Headquartered in Canada, ZTR is a leading provider of custom railway Telematics solutions to clientele in many regions across the globe. The company recognises that, in the highly competitive business of rail freight, customers equipped with accurate knowledge about the time and location of load is critical so they’re able to plan their project work schedules systematically. The tech company is looking at creating a niche presence in Africa, where it sees huge potential for the growth of rail sector.
Rail companies recognise that the only sure-fire way of getting more value from their assets is through monitoring using quality systems. And there is no two ways about it. Yet, as it often happens, due to lack of knowledge about suitable products or reluctance to invest in suitable modern monitoring systems, companies would be using no system, or holding on to wayside detection systems which have the disadvantage of having a lag in updating information.
Telematics for near-real freight information
With offices in the U.S. and Canada, ZTR, is expanding its global presence with a focus on the promotion of telematics-based solutions for rail equipment monitoring. As they provide very near real time information so that better insights are presented for potential action(s), telematics solutions are essential and relevant in the contemporary rail freight industry.
“In the competitive freight market understanding where and when deliveries are to be made makes all the difference for the customer’s planning purposes. With telematics, customers experience a high level of service and insight regarding delivery tracking in their consumer lives,” says Colleen Burghardt, ZTR’s Marketing Communications Manager, pointing out that ZTR solutions have demonstrated a keen ability to bring the same insights to freight rail.
How clients benefit from a ZTR telematics solution
In actual fact, Burghardt explains, switching from a manual monitoring system to a ZTR telematics solution offers numerous benefits. This is based on feedback the company received from contented end-users.
With the benefit of near-real time information, clients get unparalleled visibility into equipment utilisation, maintenance requirements and production efficiency. With location, run hours, cycle and production counts, customers have a better understanding about where and how equipment is or isn’t being used so they can do more work with less equipment. Customers are also minimising downtime, improving availability and lowering maintenance costs by combining utilisation information with advanced engine parameters and faults.
Customer involvement in improving a solution
In the highly competitive world of rail freight business, changing customer needs are vital drivers of innovation amongst asset owners. And so, with this in mind, ZTR is constantly improving the telematics ecosystem and value proposition by involving the customer. ‘We welcome customer specific inputs for future developments and include them in innovation roadmaps tailored to their needs. The ZTR distinction is built on decades of railway expertise but also firmly based in the value of customers as partners,” Burghardt states.
Huge potential for growth in Africa
ZTR sees potential for growth in Africa’s rail sector as governments, in conjunction with private sector investors, are embarking on greenfield and brownfield railway infrastructure development projects through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model. Driven by this, rail asset owners are investing in new equipment, which will need modern new telematic monitoring systems. ZTR has sufficient wherewithal to offer customised railway telematics solutions for locomotive, maintenance of way, rail car and rail yard assets for any scale of project.
Over 400, 000 assets and growing
ZTR has over 400,000 assets under contract for telematics monitoring across the globe. This is concrete evidence of clients’ confidence in the company’s capabilities. Undoubtedly, the company’s approach has been paying off.
“Before implementation utilising ZTR’s repeatable process for project and program management, we work closely with clients and prospects to fully understand their unique needs,” says Burghardt, underscoring the company’s approach.
“Implementing large scale efforts requires the allocation of dedicated resources. Hence, ZTR provides a team with the right skills and experience to assure a positive outcome is achieved,” she adds.
