digital@lkda.co.za, Author at Ctrack

Ctrack channels its ‘Power to Predict’.

digital@lkda.co.za — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:13:32 +0000

Ctrack, a leading player in the telematics business, is transforming their business with the slogan ‘The Power to Predict’ at the nucleus of this new strategy as they look to meet their customers’ high demands in a changing and challenging environment.

Ctrack has a long history of market leadership in the telematics, fleet management and technology development that facilitated industry disruptions throughout their 38-year history. Highlights include developing the technology behind the first multi-box tracking unit in 1997, Discovery Insure’s usage-based insurance in 2011 and the launch of Crystal in 2022.

“With the emergence of big data, Ctrack realised that we needed to offer our clients solutions that allow them to utilise this data to their advantage in the most efficient way possible,” says Hein Jordt, Chief Executive Officer of Ctrack Africa.

Ctrack’s brand transformation reflect their commitment to providing cutting edge data and telematics solutions that stretch beyond traditional fleet management capabilities. Ctrack recognises the immense potential that lies within harnessing data to drive actionable intelligence and optimise business operations.

“This is more than a cosmetic change, it signifies Ctrack’s dedication to innovation and commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. The revamped brand reflects our belief in the transformative potential of data insights and predictive power,” adds Jordt.

The power to predict goes hand in hand with the core pillars that have always been the motivating factor for Ctrack’s ongoing research and development efforts as they aim to assist customers in reducing risk and minimising safety hazards, optimising fleet productivity and efficiency, improving asset management and tracking, managing and improving driver behaviour and automating and streamlining compliance. These pillars along with a sense of urgency has allowed Ctrack to develop flourishing long term business relationships.

The power to predict is possible thanks to Ctrack’s well-developed hardware and software solutions that give users the ability to know what is happening with their vehicles, drivers and cargo at any time of the day via a single platform.

That software solution is Crystal, an all-encompassing, cloud-based platform. Crystal is a single platform where AI telematics meets data intelligence and offers all the functionality that consumers have come to know and love in one location. The result is a business tool that offers so much more than simple reporting.
Live data allows fleet managers to keep their finger on the pulse of daily operations, and if there is anything out of the ordinary, they will have the foresight to act before they are forced to react.

Whether you are a small business owner with a single delivery vehicle or are managing a fleet of hundreds of trucks across the continent, you are guaranteed to move better when you have the power to predict

“We are passionate about empowering our clients using cutting-edge technologies to transform quality data into actionable insight and foresight that allows our customers to predict the future with certainty, optimise efficiencies and make informed decisions based on good quality data,” adds Jordt.

Crystal is fully customisable, so there’s no limit to what you can have sight of and keep tabs on. A multitude of data is collected, interpreted and packaged, allowing customers to make informed decisions and continuously refine their operations. With data and insights at their fingertips, Ctrack can predict scenarios and put measures into place to negotiate these situations as safely and efficiently as possible.

“Owners have less time to manage fleets, but Crystal allows them to do so much more and gain a deeper understanding of data, as well as clear predictions with a limited number of clicks,” says Jordt.

Crystal allows for job management, assigning tasks and planning routes in the most efficient manner. Alerts ensure that the right people are informed ahead of time, every time. At any point in the day, fleet managers can rely on a snapshot summary that gives them an instant view of crucial, relevant data in real-time. High-quality data is packaged in the simplest format possible, facilitating the reporting and insights that allow for swift, well-informed decision-making.

Crystal allows for the effortless scheduling of what needs to go where and when it needs to be there and ensures that it happens. The power to predict is beneficial to your clients too. Communication down the supply chain has been optimised with the addition of powerful modules such as ‘Electronic Proof of Delivery’, which ensures that all parties are automatically kept up to date with objective and transparent evidence that operational milestones are achieved, with the foresight to make changes ahead of time, if need be.

