Yanik: What kind of interest are you seeing at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Astec Digital?
Baker: Rather than have a location within the booth for Astec Digital, Astec Digital is everywhere. It has become the DNA of our equipment offering and, really, it’s everywhere in the booth. My team is getting pulled in all sorts of different directions to talk about it.
With the iron, it changes. There’s new developments and innovation. But the real innovation and growth in new technology is more in this space. So, how do I leverage it? How do I make it work for me rather than be in data overload?
Yanik: We still hear about data overload quite a bit with equipment and technology. That said, is the market ready for a new solution like this? Can the market effectively leverage it?
Baker: We need to provide actionable intelligence. You don’t need to know in real-time what the pressure is on a motor. You need to know when it’s overpressured and if it is going to fail. If we can provide data analytics and then turn that into something you need to be aware of – rather than provide a data stream that they (customers) then have to analyze and understand – then they’ll be for the better.
Yanik: Is the goal to standardize Astec Digital on every piece of equipment as the company comes out with new things?
Baker: As much as possible. There’s different applications and machine forms, but having a more standard offering is easier for our dealers to utilize so they can take care of customers. It’s also easier for our customers so they can take care of themselves, too.
Yanik: In some ways, does the dealer benefit from Astec Digital more so than the customer?
Baker: A lot of this avoids the need for service and makes us more proactive. But it also enables us to be much more efficient, allowing the dealer to take care of the customer and get them back and running. The dealers are a key part of it. Also, [Astec Digital] allows us to be a better partner to our dealers and set them up for success.