Partnering to Build a Next-Gen Utility Truck Fleet
Tell us about the Altec mission.
Altec has a 90-year history of providing truck-mounted equipment, such as aerial lifts, cranes, chippers, digger derricks, and cable handling equipment to the utility industry. Today, Altec provides products and services to more than 100 countries throughout the world. Since 1929, Altec has been a company committed to excellence. Our products are the industry leaders and consistently raise the bar through innovative design and integrated safety features.
How was Altec initially referred to DMI?
Initially, we were impressed by DMI’s status as a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in Managed Mobility Services, Global – four times running. Additionally, I learned later that DMI has been recognized by Gartner six times. We find that when industry analysts provide their stamp of approval, it goes a long way toward building credibility with a new partner.
Tell me about your work with DMI on Digital Transformation.
We wanted to develop a digital platform to deliver the next generation of products and services that would connect our customers to their equipment. Since DMI leads the market in mobility solutions and connected systems, DMI has been integral to realizing our objective. Today’s world is increasingly data-driven. Our customers are seeking metrics surrounding equipment health, safety and productivity. Together, Altec and DMI have implemented a platform that empowers us to respond to our customers’ requests and provide meaningful insights to inform sound business decision-making for our customers.
What is the next step in your transformation?
The ultimate vision is to create and maintain a digital twin of our physical products; resulting in a higher level of support, optimization and automation as Altec equipment progresses through its operating life. The pairing of the physical machine and virtual machine serves multiple purposes; from systems monitoring to technical support to data analytics to improving and planning future products using digital simulation. Altec had the vision and desire to create the foundation for connected products and services that can be further developed and scaled to meet the expanding needs of our customers. DMI understands how a digital twin can help drive innovation and performance.
What has the relationship with DMI been like?
The DMI team had exactly the sort of experience that we were looking for in a partner. This allowed us to jumpstart the program as we developed and expanded our own capabilities. DMI provided the right people with the right skills at the right time. Any project of this magnitude will encounter some technical issues and DMI has worked side-by-side with our team to overcome challenges while continuing to move toward the objective. Working together, the team is consistently bringing creative ideas to the table and delivering high-quality results – and this makes our working relationship truly enjoyable.
