Infotech Business Solutions (IBS) has implemented its Intelligen tracking, fleet management, and dispatching platform as well as mobile applications at the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) to assist in accurately managing and capturing incident information on the N3 Toll Route.
The N3TC designs, constructs, finances, operates. and maintains the N3 between the Cedara interchange, near Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Heidelberg South interchange in Gauteng. It is one of the busiest highways in the country experiencing complex incidents with multiple types of vehicles, loads, and injuries.
“Dispatching support vehicles to the exact location of an incident and managing communication from field staff to our operations centre in order for us to provide updates is critically important. However, it has become increasingly difficult to do this cost effectively as well as accurately capture data at the scene of the incident and migrate it into our incident management reporting system,” says Miles le Roux, traffic engineer at the N3TC.
Based on an Internet of Things (IoT)-focused methodology, IBS has provided the N3TC with a viable solution to address its challenges and to do so as effectively as possible harnessing the latest technology platforms available in the market.
“Intelligen is a multi-faceted Web-based, IoT tracking and management solution that enables the pro-active management of resources and assets irrespective of physical location. It is a device agnostic solution so can work on any device that can transmit a GPS signal to either a cell tower or satellite,” says Rudi Bedeker, GM of IBS.
In addition, IBS replaced the existing cameras and manual forms with the TomTom Bridge Android tablet and GPS device, installed with the IBS Dispatch App and AllOnMobile (AOM) electronic forms App, in order to enhance real-time communication between field staff and the operations centre. This provides the N3TC with immediate visibility on where their support vehicles are and enables them to route the closest unit to the scene of an incident whilst simultaneously uploading a pre-populated, electronic incident management form to the AOM App on the device. Furthermore, the right kind of emergency services can be dispatched thanks to the real-time reporting and data uploads from the devices in the field.
“With this solution, IBS is providing the N3TC with the right information, in the right place, at the right time. Field staff can easily and accurately capture data related to the incident on an electronic form and take the required photographs of the scene with the TomTom Bridge tablets. This ensures the operations centre is fully informed of everything that is going on and eliminates the need to double capture data which happens after the fact,” says Bedeker.
Le Roux agrees. “Already, we have experienced a significant time saving during incident management. This could mean the difference between life and death. IBS has increased our operational efficiencies, and improved our client service,” he says.
