SAN DIEGO—Using cloud computing and fleet customizations, Clarience Technologies' Road Ready is rolling out its next-generation connectivity platform, Fus1on, which was created after more than a year of working with fleet customers to find out how fleet managers want to see and manage data.
Fus1on is an IoT solution optimized for cloud computing that can scale tailored fleet data solutions to commercial transportation customers, according to Nada Jiddou, EVP of Clarience Technologies and GM of Road Ready, who revealed details on the solution during American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition.
"It's a true IoT platform that enables scalability," Jiddou explained. "It's dynamically scaled—we don't have any limits on how many devices can be added to that platform. It is designed for clouds, and I can't emphasize how important that is because of the capabilities that cloud providers have been introducing that make technology really work for you. And it will evolve with the industry."
She said the technology company started building Fus1on with customer feedback and spent about 18 months working with fleets to learn about their issues and what they're looking for. "We decided to actually build something that the customers want versus what we want to introduce from a technology standpoint," she added. "And we can customize it as well for individual needs."
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She said it would serve as the new foundation for Road Ready's ultimate goal to bring total visibility into the supply chain. "We set out nearly two years ago with a bold vision—to lead the way with breakthrough connected technologies that bring total visibility to the entire supply chain," Jiddou explained. "The Fus1on platform is a significant leap forward in advancing that vision as we seek to help customers harness the power of the possible."
Jiddou said the solution would evolve for customers as the transportation industry changes. To determine the product requirements needed to support this change, the Road Ready team focused on its target customer—the fleet manager—considering all aspects of that person's typical day.
"Although most fleet managers will tell you there is no typical day in the job, the pressures they face are striking," said Mark Johnson, Clarience EVP and chief marketing officer. "From the moment they wake up in the morning, the nature of their business requires them to continue to prioritize and reprioritize their day to complete what's important—urgent priorities impacting today, operational priorities impacting performance this month, and strategic priorities impacting whether or not the company outperforms competitors long term."
'Single pane of glass' approach to fleet management
Road Ready imagined a scenario where a typical fleet manager relied on a single source of data that could be analyzed and acted upon in different ways throughout the day, from a critical item checklist that prioritizes overnight issues that would be reviewed at home, to a comprehensive fleet performance dashboard that could be shared in real-time with the entire fleet operations team to drive key performance indicators. Jiddou said every scenario included a "single pane of glass" approach—showing trailers, tractors, drivers, and all other fleet information in one place.
An IoT platform, Fus1on is designed to accept and integrate API feeds—a standardized approach that allows disparate apps to exchange data at scale—without the extensive programming time required with custom integration. Fus1on is built to accept an infinite number of APIs, each of which run queries for specific data requested by the Fus1on platform, which helps Fus1on quickly request, process, and display data from multiple sources.
Additionally, Fus1on is purpose-built for cloud computing. For the platform, Road Ready partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS), leveraging a proven cloud computing system that offers significant built-in features — including leading data security protocols as well as artificial intelligence and robotic process automation functions that will ultimately make Fus1on a safer, more reliable, and more advanced connectivity platform.
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More integrations on the horizon
The technical architecture of the Fus1on platform only matters for one reason—to deliver a better product to customers. Road Ready wanted to ensure this was true at launch and that the platform would continue to provide a better customer experience over time.
Initially, Fus1on will be introduced as a replacement platform for the current Road Ready and Fleetilla platforms. Soon after launch, Road Ready plans to integrate increased functionality into the platform, including the ability for fleets to see the data from all their assets—trailers, tractors, trucks, containers, and other equipment—all on a single fleet dashboard. Fus1on will also enable near-complete customization opportunities, including incorporating any data feed they deem necessary, from electronic logging devices to repair service platforms to enterprise resource planning system data.
Ultimately, Road Ready remains steadfast in its pursuit of total supply chain visibility. While that milestone remains on the horizon, the power of the Fus1on platform to rapidly integrate data generated by the entire supply chain puts the brand one step closer.
"Achieving total supply chain visibility is not impossible; it will happen in the near future," Jiddou said. "When that day arrives, we will attribute the development of this platform as the major inflection point—giving our entire industry the ability to harness the power of the possible."
