles in one system enables companies to reliably plan costs and timeframes at the construction site and avoid expensive delays,” says Branco. “Experience in the commercial vehicles sector has shown us that professional fleet management offers precisely this transparency in real-time.”

Hardware and software, on- and off-highway: Continental combines competencies
The foundation for the new products and services: Continental is bringing together all of the necessary competencies – from telematics and fleet and tire management to intelligent transport systems, connectivity and smart rubber components to cyber security – and it can make use of a comprehensive product portfolio. The company offers both hardware components and software know-how and already today connects on- and off-highway vehicles with cloud systems. Taken as a whole, Continental is one of the world’s biggest players when it comes to telematics for cars and vehicles. At Bauma 2019, Continental experts showcased, among other hardware devices, a telematics platform that is designed according to off-highway requirements and ready for upgrading to 5G communications technology.

New standard opens door to manufacturer-independent systems
At the same time, based on its competencies in the telematics business in Asia, North America, and Europe, Continental wants to develop a comprehensive fleet management system for fleet operators and construction management businesses in which they can simulate their entire fleets of equipment – independent of the brands or types of vehicles. A view of real-time data of all assets at a glance will allow fleet managers to operate their fleets as efficiently as possible. This requires that the system must contain and evaluate as much information as possible and at the same time ensure that the responsible managers gain a clear picture. Therefore, Continental will integrate numerous solutions from its own portfolio into the new system.