January 2022 Monthly Update

Good day Astreon clients and partners!

2022 kicked off with a bang!  Let’s hope this year treats everyone well with renewed business success, good health, and general well-being!

Last year, the Developers significantly extended the functionality of Astreon hosting and add-on apps. Our services improve every month with new releases, features, and enhancements. This year we will continue improving the apps’ interface and user-friendliness. New branding options to white label Hecterra and Nimbus were added. Logistics added new lines and tabs, including more advanced routing for Google Maps licensees.

Logistics

Undistributed orders display

Due to resource availability, logistics users occasionally encounter situations where some orders are undistributed during daily delivery route planning. For example, if there is a shortage of vehicles, or the delivery destination is too far from the main route, the dispatcher can reassign the delivery.

When this happens, orders are not displayed in the last planning step and may go unnoticed.

To solve this issue, we added a new line for undistributed orders at the last planning step. The line is highlighted in red and is located at the top of the list. Once you click on the iconicon logistics, you’ll see the reason why the order is undistributed.

Undistributed orders are added to the route on the map and in the table. If you recalculate the route without considering route restrictions, these orders will be distributed to benefit for your customer.

 

Vehicle types and delivery requirements

Assigning a suitable vehicle depending on delivery characteristics: temperature conditions, large-sized vehicles for large loads, etc. is difficult and time-consuming for a dispatcher. It’s a lot easier if you can find it, we show you the best options without additional filtering. We added a Delivery requirements tab in settings to make it easier to find the best vehicle.

This new Logistics functionality displays appropriate vehicles to the dispatcher and automatically assigns selected orders to them.

logistics2 jan 2022 blog

After you select orders and suitable vehicles, the system automatically assigns the orders to the selected vehicles to maximize profitability and client SLA.

Need to transport perishable goods? We have you covered. The application will find a refrigerated truck. Is the item too large? Logistics will display vehicles with a suitable size and hide vehicles that are not a fit.

Visit the forum to read more about the new Logistics options. Please share your experience with the updated functionality.

 

Hecterra

Hecterra can now be white labeled!

Like with other Gurtam products, you can white label the Hecterra app including the app logo.

To change the logo, please contact your manager.

 

Saving maps with a related file name

When downloading files from Hecterra, the file names were automatically saved with the “mapImage” name as a default.  If you wanted to customize the file name, you needed to manually overite it.

Now if you save a PNG file with a map, its name contains basic information about what’s inside.

For example, you save a map with cultivation. The file name will indicate its interval (start and end date), field name, unit, and operation.

Users share their opinions and ideas about Hecterra on the forum – come and join us there.

 

Nimbus

Upgraded User Interface

We have recently improved the appearance of some elements and tabs to improve the overall user experience.

White Label Nimbus!

You can also change the logo in Nimbus, similar to Hecterra.

To use your logo in the app, please contact your manager.

Visit the forum and share your thoughts on what features you’d like to see in NimBus.

 

Contact us today!

Contact us today for more information, pricing, and specific case studies.

Tel: +1 (800) 647-4730

Email: sales@astreon.com

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November 2021 Monthly Update

Good day Astreon clients and partners!

Can you believe it’s December 2nd?  Where did the year go?  Wow 2021 went fast.  We truly hope 2021 was a good year for you, better than 2020, and everyone is healthy and doing well!

This month, we have added new functionality to the video module and add-on applications. The new functionality in the video module allows users to watch video from multiple cameras simultaneously, fantastic! Add-on applications; Hecterra, users can now save a map with all the necessary layers as a PNG file on the Reports and Registrar pages. In addition, in Logistics, there are many changes and updates: new types of notifications, the design of some UX/UI elements, the list of orders and a map with their statuses. Read through and check out new updates.

Astreon New Features and Enhancements

Watching playback from several cameras with save function

The video module now allows you to watch playback from several cameras on a single screen and save it as a single file.

To request playback, go to the Playback tab in the Video tab, select cameras on a unit you need, and specify the period for which you request a video recording.

You get a single timeline where the presence or absence of a video for the selected period is highlighted in colour. Click on the time you need, and the videos will appear on the same screen.

 

Would you like to save the video playback as it is? Click on the Save to files icon, and the videos will be saved in a single file.

 

Logistics

Window redesign

The settings section has gotten a visual redesign to improve workflow and simplicity.  It now has a more modern design, improving user-friendliness and efficiency.

logistics_window redesign

New notification types

Notifications are critical for drivers and dispatchers alike.  Our new notification options expand our ability to improve field communications, helping avoid delivery delays.

