Strategic expansion is at the crux of this acquisition – if WABCO found a strong start-up to add to its bouquet of successful fleet management solution (FMS) providers, then AssetTrackr too gained because by joining hands with WABCO Europe, it gets to be where the latter’s global footprints are.
AssetTrackr, founded in 2013, has built a strong technological base for offering fleet management solutions. Describing their relationship as synergetic, Mr. Ashok Yerneni, CEO – AssetTrackr, shares: “AssetTrackr has a powerful brand presence in India and the advantage of being an independent company even after becoming a part of WABCO is that we can react to the market requirements quickly. WABCO has consciously decided to preserve this aspect. And the best part is that AssetTrackr gets to innovate at the same original pace. Hence, it is a win-win solution for both.”
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of WABCO, AssetTrackr can fulfill WABCO’s motto – Global Solutions, Local Expertise – by continuing to cater to the needs of their OE and aftermarket clients for fleet management solutions.
Harnessing expertise
AssetTrackr is now able to access the 300 service centers of WABCO in India and its existing network in South East Asian countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Mr. Yerneni says: “WABCO has deep knowledge and expertise in Vehicle Controls Systems and that information comes through the CAN bus. We collect that information along with data from other external sensors like fuel, temperature, door and proximity sensors to provide rich insights on the vehicle performance and environmental conditions. For example, the fuel monitoring system that we use helps us offer detailed insights to our customers on how their vehicle is performing and its efficiency and collate information for the entire fleet of the customer to provide relative performance indicators.”
With the fillip from WABCO, AssetTrackr is looking forward to make a huge difference to its customers from various industries. It currently serves solutions for cold chain, fuel management, secure cargo transport, remote vehicle health monitoring and last mile delivery services.
Fuel management solutions
Fuel, tyres and maintenance are the three most significant aspects of the total cost of ownership for any fleet operator. Mr. Yerneni shares: “Fuel constitutes more than 55 per cent of the total cost of ownership and fuel monitoring is the most frequently requested feature from our customers. AssetTrackr offers complete fleet management solutions where the customers can track fleet consumption per trip, per day and per month for all the vehicles in the fleet. With this information and some analytics, we can provide insights on fuel efficiency of the vehicles across different routes enabling our customers to evaluate operational profitability at the trip level.”
AssetTrackr utilizes an ultrasonic fuel sensor to offer accurate information to its customers. He says: “The sensor is mounted at the bottom of the tank and accurately measures the fuel level. It is non-intrusive and does not require any alteration of the fuel tanks that can void warranties or create hazardous situations. The fuel level is continuously monitored and reported to our FMS. Our algorithms accurately calculate the fuel levels and report consumption, pilferage, etc., and automatically send alerts of any unusual activity to the owner promptly.”
Cold chain solutions
Another area that AssetTrackr is keenly focusing on is offering cold chain tracking solutions. Cold chain is yet a small market in India. With a few players it may just prove to be an advantage to AssetTrackr. According to Mr. Yerneni, today roughly 40 per cent of perishable goods get spoiled on the way to the end consumer for lack of proper temperature maintenance.
He adds: “As the supply chain gets stronger in India, there is need for better professional solutions in cold chain applications. It is a huge opportunity for us, and with our solution the transporters will be able to provide documentary support to certify that consignment has been transported at the right temperature and humidity levels.”
What keeps AssetTrackr ahead in the game is the fact that it can offer tailor-made solutions for each of its customers. The AssetTrackr software is highly modular and customizable. With the API approach, it can be easily integrated with the customer ERP systems.
AssetTrackr offers superior solution for delivering to ODCs too. Mr. Yerneni gives an example: “ODCs like big cranes are transported in disassembled form. Each piece will be transported in a different truck. And each truck is fitted with a tracking device. Only when all the trucks reach the destination can the engineer be informed about reassembling. The advantage with this solution is that the customer has real time information on the whereabouts of his trucks and, in turn, he can optimize his engineer’s time too.”
Last-mile delivery is another area that is riddled with performance challenges and hence needs improved efficiency in India. AssetTrackr offers Zoblite, a solution that helps streamline the delivery process to facilitate quick turnaround customer service. Zoblite is an enterprise hosted application that integrates with the client’s order taking application and schedules delivery and customer notifications. The solution also offers navigation assistance to customer location, and helps with workflow management and can be worked upon using smartphones.
Mr. Yerneni explains: “Our customers use Zoblite to manage dispatches and deliveries for the last mile. They can optimize the number of vehicles to be used and define the routes for optimal utilization of their delivery time and fuel.”
Companies dealing in courier, cargo, logistics, infrastructure, transport and web-based delivery companies are the focus for AssetTrackr. He offers an example: “We provide alerts and notifications using our solutions on utilization information of equipment in the construction sector. This tells our customers when a piece of equipment needs servicing or find under-utilized equipment for redeployment. Even if the equipment is deployed in a remote location by installing our technology, the construction companies can see the utilization of their equipment in real time and can get daily reports.”
Flexibility of AssetTrackr solutions is what is making a palpable difference to its customers.
Expansion plans
With WABCO’s backing, AssetTrackr is now eagerly looking at expanding in the markets in South Asia, North America and possibly in the GCC area. It is also looking at making its presence felt strongly in the aftermarket too. Mr. Yerneni is hoping to cash in on his company’s ability to provide a common platform of solutions for all vehicle types in India.
He says: “Our focus in the next one year will be to leverage our combined footprint and reach out with our solutions across India. Our short-term focus is on fuel management, cold chain, secure cargo transport and vehicle diagnostics areas, while a few other initiatives that we are working on may take a little while longer.”
AssetTrackr, with the help of WABCO, is poised to create a formidable front in offering flexible fleet management solutions across the globe.