Any asset, any attribute

Handheld personal computing devices are improving how the rail industry manages critical assets.

Data—specifically, how to compile and manage it—often seems like it’s approaching overload level. Only recently has data management caught up with 21st century data management tools, namely, handheld personal computing devices. There is hardly an area of this industry where such devices couldn’t become as indispensable as the smart phones and tablet computers that seemingly everyone is carrying around. For railroads, customers and suppliers, they’re fast becoming the data-gathering tools of choice.

Ottawa, Ontario-based Global Attributes is among several emerging companies that are rapidly expanding into the railway industry with applications for personal computing devices that can integrate the numerous functions of operating and maintaining equipment and infrastructure, and compile and manage data.

“We’ve launched a sophisticated inspection platform, Inspection by Design®-Rail, which is running on new industry-leading hardware,” says Global Attributes President Steve Johnston. “We believe this combination will help to revolutionize the railcar inspection and data gathering process, and we’ve developed it to be the most sophisticated and flexible inspection-centric railcar management system in the industry. Our Android-based mobile interface means field inspectors don’t have to carry heavy handheld readers, eliminating traditional clipboard inspections and virtually guaranteeing timely, accurate inspections. Inspectors can easily imbed picture and video into inspections (photo, above). Simple ‘picture’ type questions instruct the device to launch the camera.”

Among Global Attribute’s customers is Kemira, a Helsinki, Finland-based global chemicals company serving customers in water-intensive industries such as pulp and paper, oil and gas, mining and water treatment. Kemira’s logistics department has the daunting task of managing all logistics sourcing and management globally. “By building a reliable network of global and local partners we ensure safe and sustainable product delivery to our customers,” the company notes. “We utilize an optimized combination of sea freight, railcars and truck transportation. We also operate our own truck fleet where this is required to guarantee optimal service.”

“We implemented the Global Attributes handheld inspection tool during 2014 at our key plants and terminals (one of which is located in East Chicago, Ind.) to inspect our inbound and outbound railcars,” says Kemira Director of Logistics and Supply Chain, Municipal and Industrial-North America John Gutkowski. “This tool has automated a completely manual process for our railcar shipments. Now we will be able to better analyze any car handling problems in great detail for continuous improvement. In addition, the solution offers numerous areas of potential for improvement in our day-to-day railcar handling.”

Yard management and more

Global Attributes offers a variety of applications for functions including yard management and fleet tracking. “The Yard Management app combined with our new lightweight AEI tag reader possesses a fast, high-precision GPS, EPC tag capability and many other features,” says Johnston. “It provides a solid platform for inbound full/empty railcar inspection, loading and unloading, car placement and tracking, outbound inspection and integrated maintenance—essentially, from the time a railcar enters a yard on an inbound train to when it’s ready to leave the yard on an outbound consist.”

“Our integrated Ticketing System ties directly into one of North America’s largest railcar maintenance providers for effective delivery of maintenance related issues and instruction,” says Johnston. “Any problems encountered in the field can be communicated in real time back to the maintenance provider, and instructional information can be relayed back. In addition, compliance and regulatory issues such as expired testing dates can be configured to launch a ticket to automatically block the railcar and alert others in the organization. This makes compliance proof-positive.”

Global’s Fleet Tracking system is integrated with Railinc, North America’s largest railcar location provider. Railinc delivers more than nine million messages each day over its EDI network—transportation waybills, advance train consists, blocking requests and responses and trip plans.

Integration with Railinc “allows our clients to track the whereabouts of their entire fleet across the continent, and our hand-held application provides detailed positional information on railcars located in a yard,” says Johnston. “Knowing the exact whereabouts of an asset not only improves the planning process from origin to destination, but it also helps reduce costly demurrage charges for cars that sit idle.

Changes in car locations are displayed on Live Maps and Dashboards inside our Cloud services.”

Inspection by Design®, says Johnston, “offers complete accountability. Every inspection question is geo-coded with the latitude, longitude and altitude of where the operator was standing when it was answered. It’s time stamped at the point of change, and is traceable to the operator who answered it. Likewise, every completed inspection is pushed to our secure Cloud Environment automatically and is locked and archived. The data is searchable and indexed for analysis, and is electronically signed. A remote control feature allows remote access and control of all field devices from one console. This can be used to remotely troubleshoot issues in the field or to provide hands-on support to the operator.

“Our rich web interface allows for quick and visually effective viewing and analysis. Who performed each inspection, who answered each question, where that question was answered and at what time it was answered can be viewed three ways: Graphically, Geo-Graphically and Analytically. Individual question results can be tabulated, analyzed and graphed individually over time or comparatively across inspections. Results can be mapped using our Integrated MapQuest® or Google® Maps interfaces.”

In addition to Railinc, Global Attributes partners with Trimble, a global provider of location technologies.