Being able to track and manage your assets efficiently is becoming increasingly important across all types of business. More and more companies are realising the cost and time savings that can be effected by adopting asset tracking and management tools.
This is particularly true in the logistics industry. Tracking and managing rail locomotives, wagons, coaches and pretty much any rolling stock can be a logistical nightmare. However, businesses in industries such as fleet management and logistics, for example, need to ensure they can accurately track assets in case of unexpected breakdown or loss. If not, these businesses run the risk of delivery delays and service failures. And businesses that can track moveable assets can better control their costs and keep their customers happy.
Notwithstanding, any tracking solution that's implemented on rail or road transport systems faces several challenges. Firstly there's the energy source for the device - how long can the device remain operational between charges? "One possible solution would be to choose a solar-powered device that has an internal battery," suggests Johan Malan, Product Manager at Ansys Rail.
Another consideration, according to Malan, is reporting intervals. "What you ideally need is to be able to change reporting intervals remotely. If the vehicle is in a rural area, you'll want to receive updates that are spaced further apart, but you'll need to change to more frequent updates when the vehicle moves into urban areas so that any anomalies are detected quickly."
A useful function for any asset tracking device is geo-fencing, which allows the operator to set areas where the asset is allowed to go and, of course, no-go areas. The system will send alerts when these fences are transgressed. Geo-fencing can also be used to notify maintenance depots that a vehicle is on its way and personnel can be ready to unload and/or maintain it on arrival.
It's also important be able to tell when an asset is spending too much time in one location. The benefits of this are twofold: it can assist to determine where the bottlenecks are in the business's operations; and it can also be used to alert operators of cargo that has to be monitored, such as fresh goods that cannot be allowed to stand in the sun for too long.
Over and above the physical whereabouts of the vehicle being tracked, it's also useful to be able to see how it's being driven, which can impact on asset life expectancy and maintenance frequency. This feature can also be used as a training aid during driver training.
"The bottom line is that implementing an effective asset tracking solution can allow rail operators to more effectively control and run their fleet," says Malan.
A good asset tracking system has the following features:
* Fast satellite acquisition time;
* Solar-driven energy source;
* Intrusion or tamper detection;
* Geo-fencing capability;
* Measure vehicle handling (harsh braking, pull away, etc); and
* Dwell time report.
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