Accelerating Performance with the Artificial Intelligence of Things
including artificial intelligence. 8 With these
solutions, Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks can
help their customers maximize a vehicle’s
time on the road and minimize the costs of
service disruptions by servicing connected
vehicles more efficiently, accurately and
proactively.
efficient process, and greater uptime keeps
customers happy.
Smart Copiers and Printers Report When
They Need Service or Supplies
Konica Minolta Japan is the distributor and
service provider arm of Konica Minolta Inc.,
which primarily manufactures office
equipment such as copiers and digital print
systems.
Volvo Trucks’ Remote Diagnostics monitors
data from each truck for fault codes
triggered when something is amiss with a
major system. Thousands of sensors on each
truck collect streaming IoT data in real time
to provide context around where the event
happened and what conditions were present
during the fault. Similarly, Mack Trucks’
GuardDog Connect helps customers
evaluate the severity of issues and manage
repairs by remotely collecting data from the
vehicle in the form of fault codes and other
parameter data, then ranking them based on
severity. If a fault requires immediate action,
an agent contacts the customer to explain
the situation and recommended action. If it’s
less time-sensitive or does not involve a
potential injury, the repair is planned for
when it makes the most sense for the
operation.
Historically, the company kept each
customer supplied with three spare toner
cartridges per unit. But sometimes
customers didn’t want the toner taking up
their office space, or they would discard the
toner without using it because its expiration
date had passed.
After adopting AI with connected sensors on
the copiers and printers, Konica Minolta
Japan was able to track consumption of
toner and send replacement toner cartridges
when needed. Combining data from the
devices with external data and applying
machine learning, the company generates
forecasts that enable just-in-time delivery
for better customer satisfaction.
Konica Minolta Japan also uses data from
remote sensors to establish proactive
maintenance. The company now forecasts
the life of parts based on the status of use
and sends service personnel to the customer
before a problem develops.
The results of pairing sensor data and IoT
technologies with advanced analytics
including AI have been impressive. For Volvo
Trucks, diagnostic time was reduced by 70
percent and repair time by 25 percent. 8
Mack Trucks points to benefits for all
stakeholders – dealers experience a more
8
Bjorlin, Courtney. IoT World Today https://www.iotworldtoday.com/2018/11/09/volvo-trucks-iot-enabled-fleet-uses-sas-to-
boost-uptime/
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June 2019