Satellite GPS-monitoring can be cited as one of the promising business processes. As technology advances, it has gone well beyond the concepts «tracking» and «control». First of all, it is an investment. Today, when unreasonable and unnecessary expenses are a luxury, trends in strengthening disciplinary regulations, rational use of working hours, reducing manufacturing costs have emerged. Many managers realized the need to control the operation of equipment, transport, personnel activities using modern tools. Economic benefits of monitoring systems integration more than pays off all the costs of equipment installation, subscription fee. The Director General of «Monitoring Plus» LLP Alexey Dmitrenko told us about the guaranteed savings, the factors of dynamic business development and new «smart» developments of the company.
Satellite GPS-monitoring can be cited as one of the promising business processes. As technology advances, it has gone well beyond the concepts «tracking» and «control». First of all, it is an investment. Today, when unreasonable and unnecessary expenses are a luxury, trends in strengthening disciplinary regulations, rational use of working hours, reducing manufacturing costs have emerged. Many managers realized the need to control the operation of equipment, transport, personnel activities using modern tools. Economic benefits of monitoring systems integration more than pays off all the costs of equipment installation, subscription fee. The Director General of «Monitoring Plus» LLP Alexey Dmitrenko told us about the guaranteed savings, the factors of dynamic business development and new «smart» developments of the company.
— Alexey Alexandrovich, tell us what challenges of clients does the installation of your system help to meet?
— We have been on the market for 8 years. Our principal activity is vehicles GPS tracking, we started with the Belarusian software, then developed our own software called «SKIF». The software is registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan and has a certificate of copyright registration. Today, we have expanded beyond Kostanay Region and serviced other regions of Kazakhstan. Installation of our systems helps the client to meet a set of challenges based on his specific requirements: from the disciplinary force to quite tangible fuel economy. We constantly innovate the software based on the challenges established by the Customers: we have implemented time-lapse photography, possible to record video or photo, the development of driving style analysis is being finalized, i.e. you can track a driver’s speed to determine whether there was hard braking, crash stops, vehicular impacts. Also, at the request of the client from West Kazakhstan Region, road signs were placed on the map in the software, which might help the Customer to see if some traffic rules have been violated.
It supports much wider range of solutions to help farmers. We have a large customer base consisting of large and small agricultural companies. We have developed for them GPS tracking system, fuel monitoring, time-lapse photography, bin fill rate analysis. When plowing, information on the type of weapon, length in meters, number of hectares harvested, turning on and turning off of the auger conveyor is being compiled. Since not all areas have stable cellphone coverage and we had an issue with connection, we found a solution through additional antennas that boosts a signal. There is also a product line of tankers fuel consumption that refuel combines. At the moment we serve about 300 companies. These are agricultural enterprises, carriers, and state institutions. Our system is used by more than 9 000 vehicles. trucks, cars, utility vehicles and other.
— How is it in reality? How much money do enterprises save on average with your services? Is there a test mode when installing?
At the initial stage, the fuel economy is about 30%, thanks to the full drivers and transport’s monitoring: routes, driver’s location, leaving the geographic zone, downtime. Recently, we have installed equipment for drilling rigs and quarry machinery in Akmola Region. For those customers who are not familiar with the monitoring system, the equipment can be set up in test mode for a period of one month . During this period, we show how the system works and usually after that the customer decides to install the equipment. This is what we did in «Galant» LLC of Fedorovsky District and at the moment more than half of the client’s equipment is equipped with GPS device. Another example: We have equipped 6 KAMAZ vehicles of the Akmola Region enterprise with GPS device, and savings amounted to 1.5 tons of diesel fuel in a month and a half, i.e. the equipment has paid off immediately, now we continue to install sensors on other vehicles. In eight agricultural enterprises of North Kazakhstan Region and Akmola Region we have installed video surveillance systems for cereal receiving stations, warehouses, elevators. Our customers are satisfied with fully automated monitoring: you can remotely monitor what is happening on the site on any gadget.
— How do drivers react to the tracking system? Still negative?
— Of course, they react differently. It depends on the person: the one who is used to discipline, including self-discipline, on the contrary, reacts positively. Many managers, by the way, believe that satellite monitoring is necessary for combating theft, but this is not the main possibility of making savings. Having installed GPS monitoring system, the company sees its real costs, can reconsider the approved standards, improve many processes, manage the fleet as effectively as possible.
— How is the comparative analysis of resource savings made? Who does that?
— When installing the equipment, analytical support is provided to compare the results. Experienced staff of our analytics department compare the report, according to which, for example, a mechanic writes off 18 liters of fuel, with the system data, which indicates the volume of 15 liters, and find an overstating of norms. In total, our team consists of 36 employees, including 5 specialists in the analytics department, 12 people in the technical department.
— How do customers find you? How much has the customer base increased this year?
— We participate in many exhibitions where customers from other regions can find us. The second way — recommendations from those who are already working with us. We also have a website www.m-plus.kz. This year about 60 organizations joined us, all partners are very happy.
— Alexey Alexandrovich, there are hundreds of private and state enterprises in your client list. Why customers choose your company despite strong competition?
— We are a company with priority to the customer. Each employee understands that the customer satisfaction is the key to success. In eight years we have built a system that takes into account any business needs. The main outcome of using GPS technologies — savings, and I do not mean potential savings, but specific, which can be calculated. In addition to high-tech equipment, software, we have a key element — service support. After signing a contract with the company, we address jointly its problems, take a close look at the situation and work side by side throughout the time. The team’s experience, material and technical base, sufficient number of certified staff, positive feedback from partners and other similar features are a guarantee that you will not be left alone with the acquired technical means.
— Tell us about the «Smart City» system. What is the product and where is it used?
— I have already talked about the «SKIF» software, which includes a geographic information system, solutions for industries and the «Smart City» project. Smart City is designed to ensure high quality of life of residents through innovative technologies that involve economical and environmentally friendly use of urban life systems. Such as «Smart Housing and Communal Services», which through built-in systems allows to display online data of metering devices, see information on each municipal object, save on LED street lighting up to 50%, by additional equipment allowing to reduce the lighting power depending on the time of day. «Smart traffic management» – a system of warning drivers to decelerate or to speed up; in agriculture — the establishment of a unified digital map, for example, land fund maps; in health care, for example, the development of telemedicine bracelets monitoring the health of the elderly and single people. There is also a «Smart school», «Smart security», «Smart management» – the development of transparent public system of management of a smart city. This year we visited the international exhibition and congress of smart energy systems International Istanbul Smart Grid Congress and Fair or ICSG Istanbul 2017 in Istanbul and saw that such a system is already working in Turkey.