  • Visiting an order. The driver receives this notification type when order is visited but its status hasn’t been indicated yet. For example, a vehicle enters a geofence and stops there, while the order isn’t fulfilled yet. The new notification type makes it easier for the driver and the dispatcher to track the order fulfillment.
  • Orders ready to be sent. Such notifications are used when the order has been picked from the warehouse but has not yet been passed to the driver. They are sent simultaneously to all clients whose orders are on the list. So the client is always aware of what is happening with their order.

Adding range selection and displaying order statuses on the map

Order status (ConfirmedRejected, or The status is not specified) can be viewed on the map in the Routes page and in reports for planned and actual routes: tick boxes and cross icons. This allows you to quickly track changes in the number of orders and adjust the route.

logistics_order status on the map

You can now select several orders arranged one after another. To do this, you should select the first order of the range, hold down Shift, and select the last order. This way you won’t waste time processing each request separately.

logistics_range selection

Hecterra

Generating files for maps with cultivations

Last month we added a new feature allowing users to export a map with fields to a PNG file. This month, this feature was added to the Reports and Registrar pages for potential and registered cultivations as well.

You can now get a map for a group of cultivations (for example, for a week) or each cultivation separately, with the scalable ability. The map may contain several layers, previously selected in the properties of cultivation. Now it’s easier to track the volume of cultivations and provide this information to stakeholders.

Contact us today!

Contact us today for more information, pricing, and specific case studies.

Tel: +1 (800) 647-4730

Email: sales@astreon.com

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A.I. Connected Dashcams are here to stay

Artificial Intelligence has vastly matured in the past few years. In today’s competitive market, A.I. chipsets are coming down in cost while increasing in performance and reliability.  What does this mean to you the fleet consumer? More reliable and accurate devices at a lower cost of ownership.

Despite COVID-19, A.I. Dashcam deployments are up 237% year over year.  Why?  This blog post will address the reasons why our industry needs A.I. Dash Camera Telematics systems and their inherent benefits.

Then vs. Now

When they first became publicly available, commercial dash cameras were predominantly used by the public safety and transit sectors.  They were cost prohibitive, looped raw video, and didn’t provide the clear and immediate ROI that private sector fleets require, and as such were seldom deployed.

Today’s landscape has changed drastically. Dash cameras have not only become more affordable, but cellular data costs have dropped considerably (more data for less).  Dash cameras have evolved beyond simple video recording, now with built-in tracking capabilities, serving as better telematics tools, and ultimately eliminating the need for a 2nd JBUS or OBDII device in most installations. The output data is on par with the best telematics devices in the market today, vastly simplifying the solution while keeping the TCO (total cost of ownership) at an all time low.

Read more on our A.I. Dashcamera page or watch the video below to learn more about specific feature benefits and capabilities.

Zero Fraudulent Insurance Claims – Absolve Your Drivers

Over 80% of all accidents involving passengers and trucks are the fault of passenger vehicles. This is a significant number.  Protecting your drivers is important, providing proof of not-at-fault ensures they continue driving (productivity) and that you are retaining talent (finding good drivers is always a challenge).

Sideswipes are becoming an increasing problem with trucks/tractors, and the driver often takes the blame.  With side mounted cameras you can shed light on these instances and prove that your driver is not at fault, avoiding costly fines and insurance premium hikes.

In addition to automated video notification upon critical events (such as impact or harsh events) we also provide a live, real-time view of the driver, the road, and all other connected cameras.  Take video management into your own hands by proactively preventing costly and life threatening incidents, while reducing management costs in the process.

 

Reward your Safe Drivers

We put valuable driver scorecards and rankings in your hands. With this information you can incentivize your drivers to improve their driving habits with tangible incentives.  These programs are wildly successful in all businesses which have implemented them.  On average, incentive programs achieve a 35% increase in driver safety scores across the board. The result is safer drivers and reduced insurance claims through Gamification: where drivers compete on their scorecards, aiming to achieve a higher score than their peers.  Everyone wins.

 

Enhanced Training

Dashcams help Fleet Managers improve driver coaching.  Important safety infractions cause automated video capture and upload, providing great coaching tools to Drivers.  Special notation and review flag functions make it simple to manage inbound video events.

Our Dash Camera systems have audio recording capabilities, which can be enabled or disabled by Fleet.  This an exceptionally useful add-on which helps to determine the cause of harsh driving events, be it road rage, distraction, phone use while driving, or other unsafe events.

