MANITOU ‘CONNECTED MACHINES’
2nd February 2021
The modern construction machine is rarely owned and operated by the same person. It could be part of a contractor’s or hire fleet, or operated by a farm manager on behalf of the owner.
In many cases the owner does not see the machine from one month to the next, but he/she does want to know where it is, how much work it does each day, and when it needs to be serviced. The Manitou ‘Connected Machine’ system provides fleet managers with this, and more, information via their own dashboard on a PC or mobile phone App. What’s more, it has been a standard feature on all compatible machines manufactured since January 2019.
Firstly, Connected Machines include a tracker which constantly communicates the machine’s location to the fleet manager. It is also possible to Geofence the machine to send an alert if it moves out of the expected operating area. The manager has access to all operational data, such as hours worked, current activity, operator alarms, etc. They can also see when it is due for its next service, or analyse error codes before attending a site to service a machine. This feature, alone, can reduce the need for a primary visit to diagnose a fault, followed by a second visit to rectify it. It means reduced downtime for the operator and reduced service costs for the machine owner.
The user-friendly Connected Machine dashboard provides the fleet manager with the location of their entire fleet, with details of each machine, its current status, and service requirements. The MyManitou Mobile App is designed for machine owners to ‘connect’ with their machine when away from the office. This can be particularly useful for mobile engineers to locate a machine which they are due to attend or to diagnose faults in advance of a site visit.
All Connected Machines are supplied with 2 year, 2,000 hour, manufacturer warranty as standard. That can be extended by 1 to 4 years offering peace of mind for up to 6 years, or 6,000 hours (whichever comes first).
Manitou Connected Machines are designed to ensure that fleet managers and farming groups have real-time visibility of their entire fleet, know where each machine is, what it is doing, and when it next requires a service.
