Trimble implements strategy insideconstruction.com.au/site/features/1052977/trimble-implements-strategy
Mid last year, we spoke to Dan Barry, regional sales manager Australasia, civil engineering & construction. The new product releases and developments were theory based at that stage, but in this conversation, he fills us in on the deployment phase.
Dan Barry. OEM developments Trimble has a very strong OEM group that works closely with a number of the leading manufacturers including Komatsu, Kobelco and Hitachi. These relationships now tie in with the Trimble Earthworks platform in the sense that customers are demanding that this technology be increasingly imbedded. Today, customers are looking for a more seamless user experience, which comes as a result of integrating the technology. The OEM relationship and the integration of technology, is critical to improving that user experience. In Japan, the Hitachi relationship has seen a significant amount of technology integrated into machines and released at a domestic level. This is really a test case readying for potential global deployment, and this is exciting for the OEM group. It is the same with several of the other OEMs. We're working with K-Tec and Kobelco on a global level and we've had some significant gains over the last six to 12 months. Working closely with the OEMs translates to more and more integration. Essentially, this technology is already here in Australia and New Zealand with the Trimble Earthworks Solution. In the excavator space, we're seeing the beginnings of the embedded solutions released through Hitachi, Kobelco and Sumitomo, and because of the relationship with Caterpillar these solutions are available today. It's growing organically, as more and more customers become aware of what's going on, demand for this technology increases. Major projects 1/3
We have been involved in numerous infrastructure projects this year and at varying levels. Traditionally, if we looked at the nature of the project or works program, we would gauge our impact based on certain metrics. With the release of Trimble Earthworks, and in conjunction with the excavator solution, we've tried to look at the vast array of applications where our solution works, and from customer feedback and our own hand-on experience, identify where the benefits lie for that project. In the past, we've focused on the collective outcome where you take a series of solutions and apply them to the job, choose the design suites and control the data flow. This is still a core focus for the overall and over arching solution, but we're really looking at the different applications for the technology and how these affect the project. We've been focused on direct project involvement and we're arguably across every single infrastructure project in Australia and New Zealand. We talk to clients about specific applications where we can drill down, over a period of six months of a project, and really show how technology can change or improve productivity, change the way customers work today and tomorrow, and help them develop competitive advantage. We've been working closely with a company called SEE Civil on the Gold Coast, and they've been quite and eye opener for us. SEE Civil is a very strong contractor and we've worked with them on a number of projects. These include the Century Cove project where we've been able to trial and test productivity gains with Earthworks and that's been pivotal in terms of wrapping data around the benefits we can capture from that solution. The M2PP project, featured previously in Inside Construction, is now completed and in the maintenance phase. It is still a feather in our cap as it was a true end-to-end project where we had involvement from the beginning, providing consulting early on through to the technology deployment strategy for the project life cycle. We're involved in NZ Transition Gully Project, which is a similar but more complex project. It has unique challenges and problems like site access points through what is essentially a mountain range. Challenges are thrown up in a live project environment, which require workshopping to overcome. This can be a fairly vigorous process. These ad hoc issues are where we are really looking to leverage our design solutions through Business Centre. The ‘tier one' solution is becoming more and more critical at the planning stage and is tied into everyone's ability to better plan. This translates to costing and planning the job so you can be sure that those elements and risks are identified and mitigated prior to a project bid. Working closely with clients and being able to identify and catch these potential pitfalls and factor them in, has given us a huge level of trust with our clients and partners, and it's exciting to see them succeed on the back of the utilisation of these technologies. Next couple of years We'll continue to focus on the Trimble Earthworks portfolio, which will be rolled out across more and more machine types. We'll work towards the dozer solution, which we are currently releasing, and look to a mast-less type of receiver, cab mounted solution, which 2/3
again can be retro fitted, which we're excited about. In addition, we are looking at how we can further leverage the android platform for the Trimble Earthworks Solution and how, with further customisation, this can impact on productivity gains. So we'll be working closely with local developers on this front. We will certainly look at where we can take, use and the deliver data in a timely fashion. We're focused on providing a clearer picture to the user. How do we take the information, from an abundance of information, and use it effectively so that better decisions can be made. We are now in the business of defining the opportunities of communicating that data better. We're partnering Propeller Aero with the Trimble Connect platform and this collaboration will lead to changes in the way a project operates. Via provided analytics, a daily, weekly or monthly flight around a job site will provide a wide array of data that you wouldn't normally have and we use this data and factor it into an overarching solution. The workloads on sites are becoming increasingly dynamic and it's really exciting to see the benefits customers are experiencing as a result our engagement. It's a really exciting time for Trimble.
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