It will come as no surprise that a company as big as Laing O’Rourke would have clear strategies in in using an IoT solution for its fleet management before it developed its partnership with IoT solutions provider Trackunit. 

It will also come as no surprise that as the scope of the global engineering and construction giant’s requirements over time developed into a requirement to better understand its emissions and fuel usage, it required a more sophisticated system to deliver actionable data and insights. 

“We thought that Trackunit was a better fit for us — it was more developed,” says Andrew Thorley, Senior Product Manager: Accessories & Services at Laing O’Rourke. “It was more mature as a platform — bringing in different AMP feeds from different OEMs was a much smoother, simpler process.

‘Being able to understand the hours that are actually being operated on site, sounds really simple, but in reality, with three sites, it was challenging..’

Andrew Thorley, Senior Product Manager

Easy integration

Trackunit’s platform facilitates easy integration of data feeds from various OEMs, providing a comprehensive view of machine operations. 

“Trackunit understands the importance of contractor-focused reporting, which is our main focus,” says Thorley, adding that IoT enables Laing O’Rourke to analyze machine utilization, fuel consumption, and emissions, driving efficiency and cost savings.

Laing O’Rourke’s implementation of Trackunit’s Sites feature has, says Thorley, the potential to lead to great savings in time, cost and carbon output, with a keen focus on maximizing efficiency and understanding machine utilization. 

According to Thorley, “the first thing was to start looking at utilization” when identifying Trackunit as a key partner to work with. Thorley highlights the necessity of this focus, particularly in a context where “we’ve got machines that are worth millions and millions of pounds,” he says, underscoring the critical importance of optimizing machine usage to minimize costs. 

By using Trackunit’s Sites offering, Laing O’Rourke has set up sites in Trackunit Manager to monitor activities across its fleet of 1,200 machines across the country. “When you run reports, you’re running reports on machines that are in a specific site,” that deliver real-time data accuracy via Sites, enabling informed decision-making, he adds. 

Moreover, Thorley highlights the ease of tracking machine movements and hours of operation, noting the simplicity of previously complex tasks such as understanding what machines are on site and their fuel usage.

‘Trackunit understands the importance of contractor-focused reporting, which is our main focus’

Andrew Thorley, Senior Product Manager

Massive step

“Being able to understand the hours that are actually being operated on site, sounds really simple, but in reality, with three sites, it was an absolute nightmare to do,” Thorley says. “Using Sites to track machines is a massive step [and] being able to see instantly when machines arrive and leave sites is a key feature.”

Laing O’Rourke underscores the paramount importance of real-time data and time-saving capabilities facilitated by Trackunit’s Sites feature.  “Having that real-time understanding of exactly what machines are on site…is probably the biggest success you can have,” says Thorley. 

Laing O’Rourke’s adoption of Trackunit’s Sites feature is revolutionizing its fleet management strategies, with a particular focus on understanding usage hours and driving sustainability initiatives which, Thorley says, should help it analyze fuel consumption in upcoming capital purchases and procure the best machinery available. Trackunit’s Emissions Reporting provides accurate, real-world data to allow companies to get on top of sustainability. With the Emissions Reporting dashboard, companies can access live machine data backed by fleet-wide analysis, to monitor, manage and report fleet CO2 emissions.

Looking forward, Laing O’Rourke will leverage Sites to examine fuel use which, where relevant, play a part in machine purchase decisions.

Thorley says they decided to use Trackunit’s IOT solutions because Laing O’Rourke wished to procure the most efficient machinery available and effectively address its CO2 emissions output. It’s quite the story. And one we can all learn from as we move towards more sustainable fleet management in construction.

About

Laing O’Rourke is a leading international engineering and construction firm. It combines extensive experience with cutting-edge technologies to deliver high-quality infrastructure and building projects across the UK, Middle East, and Australia. Committed to sustainability and being a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Laing O’Rourke aims to decarbonize its operations by 2030 and achieve gender balance across its workforce by 2033.

Founded: 2001
Size: 12,800 employees globally