Komatsu’s myFleet platform is handing data and unique insights back to the customer, allowing them to make more informed decisions and unlock even greater efficiencies for their businesses.
Quality products, services and commitment. That’s the Komatsu promise.
For more than 100 years, the company has been putting the power back into the hands of its customers, listening to and implementing product feedback to evolve the company in its current form.
One big part of this approach has been opening the door for customers to learn more about the machinery they operate, providing much more than just a peek behind the curtain of what makes Komatsu machinery tick.
The platform was initially developed in 2015 as an internal solution to streamline data from multiple systems, giving service technicians rapid access to machine information to better prepare for customer visits, ensuring a more efficient and informed service.
This development led to the creation of a platform that could generate a service report in 10 seconds, rather than the average of 45 minutes.
Following seven years of internal use, as well as growing demand from customers for such as platform, Komatsu launched myFleet in June 2023, available to customers through myKomatsu.
Steve Williams, National Manager, ICT and Fleet Management – Komatsu says myFleet centralises data from about 30 Komatsu systems, allowing customers to access machine information in one place, without having to log into multiple platforms.
“While we were running our machinery diagnosis’, the first thing customers would say was ‘when can I get it?’ They wanted to be able to do the same things that we could, to help with their business operations,” he says.
“Now – within seconds – users can start to build a more accurate picture in their minds around what’s been going on with their machinery.”
myFleet aims to provide an improved management experience for fleets of all sizes, by utilising data from Komatsu’s own machinery.
It does this in a number of ways. Firstly, by tracking metrics, such as engine hours, idling time and fuel consumption, providing more insight into machine use.
Data from metrics such as this is then gathered to provide a health score for each machine, helping to highlight any potential issues that need attention. The system can also detect error codes and abnormality alerts.
All this information is simplified so the customer can understand the issue at hand, as well as how to resolve it.
myFleet also enables Komatsu to further educate customers on habits and operational mistakes that may be damaging equipment over time.
“When a machine is operated incorrectly or has maybe completed an action that it shouldn’t have, we can process that abnormality code and advise the operator,” Williams says.
“For example, our newer products comply with tier four emission regulations, which may include Ad Blue systems to clean up emissions. During the shutdown, as the machine is removing the Ad Blue from the lines, operators can sometimes disconnect the battery to adhere to site requirements. If that happens, that process stops, which means the ad blue can settle and crystallise, which has the potential of being harmful to the machine.
“You could end up having to replace hoses or worse. We can see that in the data, then go to the operator and explain ‘here’s what it means, here’s the issue and the impact and here’s how you can resolve it or change that behaviour’. That’s an example where we can use data to change those habits to lengthen the lifespan and output of their machinery.”
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On top of reducing potential costs for repairs, myFleet can also play a big role in increasing the sustainability of fleet over time, with data able to paint a better picture on the environmental impact of a project, thanks to metrics such as CO2 emissions.
“It’s something that’s very front of mind for our customers, with many having to report on their environmental impact as part of their projects and tenders,” Williams says. “There’s now an added incentive to upgrading to fuel-efficient, lower-emission equipment, as customers can now better measure these aspects accurately.”
It’s metrics like this that can help operators to discover new ways to optimise their operations.
“I was visiting a customer late last year. We got them online with myFleet quickly and easily and we started looking through their machines when we noticed that one unit was burning about 30 to 40 per cent more fuel than the average machine in Australia,” Williams says.
“It was contributing a lot more in terms of emissions and financially through unnecessary fuel use. One of their leaders said, ‘it doesn’t matter what the solution is here, the fact that we’re having the conversation is important’. Now they’re hypothesising on ways to reduce costs and maintain productivity, which is so important in today’s market.”
Williams adds, myFleet is a free add-on for eligible Komatsu customers.
“For our customers who are already online though our customer portal – which is a free sign up – and have already got a trading account with us, myFleet is just another free add-on, on top of that,” he says.
Always upgrading
Komatsu is constantly updating its myFleet platform to satisfy the evolving needs of the market, as well as its customers.
Williams says that within 18 months since its launch, myFleet has been updated 19 times. And there’s more on the way.
“One of the things we’re working on now, based on feedback from our customers, is to provide more information on the components that are used to meet emission regulations, specifically the DPF, or diesel particulate filter, to better help our customers to track and plan maintenance of these components,” Williams says.
Customer feedback is also pointing towards more features to track and manage for rental companies. Williams says the platform is becoming more popular with rental companies due to its ability to aid invoicing and customer transparency when it comes to machinery use, as well as any potential machine performance issues.
“It makes end of month invoicing much quicker. We want to get the platform to a stage where rental companies can reduce the time required by 10, 20 or even 50 per cent. Being able to provide that evidence and also remove any guesswork, that’s a real benefit that we’re working to unlock,” Williams says.
This article was originally published in the March edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
