George Igel Co., a long-standing heavy civil contractor based in Columbus, Ohio, faced the challenge of managing a complex array of systems across their extensive equipment fleet. This case study delves into how Clue revolutionized their equipment management, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing complexity.
Business Needs
George Igel Co. struggled with the inefficiencies of managing over 20 different systems, leading to operational delays and communication hurdles. The need for a unified platform that could integrate these systems and provide real-time information was critical.
"Before we had Clue, the information was not visible by the guys out in the field using the equipment on a day-to-day basis."
– Brandon Wallace, IT Director, George Igel Co.
"It was probably taking the better part of a day to combine all the data from the telematics."
– Derek Wolfe, Equipment Manager, George Igel Co.
"Seeing anything real time was almost impossible, and you couldn't see anything from a mobile device."
– Travis Potts, Equipment Operations Manager
How Clue Helped
Clue provided George Igel Co. with a 'single pane of glass' for all their equipment management needs. This integration allowed for real-time access to critical data such as fault codes and hour meters, directly from mobile devices. It significantly reduced the time spent on gathering and comparing data from various sources. For the first time, field operators and mechanics could see every machine, fault code and work order.
"We had 20 different logins between all our different softwares... now [Clue] pulls all that information into one spot!"
– Derek Wolfe, Equipment Manager, George Igel Co.
"I can go in and see fault codes... as quick as I can pull my phone out and look."
– Travis Potts, Equipment Operations Manager
"We had been looking for a piece of software that would help us better utilize our telematics information. We've been trying to build something ourselves, looking at other solutions and hadn't really had any luck. Clue came along and we saw what they were about and what they were capable of doing and it fit the bill of what we were looking for and really even exceeded some of our expectations."
– Brandon Wallace, IT Director, George Igel Co.
"We've been able to find out if we're charging the equipment in the correct spot, if they've got the correct equipment on the right jobs - [it] gives you a better idea of how to size equipment for the job."
– Derek Wolfe, Equipment Manager, George Igel Co.
Results
The implementation of Clue led to remarkable improvements. The operators and mechanics gained direct access to vital data, facilitating quicker decision-making and reducing downtime. This streamlined approach also led to better equipment allocation and enhanced job-site productivity. Igel achieved significant savings in time, reduced wear and tear on trucks, improved accuracy and increased utilization of its fleet.
"Can you put a dollar figure on that? Absolutely! But we don't have to. We know the saving in headache, we know it's saving time, wear and tear on trucks, aggravation, accuracy of getting to jobs, finding what quarter of the job it might be sitting on or what clover leaf on an intersection it's sitting on - that stuff is HUGE."
– Travis Potts, Equipment Operations Manager
"It's been useful for [operators], for everything from trying to cut down on cycle times to trying to cut down on idle times."
– Derek Wolfe, Equipment Manager, George Igel Co.
"It saves a phone call, it saves a headache, it makes production better - I'm now back on my machine running!"
– Travis Potts, Equipment Operations Manager
"Now that we have Clue, all of that information: the fault codes, the open work orders, and things like that are all visible by the operator that's actually running the equipment on a day to day basis, and that's really helped us get the buy-in from the field."
– Brandon Wallace, IT Director, George Igel Co.
Key Takeaways
- Field Crews Support: Providing live and easy access to machine data unlocked the support of operators and mechanics.
- Unified Data Management: Clue's ability to centralize data from multiple systems proved invaluable.
- Real-Time Access: Immediate access to equipment data enhanced on-site decision-making.
- Improved Operational Efficiency: The integration streamlined processes, saving time and reducing costs.
"With our history of innovation, we're just applying it to where the innovation is at today – and we think it's in things like Clue."
– John Igel, CEO, George Igel Co.
"We found Clue to be really responsive to our request for reports and unique things we need. Sometimes they're fixing what we're asking literally while we're on the phone with them."
– John Igel, CEO, George Igel Co.
"They're very good at addressing customer's concerns in a way that most of their competitors and most software companies I've dealt with over the years just aren't... That's where Clue really stands out."
– Brandon Wallace, IT Director, George Igel Co.
"Working with Clue has been great. They're super helpful, the response time is second to none. You get emails back quicker than you can imagine – and that's almost unheard of anymore."
– Travis Potts, Equipment Operations Manager
