#Product Trends
How OEMs can reduce telematics hardware costs
Many manufacturers, dealers, and their customers are missing out on the opportunities provided by telematics because they are not adding the hardware to vehicles or plant equipment on the production line.
The reason? There is a perception that this would be too expensive, so it is overlooked despite the many potential advantages and benefits.
In this article, we explain why and how OEMs can partner with Prodrive Technologies to lower costs to make all new equipment telematics ready.
Why is there a demand for telematics?
Commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, boats, and last mile delivery vans will all benefit from telematics in different ways, so many OEMs are keen to implement a telemetry solution. This is the same for users of off-road vehicles such as forklifts, agriculture vehicles, construction vehicles, golf carts, park shuttles, AGV, cranes, access platforms, and many more.
There are many advantages for the end user (or asset owner) when applying telematics in day-to-day operations. For example:
- Increased efficiency by predictive maintenance
- Optimized utilization (which can help reduce contract and fleet costs)
- Reduced fuel expenditures
- Real-time status updates
- Location monitoring and security
- Operator checklists to support safety
- To help equipment users to achieve the benefits above, there are telematics manufactures that build complete systems. Some of these are sold at competitive rates encompassing a wide range of technology and functionality, but often the telematics solution is not exactly what the customer needs. It can usually do too much, so is overpriced for the manufacturer’s purposes.
The question of cost
So, the most obvious reason telematics hardware is not fitted or is offered as an optional feature on a vehicle or plant equipment production line is because it is normally considered too expensive. Telematics manufacturers have mostly developed one-size-fits-all hardware that can be applied across many different markets, as it must allow for many different requirements. However, this is typically over-engineered for what applications really need and doesn’t consider that the different users have varying requirements.
So why should OEMs pay to factory fit hardware as standard that does far more than what is needed? The answer is that they shouldn’t!
Modular telematics hardware – exactly what you need at the right price
Prodrive Technologies has developed a modular design concept that has reduced the cost of integrated telematics significantly, meaning that OEMs only pay for what they need to meet typical application requirements.
OEMs only need to buy the modules that they actually need. For example, just location tracking or status monitoring and reporting. Whatever modules they choose, what remains common is that they are designed for a tough industrial lifetime, built, and fully tested for use in applications where shocks and vibrations are all in a day’s work.
All our telematics solutions are built to Prodrive Technologies’ quality standards with the reliability that heavy industries can depend on.
Optimized design and cost with a short time-to-market
We offer the most cost-effective telematics solution on the market based on intelligent modular design principles where customers get exactly what they need.
This means that Prodrive Technologies’ telematics solutions can also be customized even further for when there are specific challenges unique to certain industries or applications. For example, a ruggedized IP69K enclosure option for heavy-duty, challenging environments supports applications where heat, salt, UV, or chemicals may be present. All at the best price-performance ratio.
Telematics Technology
Telematics technology has moved on over the last few years which is why we have also reduced the cost of the hardware and helped to optimize system design for OEMs. For example, our telematics hardware designed to optimize power consumption to maximize the operational temperature range, so that the temperature range is now much wider than before.
We also provide the software to make the hardware work, providing the raw data for any interface OEMs or dealers use or want to develop. This means we could monitor just the temperature and location of a truck’s refrigerated unit as it travels in real-time or track the speed of a golf cart on a course in Scotland.
Standout software standards
The software for Prodrive Technologies’ telematics is developed in multiple layers. Each layer and component are derived from a continuously maintained framework which ensures the software is up to date and in line with the latest standards.
The multiple layer approach to the software framework is also very flexible, giving customers more choice in how they wish to develop and apply the solution for their application.
Both the software and hardware for telematics are designed to meet Prodrive Technologies testing standards. In addition, if required, the telematics solution can be tested to a high level for specific use cases defined by the customer’s unique needs.
