Together, Vestergaard and 9altitudes (then Econocap) decided that PTC ThingWorx was the IIoT platform they needed to connect, collect and analyze data across Vestergaard's fleet operations - giving them and their customers valuable visibility into all aspects of their trucks.
Today, the new IIoT-based application is up and running in the United States, helping to plan, manage, service and optimize trucks. The system handles data coming from hundreds of trucks - where each vehicle has up to 230 data points - and provides a wealth of information to Vestergaard and their customers. These data-driven insights drive optimizations and efficiencies from front-line employees all the way back to Vestergaard's design phase.
Through the application, customers push job definitions to the trucks so that front-line employees know exactly where and when to perform the task. Real-time location services help Vestergaard and their customers optimize workflows and get the right operator to the right place at the right time. Dashboards give frontline employees access to critical insights, such as how much de-icing fluid they need, how the predicted weather conditions are, and how many aircraft need to be serviced. By leveraging third-party data such as weather data, historical data and more, the application unlocks deeper insights and optimizations around specific conditions or factors.
The application gives customers valuable insight into the health of the assets. Now, instead of a truck breaking down at temperatures below freezing, they can see if a system is not working properly and fix the problem before it becomes a problem in the field. Collecting huge amounts of data also helps boost a number of other scenarios, such as streamlining the compliance reporting process and driving sustainability efforts. For example, insight into key measurements such as driving patterns, emissions and potential areas for reducing equipment's environmental impact. And since Vestergaard invests in electrifying their trucks, they can collect warranty data about the batteries they buy from other manufacturers, such as battery consumption, power consumption, how often they recharge their batteries and more.
Going forward, they also plan to explore the integration of augmented reality tools and other innovative technologies.