Flexco

Q: What is the most innovative and forward-thinking project GemOne has delivered to date, and as a result, how has it accelerated its airport operation efficiency?

Airlines and handling companies need a global view of their operations. They must be able to view the locations and the data of their equipment on the ground in real time for operational efficiency.

GemOne has created premium products to meet these objectives. Sapphire is one of those safety management solutions. Our Sapphire V2SC increases the safety and efficiency of fleets today and future-proofs businesses for tomorrow.

GemOne’s Sapphire V2SC offers a multitude of high-functioning capabilities, including:

• On-screen safety checklists, which make pre- and post-start checks mandatory, with operator lockout if there’s a critical issue. It ensures operators have inspected the machine and determined that it is safe to operate. It tracks user behaviour and safety issues with real-time data on a cloud platform.

• Impact reporting is another key feature of this product. Unreported impacts are costly to your business, both in terms of product and equipment damage and machine downtime. Receive instant notifications of impacts so you can identify which operators and areas are most prone to incidents. Managers can set up lockout thresholds to stop machines working after an impact.

• Operator Access Control allows you to give equipment access to approved operators via a pin code, RFID card, or fob. Choose who you want to operate each machine, based on your own criteria for certifications and training.

• With session reporting, businesses can monitor the activity of operators on a daily basis. With this feature, you’ll gain insights on key time, seat time, and hours of movement.

• One of the best things about our Sapphire VSC2 model is that it has cameras. There is an option to add up to four cameras to prevent equipment damage, increase productivity, reduce operator fatigue and stress, shorten training time for new drivers, and increase work area safety. Operators gain the benefit of seeing clearly where their vision could normally be limited. The cameras are easily installed on a strong, secure, magnetic base with no welding or drilling required. Cameras can be repositioned as needed and are suitable for use indoors and outdoors. The cameras automatically record video to capture data that assists the incident investigation. When your forklift is turned on, the cameras are recording. Get up to 33 days of video, and then easily swap out your SD card for more.

• Our digital weight scale has the ability to accurately read your current load weight to within 2% of the machine’s rated capacity. Know the weight of your load at any time and receive alerts when a machine surpasses weight limits set by the company.

 All of this data can be stored and accessed via an online cloud platform that offers valuable business insights. Our Sapphire product is also fully customisable, meaning there are additional add-ons such as:

• The 360° Proximity Warning System. This feature enables companies to safeguard their employees and pedestrians from potential collisions. This system delivers reports on all near-misses so you can see which operators, machines, and areas are most prone to accidents.

• Customisable alerts can be tailored to visual, audible, or vibrating alerts, which are activated when a proximity perimeter is breached.
  
• Our battery monitoring solution works with both lead acid and lithium-ion batteries to keep you up to the minute on temperature, water level, state of health, and state of charge—all with real-time alerts when something is amiss.
  

A solution such as GemOne’s Sapphire VS2C helps ground support handlers get the full picture of the fleet and operations with a system that is scalable across airports. Sapphire gives real-time control over the fleet and streamlines operations. Using this solution, airports can easily manage labour costs, fuel consumption, set targets for decreasing it, and keep an eye on global fleet costs. Sapphire aims to help airports comply with safe and efficient operations, while compliance is guaranteed through recorded data.

Q: What are your thoughts about the Future of Fleet Management? How do you think this will impact GSE fleet efficiency and how will GemOne play a role in this?

After years of growth in the aviation industry, it has become increasingly challenging for airports to cut their costs while continuing to offer an excellent customer experience.

For airports, operational efficiency surrounding their ground support equipment is crucial. GemOne has created solutions to bring together all GSE data and not only give airports insights on their operations but also the tools to implement changes and improvements.

A more efficient fleet

GemOne’s solutions give real-time, comprehensive insights into the efficiency of a fleet. While it's true that running a fleet based on efficiency and safety is not always easy, recent technological developments and user-friendly software have brought about a new generation of smart telematics.

Our software allows fleet and ground support managers to receive alerts and reports on driving events, as well as any idling. Equipment operator behaviour can be understood through reports for the entire fleet. The data will give an idea of the improvements that may be needed to meet economic goals.

Monitoring efficiency also includes wear and tear from poor servicing, rising insurance costs, and additional expenditure on damage and accident repairs.

GPS technology is the foundation of a fleet tracking system, such as those built into GemOne’s Sapphire and Onyx solutions. While it may be apparent of how it’s used for location tracking and maintenance monitoring in the logistics sector, it’s time to highlight its use in aviation. Similar to other industries, leading aviation and ground service crews use the technology in ways similar to fleet managers, as the outcomes are equally beneficial. If an airport incorporates a fleet management system based on GPS like GemOne’s telematics, there are already a variety of actions it can take to reduce idling and mileage and operate a responsible and safe fleet.

Tracking fleet maintenance

Fleet maintenance is just another one of the myriad tasks of fleet managers that is by no means less important than others. Some companies look at maintenance with a reactive approach, thinking that focusing on a maintenance issue when it arises will save money. But that's not true, because a strategy that runs until failure can also lead to more costs and risks. Vehicles that are not well maintained can potentially become unsafe and dangerous for the operator and others in the vicinity. By focusing on prevention instead, companies will see benefits in their costs and in the lifecycle of the vehicles. Onyx helps you create a comprehensive maintenance plan using alerts and reminders. With GemOne, you can track maintenance, reduce costs, increase safety, lower insurance premiums, and keep track of all aspects of fleet maintenance.

Productivity Statistics

Having diverse teams and assets within an airport ecosystem means ground support fleet managers need intuitive and adaptable solutions that work with their fleet's needs.

GemOne's solutions can help increase a fleet's overall productivity, improve a company's cost efficiency, and provide the best possible service to customers through timely and optimised services. Insights that are detailed and customisable provide a comprehensive view of a fleet's current performance and enable operators to identify areas of productivity deficiency. This gives the company the opportunity to train drivers in best practises and implement a comprehensive productivity strategy tailored to the needs of the business.

When large quantities of data are collected in real-time, immediate decisions can be made. That is especially true when airports utilise telematics solutions for the purpose of resource management and productivity. From monitoring fuel usage to asset location, beacons and sensors can be installed to track nearly every aspect of aircraft operations. Ultimately, allowing officials to allocate employees and equipment properly to achieve maximum productivity, as well as being able to monitor and report on their efforts.

To successfully implement a telematics solution, airports must feel confident about integrating a platform that addresses their full system. This includes ground handling, airlines, and airport authorities, so true transparency and visibility can be achieved. GemOne products are not a “one size fits all” solution, rather, we offer a customised system to meet the needs of the company, helping it to achieve maximum efficiency.