Caterpillar has launched its new Cat Connect service in Australia, a feature that aims to simplify maintenance and fleet management, whilst also improving efficiency and safety.
Cat Connect is an amalgamation of products and dealer services under one banner. With the increasing amount of diagnostic data available to operators, useful information becomes more difficult to find. One of the aims of Cat Connect is to highlight the information useful to the operator by having it be sent directly from the Cat offices in Melbourne.
From a command centre reminiscent of NASA’s mission control, Cat employees use sophisticated tools to monitor thousands of machines all across Australia. When a warning message comes through, high engine temperatures or long idle-times for example, operators can be contacted directly.
From there a customer might receive an email or a phone call, which will detail what went wrong, what the potential hazards and maintenance issues are, and how it can be fixed. Along with this is Cat’s system of providing weekly or monthly reports that contain useful information compiled from machinery data. This will contain information such as how fuel efficient that jobsite is running in comparison to other, similar jobsites.
Also situated in the Melbourne Cat offices is a laboratory that is used to examine fluids and their contaminants. With the help of specialised equipment, Cat employees monitor the condition of oils or coolant. The result of this testing procedure provides clues that are necessary to diagnose or predict potential problems with machinery.
Another aspect of Cat Connect is the improved safety and tracking technology available on the next generation of Cat machines. Examples of this include rear-facing cameras on the 336E excavator and 12M Grader (pictured).
Cat say that Cat Connect is intended to change the focus from selling product to finding solutions for customers. For this reason, the sign on the building that proclaims it a “Customer Solutions Centre,” is quite apt.
Expect more information on Cat Connect after the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 in Las Vegas, which occurs on March 4-8.
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