Knowing exactly where your organisation’s physical assets are located might seem easy if you own a few offices or factories, but if your workforce has wheels, keeping track of valuable assets becomes a much greater challenge. 

Exactrak supports over 90 local authority customers whose gritting lorries, road sweepers and refuse collection trucks roam the streets. Working closely with Astun technology they recently upgraded their existing web-based system which now promises the potential for greater vehicle cost savings. The system uses OS MasterMap Integrated Transport Network(ITN) Layer together with OS MasterMap Topography Layer and OS OpenData products including Strategi and Meridian 2.

OS MasterMap ITN Layer allows Exactrak customers to create optimised navigation routes for local authority vehicles which are more than just the fastest route from ‘A’ to ‘B’. They include vital detail such as widths of roads, speed restrictions and vehicle weight and height restrictions enabling the most appropriate route to suit the vehicle and the service it delivers. 

The maps themselves are licensed to local authorities through membership of the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA), which allows public sector organisations to use our mapping products to support the provision of public services. 

Mark Wilcox, General Manager, of Exactrak comments: ‘We now host Ordnance Survey data in the ‘Cloud’ using ‘Astun Data Services’; served and rendered using the latest open-source technologies, which deliver terrific performance. 

‘Provision of these digital mapping products from Ordnance Survey for local authority customers comes via their membership of the PSMA. Combined with the recently-released OS OpenData which provides the precision of OS MasterMap Integrated Transport Network Layer and OS MasterMap Topography Layer products, we are able to deliver beautiful screen-based maps at every level of zoom. 

‘From an operational viewpoint, we believe the new system will enable huge savings in fuel, salt and vehicle wear and tear.’ 

The story

Back in 2011, Exactrak mapped out its own future by planning a series of upgrades to take advantage of a range of new route planning related data sources and the latest online mapping technology. 

These new data sources included OS MasterMap ITN Layer, and Met Office route-based forecasting. Exactrak also took the opportunity to embrace the latest technology, including a move to ‘cloud based’ (web hosted) mapping which is based on open source technology. 

Our OS OpenDataalso played a significant part in the new solution, enabling local authority customers to use the precision of the OS MasterMap product with the convenience of a web based environment, simplifying the hosting of the data and improving the customer experience. 

The benefits

The step-change in using these new products and technologies has meant that Exactrak can offer a single, web-based application for their local authority customers. The Exactrak application now delivers a greater range of mappping at multiple scales and reports which are compliant with the relevant legislation for ‘proof of activity’ purposes. 

A cloud hosted mapping solution means that there is only one set of data to maintain which is now handled entirely by Astun Technology on Exactrak’s behalf. Exactrak customers benefit from a faster more responsive system with better street-level mapping and  better integration of reports, activity charts. 

Use of OS MasterMap ITN Layer enables Exactrak to design routes with greater precision, taking into account a greater range of detail such as road widths, speed limits and vehicle weight and height restrictions. 

The new system also provides customers with real-time map-based tracking, monitoring and reporting and will enable the introduction of other features such as in-cab map-based route navigation which can automatically load predefined routes to help drivers take the most efficient path of travel and to avoid heavy traffic and closed roads. 

Making use of the latest data products from us and the Met Office, along with a move to cloud based mapping has allowed Exactrak to race ahead with its route-optimisation and tracking technology, bringing significant benefits to its local authority customers.  

For more public sector success stories, please see our case-study pages.