ZF OPENMATICS:
The Plus for Fleet Operators

ZF OPENMATICS, ZF's telematics platform, presents the Order+ app, a innovative application for fleet operators to decisively improve communication between the driver and the scheduler. This is the prerequisite for organizing better vehicle utilization and optimizing order management. Thomas Rösch, Managing Director of ZF OPENMATICS, talked to us explaining the advantages of the platform and the app.

Thomas Rösch: The telematics market is fragmented. Component suppliers and vehicle manufacturers are bringing their own systems to the market. However, these partly specific stand-alone solutions do not follow a common technical standard ‑ to the detriment of the fleet operator: He needs a separate telematics system for each application and frequently even for each vehicle brand in his fleet. This results in multiple investments in hardware and software. In the future, one platform will be sufficient for all applications: ZF OPENMATICS. Here, users only pay for the telematics functions they actually use, nothing more and nothing less. What is more, investment and installation costs are low.

Thomas Rösch: With ZF OPENMATICS, ZF is establishing a telematics standard in the market. Thanks to a number of interfaces, ZF OPENMATICS can exchange data with all relevant vehicle systems. Therefore, the telematics service cannot only be used for fleet management, but also for passenger information, vehicle diagnosis, or multimedia applications. Another innovation is the platform's open architecture. It is manufacturer-neutral, i. e. third party providers such as vehicle manufacturers, component providers, or other application developers can program and install their telematics services as ZF OPENMATICS apps. The only prerequisite: The quality must be right. Therefore, we thoroughly check and certify every app before its release.

Thomas Rösch: This way, the driver and scheduler can exchange information on the current order status anytime. The latest changes on the route, such as congested traffic or incoming orders, can also be immediately considered for scheduling. As a result, detours and empty runs can be avoided, leading to reduced fuel consumption and improved vehicle and staff utilization. Another advantage of Order+ is its interface with many common Transport Management Software (TMS) systems. When integrated into the ZF OPENMATICS system architecture, Order+ can also be combined with all other platform applications. What is more, the user can easily book other apps, e. g. for diagnosis or multimedia, via the ZF OPENMATICS Shop.

Read more about ZF OPENMATICS and Order+ www.zf.com/openmatics.

Images: © Fotolia/Kurhan, ZF Aftermarket / ZF OPENMATICS