Most do agree that Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionising things. The benefits it brings are endless and, as the technology matures, projects go from proof-of-concept to commercial implementation.
IoT technology in particular will be able to help commercial fleets - ranging from helping them benefit from smart route planning to increasing supply chain efficiency. One of the ways IoT technology can help the vehicle industry is by supporting the construction and development of 'smart cities'.
Smart cities
Smart cities are using IoT devices and sensors to collect and analyse information. These insights can help city administrators improve resource utilisation, increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve public transport and generally improve residents' quality of life. There are two technologies driving the development of smart cities. The first is next-generation networks (5G). This provides a huge acceleration of data traffic. Data can be collected, processed and analysed in greater quantities and at a faster pace than ever before. Second is the wide availability of compact and affordable sensors. Smart cities are powered by an intelligent network of sensors that collect and transmit data. This too helps in collecting data and generating insights. Today's sensors are about the size of a hockey ball (or smaller) and in the near future they are predicted to be as small as a speck of dust, almost invisible to the human eye.
Sensors placed along our roads and connected to devices such as mobile phones and activity trackers can transmit information about road usage. For fleets, this theoretically turns the world upside down. With countless connected devices, they will have access to an unprecedented amount of data that will make drivers' jobs easier and more efficient.
The potential for fleet managers
Technology for monitoring acceleration, braking and other driving behaviour already exists. Imagine the possibilities when additional data points from IoT devices are added to this. For commercial fleet operators, real-time monitoring offers opportunities to increase safety and productivity. For example, sensors can check road conditions in different weather situations and issue real-time alerts. For example, drivers can be advised to avoid sections of road with black ice or other hazards. Another possibility is to use real-time data to warn drivers of high road congestion and suggest a smarter route, helping to reduce journey times. Also, problems with finding parking spaces are a thing of the past, as sensors can indicate exactly where a spot is free. And since it is no longer necessary to drive around the city centre in circles, this reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
In addition, the Department of Public Works, provinces, municipalities and water boards can use the data to assess the condition of roads to prioritise their maintenance. Combined with machine learning, data can also help tune traffic light schedules, set variable speed limits and open up emergency lanes.
Smart city planning in action
Cities around the world are already starting to adopt such a smart-city strategy. In Barcelona, they are using data to improve routes and departure schedules of city buses, based on accurate, live data. In Singapore, they have gone a step further: they use data from IoT sensors to improve the performance of public transport, but also to inform citizens about which car parks in the city still have free spaces, what the current water levels are and much more. Singapore is also the site of Robocars, one of the first public trials of self-driving cars for consumers. In San Mateo in the US, they are taking a 'smart region' approach. The project involves several Silicon Valley cities working together, with the aim of sharing smartcity resources and solving problems together.
These are just a few examples of how smart cities are helping governments and planners better understand how urban infrastructure works, and make smarter decisions for the future. Good infrastructure combined with smart route planning helps make cities more accessible to vehicles, which means better traffic flow and drivers spend less time being stuck in traffic.
IoT calls for MRM
How can businesses benefit from all this new information provided by smart cities? Traditionally, public agencies have operated more or less independently. In a smart-city environment, this is not a workable model. Companies need a common software platform that provides access to all this disparate information. That is where Mobile Resource Management (MRM) comes in handy. MRM is the technology that helps fleet managers and operations directors connect all data points. MRM is a combination of traditional telematics and GPS tracking with route optimisation, aiming to connect an organisation's front and back end - helping companies increase the efficiency of their operations. By navigating the new smart cities with MRM, fleet managers can encourage and improve safe driving behaviour, work more efficiently and thus increase productivity.
Smart city technology thus works both ways. On the one hand, it helps improve traffic flow and make cities more accessible to vehicles, reducing the time drivers spend stuck in traffic. And on the other - combined with MRM - it helps achieve positive results for customers and their organisations.
