A corporate monitoring system for state companies and holdings

The first question we work through at a holding is what is already fitted to the machines. Throwing out working trackers from other makers is not compulsory. If a device sends the data that is needed, we connect it to the shared platform. If it does not, we replace it at the next scheduled service and carry the history across through data migration between platforms.

The second question is common rules. What counts as idling, what fuel consumption is normal for a tipper at a quarry and for the same tipper on the highway, what speed is acceptable for a crew bus. These rules are set once at head office and applied in every branch.

The third is the access structure. The depot manager in Mingachevir sees his own vehicles, the branch director sees the whole branch, the logistics directorate sees the whole company. Changes to rights are made by the holding's administrator, not by each branch on its own.

In a holding, monitoring quickly runs up not against the trackers but against organisational questions. They are best settled in the specification before the rollout.

• Branch isolation. Each subsidiary works in its own account or group: it sees its own machines, its own reports, its own users. Head office sees everything, but changes to a branch's settings are made by that branch's administrator, or centrally by agreement. That way one branch cannot accidentally change another's consumption norm.
• Data architecture. The scheme of trackers — platform — reports — feeds into ERP and BI is drawn up together with the IT department. It marks where the data is held, for how long, what goes into the accounting system and who owns each integration. Where the server sits is the company's decision; we set out which options are technically possible.
• A single reference list. The codes for branches, sites, machine types and norms must match between monitoring and ERP. Without that, the consolidated report will need manual reconciliation.

The acceptance criteria for the pilot branch can be written like this: every machine on the branch's register is sending data; consumption from the sensors has been matched against card refuelling, with discrepancies worked through; rights have been checked with test users at different levels; the export into the accounting system goes through without manual correction.

The supplier qualification pack usually includes a description of the solution, a list of equipment with the manufacturers' documents, a description of the platform, the fitting procedure, and warranty and support terms. The exact contents are set by the company's procurement procedure; we prepare our part to your list.

At a large company a purchase decision needs justification. We suggest measuring the effect on the pilot rather than on promises.

• Fuel. Compare fuel and lubricants written off over the three months before the pilot with the three months with level sensors on the same machines.
• Utilisation. The engine hours report will show how many machines work less than half a shift. That is an argument against new purchases.
• Repairs. Servicing on real running time and monitoring of engine overheating reduce the number of unplanned breakdowns. The effect is not immediate, usually after six months.

We price the equipment and the service against your fleet. Other solutions for government bodies are gathered on the GPS monitoring for the public sector page.