 

Enhanced Security

Astreon Dashcams have an optional Parking Mode which keeps the camera on during parking events.  This enables capture of accidents that happen while vehicles are parked.  Hit and run or bump and run events trigger an automatic video upload, providing proof and details of the incident.  Our video is clear enough to read license plates, providing the best proof for insurance providers and protect against fines.

 

Reduce Insurance Premiums & Streamline Claims

Companies are increasingly instructed by their insurer that they need to operate some form of dash camera system.  Rate discounts can be made available when you employ a dash camera system.  On top of this, video evidence is regularly accepted by insurers when submitting claims, proving your driver is not at fault, avoiding fines and preventing insurance hikes because of those fines.

Dash Camera Fleets Dominate

The Fleet industry has radically changed as result of modern A.I. Enhanced Dash Camera systems, like those provided by Astreon, by improving driver security & safety, cost savings, improved driver coaching, and insurance benefits to your business.

Astreon provides a feature rich VMS (Video Management System) application with our A.I. Dash Camera systems, fully integrated into a unified fleet management platform, providing powerful yet easy to use management tools to your business.  Email alerts provide quick and simple management of inbound video incidents.  Additionally, A.I. Dash Cameras are excellent vehicle trackers.

If you’d like to find out how Astreon can empower your fleet, learn more by connecting with us

Written by Andrew Singer, Executive Vice President, and IoT Specialist

Contact us today!

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us.

Tel: +1 (800) 647-4730

Email: sales@astreon.com

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November Monthly Update

Good day Astreon Clients and partners! We are pleased to share with you our November Newsletter which covers new features and enhancements to Astreon. Please read through these important updates and let us know if you have any questions.

Astreon New Features and Enhancements

Odometer and Engine Hours Improvements

We’ve improved how we calculate engine hours and odometer on your vehicles.  We now consider historical elements and previous device messages when calculating new values.  The result?  More accurate odometer and engine hours, making recurring maintenance more accurate than ever!

Odometer and Engine Hours Improvements

New fields in our Dashboard – Top units by fuel consumption and Top units by mileage

The left field displays a chart with maximum fuel consumption by for the selected time range. The right field displays vehicles from the monitoring tab with the highest mileage for the selected range.

These fields help you analyze the fuel consumption and mileage data by each individual unit.

Enhancement to the Astreon app for Android and iOS

Engine Hours and Idling have been added to the Astreon Mobile app, making management easier than ever.  This key information now appears in reports and on live data like vehicle summary and trips.  Check out our Free Mobile Apps today!  Android  iOS

Specialty Applications

Hecterra

Improved information format in exported Excel reports

We made the following changes in the excel reports;

  • Increased the font size
  • Removed the text in the final bottom line leaving only the total figures and measurement units

The exported report becomes user-friendly to give you clear images and organized reports.

Course Software calculation

We added a check for a valid course. Previously, if the unit sent the same course or did not send it at all, then the field cultivation overlaps were not calculated, and the user saw a 0% value. Now, in these scenarios, a check for a valid course will be performed, and if it is not available, the course will be calculated directly in Hecterra.

With this new option, overlaps in field cultivation will always be calculated correctly, even if the unit sends the wrong course or does not send it at all.

FleetRun

New Confirmation when Deleting an interval or service

When deleting service units (units, drivers, trailers) from the fleet, a new fail safe warning pops up to make sure you don’t accidentally delete something that may be needed in the future.

FleetRun

This new option prevents users from deleting units accidentally which are assigned to intervals and/or services.

Modification of display format of cost in reports

We changed the displayed format of cost in reports in the following ways;

  • Displayed 5.5K value à Now it displays as 5 500
  • Displayed 500000 à Now it displays as 500 000;
  • An integer will not be rounded to thousands and ten-thousandths; for example: previously, the value 5 was displayed as 5.000, and now it displays 5.
  • A decimal number will be rounded until the last digit is 0 (zero), for example: 123.450 = 123.45, 123.0 = 123.

With those changes, you can see the exact value in reports which helps you analyze the costs.

Separate display of Parts & Labour in Service Costs

The app users can create a detailed cost report. On the reports tab in the report type field, there are two options;

  • “By fleet line items”;
  • “By unit line items.”

Separate display of Parts & Labour in Service Costs

With this report, the user will be able to see the labor cost and the spare part’s name, type, number, cost, etc.

Fleetrun

This information enables you to analyze which parts or services are the most in-demand in the fleet. Based on the reports, you can plan future costs and will lead to the reduction of fleet servicing costs.