Users are now able to add camera and video technology to the Crystal suite, offering a live feed into the inside of the vehicle and of the person operating it, granting unprecedented insight into what is happening at that exact moment. Crystal video gives fleet managers eyes everywhere, accessible from any smart device at any given time, from one platform.

In addition, the Ctrack Bureau service facilitates the use of AI technology that works along with the camera systems to automate the process of identifying transgressions, significantly reducing the leg work required by fleet managers in managing driver behaviour more efficiently, with deeper insights that allow for better decisions in a tough trading environment.

Crystals scalability extends even further with SMART integrations, seamlessly connecting with third-party applications that cater to your specific industry needs. This includes activating bespoke SMILE scripts, monitoring trailers, implementing breathalysers or keeping an eye on temperature in the cold chain. Ctrack’s unique differentiators can be applied to any industry.

The flexibility of ‘Crystal Analytics’ means that users have all the functionality they want or only what they need. Users have the ability to add and customise modules according to their specific needs. Crystal will gather all the information required to equip you with the insights to make better business decisions. Crystal presents this information in a way that is easy to access, simple to understand and practical to apply.

“One single platform allows for the management of fleets as well as a wide variety of insights into how to improve. Crystal can predict what will happen based on previously captured historical data, ensuring optimal use of vehicles and limiting downtime by proactively taking action such as ordering parts or making workshop bookings,” adds Jordt.

The Crystal mobile app, available in both Google and Apple stores, completes the loop as it is designed to provide valuable information about daily operations in the simplest way possible and facilitate the optimal running of fleets and vehicles for both drivers and fleet managers.

“The power to predict’ vision relies on historical and predictive data to digitally transform our business to ensure that we are future-proof. With our wide variety of hardware solutions working in conjunction with Crystal, and our constant investment in research and development, we look forward to offering our customers world-class products for many more years to come,” concludes Jordt.

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May 2023 Transport and Freight Index

digital@lkda.co.za — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:47:54 +0000

The South African logistics sector continued its recovery during May.

Download Index – May 2023

The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) reached its highest level on record with 122.2 points at the end of May 2023 (121.7 in April 2023), improving for the fifth consecutive month. This confirms a fairly synchronised recovery of the overall logistics sector even though the pace of improvement moderated somewhat. The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index increased by 0.4% in May compared to April, which was somewhat muted compared to the average monthly increase of 1.9% in the preceding four months. In addition, four of the six sub-sectors that form part of the index increased on a monthly basis. Road Freight remained stagnant while Rail Freight declined somewhat. On an annual basis the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index tracked 7.5% higher in May, compared to the 5.6% year on year trend that was recorded in April. This is evidence of the encouraging momentum building in the sector, but also partly reflects the recovery that was required in the wake of the KZN floods of May last year.

Graph 1: Ctrack Transport and Freight Index

In a welcome development and confirming the synchronised nature of the current recovery, all six segments of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index increased on a quarterly basis ending in May 2023. On an annual basis, three of the six segments have declined, despite the overall index level increasing by a healthy 7.5% compared to a year earlier. Among the segments, Road Freight remains the most resilient, with growth of 15.2% for the year ending in May. The three worst performing sectors continue to be Rail Freight, Pipeline Transport and Air Freight.

Graph 2: Quarterly growth in sub-components of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (%)

The logistics sector has been completely transformed in the past five years, specifically relating to payload moving from rail to road. The main driving factor for this change has been the ongoing deterioration and underperformance of rail services offered by Transnet Freight Rail. In its monthly Land Transport data release, Statistics South Africa reports on developments in Rail and Road Freight. From reaching a rock-bottom low of only 10.3% of total freight payload being transported via rail in November 2022, the performance of the Rail Freight segment has improved somewhat to 16.1% in April 2023, though still notably lower than the 10-year average (2008-2017) of 25.9% (Rail Freight to total payload) prior to the onset of the significant deterioration. The private sector operators have, had to fill the void and Road Freight has boomed, especially post pandemic. From a ratio of 75.1% in 2017, Road Freight as a percentage of total freight being transported, has gradually improved to 84.4% in 2022. Although plans are afoot to reverse this trend, many obstacles remain, and it will most likely take a considerable amount of time, motivation and noteworthy effort to address all the current challenges before a significant shift back to the use of rail happens.

