Telematic systems have become increasingly commonplace on new construction and agricultural equipment. At first, they may seem overly complicated to use, particularly if you’re not very tech savvy. And some equipment owners feel like they simply don’t have the time to learn a new system.
However, regardless of whether you’re a tech expert or novice, you can learn how to use a telematic solution like our Takeuchi Fleet Management (TFM) system very quickly. Taking advantage of TFM is well worth it once you have a firm grasp of the benefits it delivers. In fact, TFM is one of the best ways to maintain or increase your productivity on the jobsite. Furthermore, TFM is free of charge for the first five years from the date it’s activated, making it a very cost-effective way to better manage your Takeuchi equipment.
More than GPS
There’s a misconception that telematics solutions are simply GPS services used to track assets, making them only necessary for contractors with larger fleets. While TFM does provide GPS service, it offers much, much more. By logging into the TFM online portal, you can access a map, assets, maintenance, alerts and analytics on your desktop computer, laptop, phone or tablet devices.
The Map
TFM remotely connects users to their Takeuchi machines. You can “geofence” your machines, which means creating a geographical perimeter around your fleet. Each unit will be listed with its model name and serial number, and TFM will notify you if any machine leaves your established perimeter.
The Map shows where each machine is located and allows you to zoom in and pan out to find specific units. You can also text search and filter by machine health and machine maintenance status, making it easy to quickly identify any machines that need attention.
TFM’s GPS tracking is updated at least once every hour. Machines are big investments, so having the ability to know where your assets are 24/7 can give you invaluable peace of mind, particularly if you ever need to leave them unattended at a jobsite.
Assets
In the Assets tab, you can see multiple types of data for each machine, including total hours logged, battery status, engine coolant temperature, engine speed, engine status, fuel level and ignition status.
Maintenance & Diagnostic Alerts
Maintenance alerts not only ensure service is performed in a timely manner, but they also act as a service record. You can set up a maintenance planner to alert you when any aspect of the machine is due for service. For example, at 1,000 working hours, you should replace a machine’s fluids, such as hydraulic oil, engine coolant and chain case oil. Setting an alert can help keep such maintenance on schedule for better machine performance and longevity.
Plans can be tailored to a meter or calendar basis for each machine, and these plans automatically update with each use. You can even set reminders prior to reaching a certain hour or date on the calendar. For example, if you want to replace a machine’s fluids at 1,000 hours, you can choose to set up a reminder for 990 hours to allow yourself time to plan to change out in the next day or two.
Additionally, when you perform maintenance on a machine and check off a maintenance task, TFM automatically keeps a digital history record. This is important information to have, both for your machine’s health and for its eventual resale value.
You can also set up diagnostic alerts to warn you when a machine experiences any mechanical or electrical issues before catastrophic damage occurs. These alerts could be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major repair.
Analytics
You can download reports on specific machines or the entire fleet at any given time. Your analytic reports can include data like machine health, runtime hours, maintenance performed and more.
Analytics aren’t just for end users. Dealers can benefit from TFM as well. However, they can also access diagnostic trouble code (DTC) history and historical machine parameters to help diagnose an equipment malfunction.
Better performance, longer life
TFM continuously improves, following the same trend as other technology present on today’s machines. As equipment integrates more computers and controllers, the more data becomes available. More data equals more machine insight, better performance and a longer machine life.
With TFM, you do most of work up front, primarily setting up alerts and geofencing your units. After that, TFM basically goes on autopilot and works for you. It’s the best and easiest way to ensure your equipment is safe and remains healthy well into the future. For more information on how to use TFM, consult your manual or contact your local dealer.