Toyota’s IoT Investments Could Be Big News for Field Service
Field service organizations depend on their fleets to transport products, people, and services to customer locations. However, commercial fleet operations are often complicated. Not only do field service organizations need to maintain and account for their vehicles, but they also need to ensure that their fleet operations align with their strategic business goals.
Recently, a Toyota subsidiary made a significant investment into IoT technology, and it could lead to significant changes to how commercial fleets operate.
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Woven Capital and Ridecell
According to a press release from Toyota, Woven Capital, L.P., the investment arm of Woven Planet Group, a Toyota subsidiary, invested in Ridecell Inc., a platform powering digital IoT automation for fleet-driven businesses. Ridecell and the Woven Planet Group are also planning to explore collaborative opportunities in mobility service operations.
The Ridecell platform connects fleets via IoT devices and helps companies automate service and fleet management workflows at scale. This is a significant improvement over existing fleet management solutions.
For example, traditional management systems allow companies to monitor their fleets. But according to Ridcell, "Our Fleet IoT Automation platform integrates data insights with digital vehicle control to turn today’s manual processes into automated workflows. The result is a ‘self-acting’ fleet control system that doesn’t just report issues but automatically resolves issues—quickly and efficiently, from start to finish."
The solution analyzes internal systems and vehicle statuses to trigger workflow automations. If a vehicle breaks down, IoT devices deliver data that automatically triggers a workflow to ensure it can be repaired or recovered, minimizing downtime.
Users can also manage vehicle use remotely. In fact, they can even manage vehicle statuses directly through their smartphones.
A Potential Game-Changer for Service Fleets
Most companies involved in field service invest millions of dollars in their fleets already, but they need better solutions for managing these assets. Manual fleet management tasks, unexpected downtime, and a lack of accountability can significantly increase costs.
This technology has the potential to create new levels of efficiency for field service organizations. Instead of having to manually address fleet problems, organizations can create automated workflows that address them quickly and effortlessly.
It could help companies automate compliance and ensure their fleets are secure as well. They can even create rules that automate vehicle immobilization to ensure vehicles aren’t stolen or used for non-business purposes.
Finally, the tool also integrates with other solutions within the business so data can be leveraged for insights and used in various contexts.
Get In on the Latest Field Service Innovations
Fleet management is just one area of field service that is changing thanks to new technologies and innovative ideas. In the coming years, field service organizations will be able to deliver better results for customers through efficient, proactive service and a more connected customer experience.
To learn more about the latest field service innovations, don’t miss the next Field Service conference. It’s happening at the JW Marriott in Palm Springs, CA from April 26th to April 28th.
Download the agenda today to learn more.