“The No. 1 killer on a job site is downtime,” says Jordan Sonnier, district business manager for KOBELCO. “Machines break down, but staying ahead of [maintenance] issues will prove to reduce costs.”
One way, of course, is through conducting maintenance according to guidelines in the operator’s manual.
“In order to keep operating expenses down, managers can conduct regular maintenance on the unit per the operator schedule,” says excavator-maker LBX product manager Adam Woods. “Regular maintenance will help lengthen the life of the machine and help reduce any unwanted downtime. With ground-level maintenance, along with extended service intervals for many machine fluids, maintenance costs should remain minimal.”
Using telematics
Using telematics for maintenance notifications and to monitor machine systems in real-time can offer more immediate help in keeping downtime at bay. Information is power, and most OEMs have proprietary systems on much of their iron.
“With KOBELCO’s Komexs system, updates and email alerts can be sent directly to you in regards to what's going on with your machine,” Sonnier says. “If any issues were to arise, knowing that information and solving that issue quickly will allow your machine to stay stronger and up and running to make you more money on the job site.”
Aaron Kleingartner, marketing manager for Doosan, explains how his company’s system works for both maintenance information and production numbers.
How telematics work
“The DoosanConnect telematics system is updating on an ongoing basis to provide owners and fleet managers with access to more information, helping them more efficiently manage their construction equipment.
There’s also a mobile app that is customizable as to how and when managers can get their information.
“We make it simple for fleet managers and owners to access the system from connected mobile devices with the mobile app,” Kleingartner says. “As long as they have access to a network, they can use the app to remotely monitor their construction equipment and respond in a timely manner to any error codes that may eventually lead to downtime.
Telematics for maintenance alerts
“The system allows contractors to set up alerts,” Kleingartner says. “Contractors can be alerted through email or through a push notification through the mobile app, like receiving an alert from any other mobile application. Contractors can set up their accounts to get alerted about what they want to see specifically, and when. For example, the system could be set up for email alerts 24/7, while the mobile DoosanConnect app is set up to only alert them Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, just for major warnings on the machine.”
