Data integrations have become the norm in today’s transportation industry as extracting data insights from connected but disparate systems — once a tedious process — can be done with unprecedented ease.
Because data has never been more readily available or easier to share, imagining why companies would try their own hand with cumbersome in-house processes is difficult — that is, until you realize that they are choosing that option only because they assume a better path is unattainable.
It’s not skepticism or ignorance but cost and complexity that hold many back from implementing data integrations — and in fact it’s not easy for those with fewer resources, especially smaller companies.
So, many shell out more than they can really afford or stand back from the competition as digitalization of freight continues to gain speed.
“That’s where we come in. Powerfleet provides the opportunity to make sense of your data without having to spend a lot to slice and dice the data,” said William Sandoval, SVP, global head of product at Powerfleet.
“We have embarked over the last two years on really transforming our business from just a device-centric type of organization to more of a software, data-driven type of organization,” Sandoval said of his team’s dedication to build technologies that deliver precisely the insights customers seek.
“Our biggest shift has been opening ourselves up to collect data from all types of devices, infrastructure and systems,” he added. “Collecting all that data has allowed us to apply new technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning and other capabilities.”
Powerfleet’s data integrations extend to third-party devices and a variety of vehicles and infrastructure with untapped data potential, such as electric vehicles, toll systems and security cameras.
These new technologies generate easy-to-understand insights and actionable outcomes for customers, which is proving crucial in the acceleration of FreightTech adoption as the integrations help customers make sense of the data.
“We’re fundamentally creating an ecosystem of applications that our customers are able to utilize,” Sandoval added, detailing Powerfleet’s expanding software-as-a-service model, which includes business application portfolios for customers to categorize and easily apply their data sets.
Powerfleet looks to further bolster its position as a data leader by creating a data-as-a-service model, which Sandoval explained is optimal for those who’ve invested heavily in their own systems but desire greater data insight.
“Users will be able to get all this data with actual outcomes already applied,” he said. “We’ll do the entire analysis for them using artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities instead of giving them raw data that they have to analyze.”
Over 200 companies worldwide have integrated their systems with Powerfleet.
McLeod Software is one such partner. Its transportation management system runs Powerfleet API. Its platform, which helps customers run their back offices and manage assets, was in need of real-time data to improve and expedite decision-making regarding vehicle movements, maintenance and even fuel.
“We collect and pass on data sets to systems like McLeod for them to make decisions using real-time information,” Sandoval said. “Everything from fuel to vehicle and other asset tracking, we provide that information for users to apply to their own enterprise systems to benefit their customers.”
Powerfleet’s integrations are virtually universal across the transportation landscape, from vehicle retailers to insurance agencies.
Another customer, a global trailer distributor, told Sandoval that Powerfleet’s integration was just the transformation the company needed to rise above its competitors.
With the right data tools in place, the business was easily able to show the quantitative value of its products and services.
“They’re able to say, ‘Look, I’m going to give you a data-centric solution so that when you rent or buy a trailer from us you’ll know where it is, its utilization, profitability and most importantly what’s needed to improve profitability,’” Sandoval said.
Click for more FreightWaves content by Jack Glenn.
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