Case Construction Equipment’s SiteWatch telematics happily translated to one less wheel loader being sold this year.
At ConExpo, Case was approached by a customer looking into purchasing a new machine.
“Her wheel loader had been stolen and she was looking to replace it,” explained Richie Snyder, product marketing manager for construction equipment digital and precision solutions and telematics at Case. “Her telematics had expired, so she thought she was out of luck.”
Taking the socially responsible approach, Case worked with the woman’s dealer to reactivate SiteWatch, which revealed the location of the machine. Then, they contacted local law enforcement.
“(Police) did a flyover to make sure the machine was physically there, then the deputies went on-site and recovered the machine. To the best of my knowledge, it is operating today,” Snyder said. “Telematics not only recovered their machine, but they’re back in operation, saving them the stress and hassle of going through an insurance claim.”
Case recently launched the next generation of its SiteWatch telematics platform with an all-new dashboard, more intuitive navigation and new overview sections that highlight critical information without requiring the user to search extensively for data.
“There’s a totally redesigned user experience,” Snyder said.
“It’s a lot easier to use and a lot more intuitive. But fear not, you’ll still have access to the legacy portal. You’re not going to lose any information or things you’re used to seeing.”
SiteWatch dashboard
The new dashboard features an easy-to-read horizontal menu at the top of the screen above six widgets that focus on core operating information, including equipment summary, equipment search, engine hour reports and alarm status.
A drop-down menu delivers reports on factors such as equipment utilization, fuel consumption and maintenance, and topline menu buttons immediately takes users to fleet and maintenance overviews.
Additional reports highlighting specific alerts and fault codes are also available, as well as new visual reports that showcase several CAN parameters for a single machine on the same graph. As well, fleet managers are able to customize weekly or monthly reports on machine data, as well as customize who receives the information.
“The most important part of telematics is who gets the data,” Snyder said.
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Telematics also provide fleet managers and business owners perspective into how equipment is operating, and whether they are getting the most out of their equipment and crew on each project. To assist with analyzing workload and productivity, SiteWatch allows its users to view historical data for up to 18 months.
“You can go back and look at machines to know what your jobsite was like, how your fuel usage was and how your machines performed,” Snyder said.
This also helps to improve billing and estimating, as SiteWatch provides users with a historical view into the number of hours each machine is used on each job, which can proactively help bid and estimate jobs more accurately, and retroactively assist in billing.
To locate equipment, SiteWatch can pinpoint which crew has which piece of equipment.
“We can quickly and easily identify where machines are located, anywhere around the globe,” Snyder said.
Data sharing
SiteWatch also allows equipment owners to partner with their dealer on preventive maintenance. While data is owned by the contractor, equipment owners have the option of allowing their dealer to access telematics data to assist with preventive maintenance and other service items, such as planned maintenance scheduling, or monitoring machine parameters and identifying issues that may need addressing.
“When you partner with your Case dealer, you have a second set of expert eyes that are monitoring your equipment and allow you to have peace of mind, whether that be from planned maintenance, low fuel or whatever we can monitor,” Snyder said.
Real-time alerts
SiteWatch delivers real-time alarms to notify business owners of conditions that require attention, like if a machine needs an oil change, or if engine temperatures are outside of the preferred operating range.
Fleet managers are also able to create geofences around a specified area.
“Geofences are basically an invisible line you can draw around an area, and you can be alerted when a machine travels outside of that fence,” Snyder said.
The ability to prevent unauthorized use is another SiteWatch feature. The unauthorized use of construction equipment opens its owners up to liability, not to mention the added wear and tear that unauthorized use puts on a machine.
Alongside geofencing, as well as simply identifying use through retrospective reporting, SiteWatch alerts equipment owners to the unauthorized use of valuable assets.
“With a curfew alarm, you can be alerted if the machine is being operated at a time when it’s not supposed to be,” Snyder explained.
SiteWatch complies with the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) 2.0 telematics standard, ensuring the solution is compatible with fleets of all shapes and sizes.
Case SiteWatch comes standard for three years on all Case heavy equipment with ProCare, standard on all backhoes, and is available as an aftermarket installation kit.
