The proliferation of connected vehicle technology has created the capability to use vehicle-generated data to optimize field operations and services. Today, real-time telematics data is gaining a growing recognition as a valuable business intelligence (BI) tool for field operation entities to collect, integrate and analyze business information.

Using fleet vehicles as rolling data platforms, telematics can function as a dynamic BI tool. Not only is the data real-time, but it can be very granular. This data can be examined by region, business segment and vehicle class. Furthermore, it can be dissected by daily volume of trips made by specific types of commercial vehicles compared against past operating behaviors. Data analytical tools create the ability to turn raw data into actionable events.

Currently, and even more so in the future, fleet productivity will revolve around telematics. Fleet productivity tools are evolving at a rapid pace due to the improvements in the standardization of data collected between telematics providers and their devices, as well as between vehicle types. Ultimately, data generated by the vehicle itself, combined with its actual and predictive maintenance data, will allow fleets to target replacement schedules on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis rather than a generalized time/mile replacement policy.

The value of business intelligence lies in how well an organization can draw insight from data to turn it into measurable revenue generation, cost savings or corporate efficiencies. As more connected vehicles enter fleet service, a growing source of industry insight and business intelligence will be telematics data.

Next-Gen Data Analytics

The next generation of data analytics will correlate these massive amounts of data points to identify new best practices that will find applications in unanticipated areas outside fleet management.

1. Micro-Weather Forecasting: Data from the operation of windshield wipers tied to a GPS coordinate are now a part of a “Weather-of-Things” ecosystem. Companies, such as HyperCast, provide minute-by-minute, street-by-street weather forecasts using vehicle telematics data, cell tower signals, data from planes, drones and IoT devices.

2. Seismic Detection Tool: Telematics devices are equipped with accelerometers that track acceleration in the X, Y, and Z axes. While these readings are typically used to help fleets meet their safety goals by reducing erratic driving events and in accident reconstruction, they can also be used to monitor the effects of other forces exerted on a vehicle while it is parked. If sufficient seismic G-forces are applied to a vehicle, such as during an earthquake, they will trigger the telematics device’s accelerometer.

3. Collison Reconstruction: Vehicle telematics can provide the data to analyze and understand events that occurred before, during and after a collision. Telematics data provides an accurate scientific record of events that goes beyond word-of-mouth testimony.