Ctrack believe that Road Freight will remain the best choice for the transporting of goods in South Africa for many years. Therefore, we are always innovating and refining our offering to ensure that our clients have the best chance of success in a cut throat business environment that needs to operate in unpredictable conditions,” says Hein Jordt, Chief Executive Officer of Ctrack Africa.

Graph 3: Annual change in Land Transport payload (000 tonnes)

Reflecting this ongoing phenomenon is a 15,2% annual improvement in the Road Freight segment of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index, the 29th consecutive month of growth for the sector. These increases are evident in the increased heavy vehicle traffic on both the N3 and N4 routes during May. The Rail Freight segment declined further during May, after having recorded some recovery during February and March, albeit off an extremely low base. The Rail Freight segment remains deeply in the negative on an annual basis, declining by 9.6% for the year ending in May.

The Air Freight segment of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index, which was one of 2022’s star performers, started 2023 on the backfoot, and has only improved slightly during April and May. Air Freight increased by 0.9% compared to the previous month but remains 3.6% below a year earlier. It is evident that the strain on the global economy is still filtering through to air cargo activity. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), lower demand for air cargo is evident across the globe, reflecting multiple headwinds facing the global economy. Air cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) to Africa decreased again in May, while cargo load on planes also declined by 3.6%, the second consecutive monthly decline. The number of unscheduled flights, that are typically chartered for cargo purposes also declined during May.

The Sea Freight segment of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index, which was one of the segments hardest hit by the Transnet strike of October 2022, is still in a gradual recovery mode. Sea Freight increased by 1.3% during May and moved into positive territory on a year-to-year basis, for the first time since September 2022. Although up by 2.1% on an annual basis, the sub-sector remains 14.6% below the September 2022 pre-strike level. Container handling increased by a notable 7.7% on a monthly basis in May, while other cargo handling increased by 2.7%.

The transport of liquid fuels via Transnet Pipelines (TPL) increased by 1.7% during May, with the pipeline component of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index improving significantly on a quarterly basis, by 6.2%, although it is still 2,3% behind the levels of the previous year.

The Storage and Handling sub-sector of the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index continued to perform well during May, with a 4.1% increase compared to April and tracking 1.7% higher on an annual basis.

Ctrack TFI and GDP growth

The transport industry was among the top three sectoral performers in the first quarter of 2023, increasing by 1.1% compared to the previous quarter seasonally adjusted (vs. 0.4% for total economy), contributing positively to the overall economic performance of the South African economy.

Additional improvements as indicated by the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index in April and May are already indicative of a sustained recovery in the logistics sector that should benefit activity in the broader economy during the second quarter and beyond. While the economic narrative remains dismal, evidence of resilience has recently been coming to the fore, with better-than-expected economic data releases. Production figures in the mining and manufacturing sectors have been surprising despite heavy load-shedding during April, suggesting that these industries are becoming progressively more resilient to the effects of load-shedding, as companies reduce their energy dependence on an embattled Eskom. Though it is still early days, it is an encouraging trend that could, if sustained, result in a somewhat better economic scenario, than what was previously envisaged.

“Despite a tough economic environment it is clear that goods still need to be transported and Ctrack offer a wide variety of solutions that assist operators in doing so as safely and efficiently as possible,” concludes Jordt.

Graph 4: Real GDP growth vs Transport sector growth (q/q change)

Table 1: Change in Ctrack Transport and freight Index in May 2023

Ctrack
Raymond Schulz / Chief Executive Marketing & Sales
012 450 2222 / Raymond.Schulz@ctrack.com

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