When change comes, it can feel somewhat imperceptible until suddenly you’re at a moment when the mist dissipates and everything becomes clear. We’re at that point now.

Gartner crystallized it for the technology community when it spotted the trend towards the growing significance of Industry Cloud Platforms (ICPs) and nearly one year on from that ground-breaking report, the pace has only gathered momentum. It is not hyperbole to say that ICPs are going to conquer the world with ‘platforms’ at the very core of how business will develop in the coming years. 

And the choices moving forward for all companies on their digitalization journeys will quite simply be about getting on board with an ICP (it could be more than one) and how to make the right picks for their business.

Specifically tailored

That’s the backdrop that puts the launch of Trackunit’s Operating Data Platform IrisX specifically tailored towards off-highway construction into context. We are in essence becoming an ICP for that particular segment of construction that allows our customers to reap all the benefits of generative-AI without having to plough in any of the investment costs and hours or take on any of the up-front risk of embarking on such an adventure. It’s the opportunity for us and the industry to co-create at incredible speed in a way that will be pivotal and transformative.

But let’s briefly return to that statement, ‘becoming an ICP’. The operative word here isn’t ‘industry’, ‘Cloud’ or ‘Platform’. It’s ‘an’. Note we very deliberately and very carefully avoid saying ‘the’ here. That’s because any claim to be ‘the’ ICP for construction would quite simply be impossible to validate. And that’s why we limit our claim to be centered around and only around the operating data.

In effect, IrisX will sit in a universe of different and evolving ICPs where Trackunit’s expertise is very specifically dedicated to the streaming, cleansing, harmonizing, and analysis of data from machines to end users full of insights that enable customers to take action. To put that in perspective, something like 80% of all data engineering resource is focused on cleansing. 

But we’ve taken that off the table to ensure your starting point is straight into the data that really matters to you. And even if you’re already in the fortunate position of having a strong digital platform in place,IrisX can augment that and effectively lead to a better return on your investment.

It’s start today, deploy tomorrow. And the reason we can say that with confidence is because we’ve been painstakingly building our position to get to where we are today.

“IrisX will sit in a universe of different and evolving ICPs where Trackunit’s expertise is very specifically dedicated to the streaming, cleansing, harmonizing, and analysis of data from machines to end users full of insights that enable customers to take action.”

Battle-hardened expertise

We’ve been working towards the IrisX launch for for the best part of a decade and the engine of Trackunit’s growth over the last few years has been its forerunner Iris. Iris was launched in 2018 so we already have battle-tested, battle-hardened expertise in place adept at handling the needs of our customers and delivering machine insights via a platform that has helped to make their business better.

IrisX is not a replacement of Iris. Instead Iris will continue to exist and do what it’s done over the last few years. Where IrisX differs reflects what has been happening at the edge of innovation in the last 18-24 months.

We’ve all become familiar with AI and Chat GPT over that period. IrisX effectively breaks new ground because it builds on Iris to allow customers to leverage generative AI and Large Language Models in a dynamic, private and secure environment. In essence, the platform will unlock deep insights and capabilities through integrating AI and machine learning that — in the off-highway segment — will target a whole range of pain points like downtime, maintenance schedules and the tracking of fleets between sites to mention but a few. 

Imagine that kind of solution-driven, intelligent approach across the construction complex. For business it means you’re joining a platform that is already here and already a proven winner with the potential for an exponential jump in productivity as well as speed to market. And that will enable companies to scale their digital investments and quite simply, become more successful.

The generative-AI and machine learning element of IrisX is naturally the feature that grabs most of the attention of the media. But it’s important to point out that IrisX is so much more than that. IrisX offers advanced analytics that enables real-time, decision-making on a solid data foundation that transforms millions of data points into strategic insights, spots trends and fosters innovations that drive business impact.

Centralized hub

There is also the data lake for all your data giving you a centralized hub for the harmonization and normalization of operating data information, enabling data-driven decisions with confidence while enabling tailored data access to your tech stack to fit with Generative AI, LLM and ML models. It also allows for the seamless integration with IrisX Analytics to add powerful processing capabilities to your existing systems adapted to your business.

IrisX also completely embraces integration and automation. Customers can leverage more than 1,200 prebuilt connectors and integrations to connect crucial systems and data for your business with an end-to-end digital solution and simplify integrations with connectors for ERPs, CRMs, rental systems, and BI tools. 

They can also use the automation studio to integrate and exchange data, creating automated workflows across systems that reduce manual tasks and facilitate a focus on higher-value activities using blueprints to design, automate and optimize app integrations. That could, for example, help a Rental to automate an access management protocol with unique code access to their machines. The codes could be sent via email to customers the night before machines arrive on site for selected phone devices mitigating safety concerns and theft risk. 

“IrisX effectively breaks new ground because it builds on Iris to allow customers to leverage generative AI and Large Language Models in a dynamic and evolving, open environment.”

Finally, there is the apps & extensions component. You will be able to extend the power of your data by building and deploying proprietary applications and extensions using our software development kits. Those kits will also foster brand loyalty through Trackunit Manager for customers by helping them keep track of owned and rented assets and pull telematic insights while leveraging Trackunit Marketplace to package and distribute value to a wider construction industry audience.

Collectively, that adds up to an incredible proposition that means your digitilization journey will become fully scalable. And, because we are ISO-27001 certified, we address cyber security concerns while you will be able to limit access to the data that you choose to make available until you’re ready to unlock more.

That might seem at odds with our stated aim to create a platform that is open but part of creating such a platform is showing you can be a solid and trusted custodian of data. Without ISO certification, we simply wouldn’t be able to create the conditions for transparency as that can only develop from a foundation of trust. And that’s something we have in place and ready to go from the off with IrisX.

Oven-baked

In essence, this is an oven-baked, ready-to-go ICP that covers your requirements from every angle at a far more mature level of development than you could possibly hope to get to if you tried to do this on your own. You’ll be able to start using the platform literally from day one to build your own mini-ecosystem, ring fencing your data while accessing the benefits immediately and taking advantage of future refinements and improvements in the platform. 

“In essence, this is an oven-baked, ready-to-go ICP that covers your requirements from every angle at a far more mature level of development than you could possibly hope to get to if you tried to do this on your own.”

And the beauty of this is that, unlike older platforms, IrisX is not built on proprietary scripting language which tend to be prescriptive and reactive. Instead, it offers a flexible solution to innovation that fosters an organic exchange of digital value that I believe will see a dramatic explosion in innovation.

If I can think of one way to illustrate this, classic food recipes work well, at least up to point. Instead of giving you a step-by-step guide to make your dish, we’re giving you the raw materials. At that point, you can either use IrisX tools to build innovation in a way that for want of a better word, might be more predictable or you can take those materials and build what you want.

In other words, IrisX gives you the ingredients. What you make is up to you. Our commitment is that IrisX will be continuously updated, current and in the vanguard of developments. In fact, we should be driving that vanguard. All we’re doing is handing you the power rather than trying to tie you down to a particular solution. Isn’t that exciting?

This is part of the ongoing ICP series. Read what Trackunit CEO Søren Brogaard had to say about the new lexicon of the next business transformation here.