Grouping reports by line items

We added the following new types of grouping:

  • “By line item”;
  • “By line item type”;
  • “By service”.

Fleetrun

With these grouping types, your report can be more structured, and it helps you analyze costs in different angles.

Change the limit of values for custom fields with list type

We increased the limit of values in custom fields. Now users can add up to 20 fixed values in a custom field.

Logistics

Improvements to the Custom Fields Tab

You can now change the field order by clicking and dragging them to re-order the sequence.  This makes it easier than ever to organize your driver’s orders.

These changes will show up in the Astreon Logistics Mobile app for the driver.

Improvements to the Custom Fields Tab

New Filter for displaying custom field in the mobile app

For mobile users, we added a filter for displaying a custom field in mobile application.

Thanks to this feature, the users can transfer the necessary delivery information to drivers. Please note that the mobile app user only can see the fields that are activated in the settings so you can classify which information is visible to mobile app users.

Custom fields in the order import tab

Now you can add the custom field you created in the settings of the template and the import tab. In the template, the fields with the drop-down list will include the columns’ names, where the column name is a custom field from the user’s settings.

Custom fields in the order import tab

Go into Settings, and check the Custom Fields section.  You can now identify which Custom Fields can be added to routes and orders.

Logistics

This makes it so much easier to import order via Excel file, providing all the details that your business needs to leverage for Dispatch and Order distribution.

Canadian ELD Mandate

If you are in the logistics industry, you might be aware that the Canadian ELD (Electronic Logging Device) mandate will come into effect on June 12, 2021. You might think it’s too early to prepare for the ELD. However, according to Transport Canada, they said “There will be a 24-month implementation period. During this time, companies that make or supply devices should prepare their devices and software to meet the new requirements. After this, they will need to be tested and certified.” (Transport Canada)

In addition to the process of getting tested and certified, you also need to train your employees and drivers to adopt new rules and devices. Training will take time more than you expect. The faster you and your employees get used to the new rules, the more you receive benefits from the changes, such as reducing operation costs, increasing driver safety and productivity, and excellent back office management.

Check the relevant blogs to learn more about the Canadian ELD Mandate;

5 Easy Steps to prepare you for the Canadian ELD Mandate

Hours of Service regulation changes

Astreon ELD is a fully certified ELD solution published on FMCSA website under “Apollo ELD”. Our solution enables carriers to be fully compliant with the mandate while staying adaptable with client needs and requests. This is the easy to use, fully functional ELD solution for your business. Take the worry out of ELD Management and prepare for the upcoming Canadian ELD Mandate in advance with us!

For any questions or quote, please contact us today.

Tel: 1-800-964-4551

Email: sales@astreon.com

A.I. Thermal Detector

Canada is now in a tough situation, as the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing. Each province has been urged to take quick action to contain the spread. Ontario continues to see an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. In response to the spike, as of Sept. 26, 2020, the new requirement has taken effect, which is mandatory pre-entry COVID screening to all of workers and essential visitors, like contract, delivery, and maintenance workers.

The new requirement is an amendment to Ontario Regulation 364/20, the “Rules for Areas in Stage 3”, which is a regulation under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020.

Check full article about restriction rule from here.

Choosing the advanced thermal detector helps your clients and employees stay safe and contain the spread of infectious viruses. Astreon offers you the industry’s best and most advanced Thermal Scanner, with many long-term management features built in.

Use at your workplace to screen workers & guests entering the building.  Prevent people with a temperature from entering or starting a shift and proactively keep COVID out of your workplace entrance.

Our A.I. thermal detector has the following advanced features;

  • Face ID Access Control / Variety of door access control
  • Fever Screening System Implemented in US Hospitals
    • Supports face recognition or door access control
  • Time Attendance System
    • Building the attendance and access-control plan for registered staff.
  • Wearing a mask recognition
    • Support face recognition with face mask, recognition rate >95%
  • Wide detection Range3 m ~ 1.2 m forehead body temperature detection
    • 5 m~ 2 m face recognition
  • Customizable multi-language
    • English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Korean
  • And more+

 

Applicable industries & locations

  • Transit
  • Security
  • Airports
  • Schools
  • Hospitals
  • Offices
  • Store entrance
  • Shopping mall entrance

Astreon A.I. Thermal Detector is perfectly suitable for your business. Please contact us for any questions!

Contact us today!

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us.

Tel: +1 (800) 647-4730

Email: sales@astreon.com

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