Assets

Summary

Assets are the primary source of data within the GSatTrack portal. The term ‘Asset’ refers to the tracked item reporting location, movement, and/or additional data to the GSatTrack portal. This can be a small device, a piece of equipment, a vehicle, an animal, or even personnel. Assets are the most complex item with the greatest amount of fields, tools, and connected features. Understanding how an Asset or Group of Assets interacts with the elements around them is key to maximizing their potential efficiency.

The Assets Feature provides users with robust capabilities to monitor, track, and manage their assets in real-time. It offers a comprehensive view of asset locations, status, historical data, and other relevant information, empowering users to optimize asset utilization and streamline operational workflows.

How-To Use

How-To: Add Asset

1. Go to the navigation menu and click on ‘Add Item’

2. Click on ‘Add Asset’

3. Fill out the information for required fields, which are:

   1. Name

   2. Device

   3. IMEI/Unit #/Device ID

4. Fill out the information for any other optional fields

5. Click on ‘Create Asset’

How-To: Edit Asset

1. Go to the navigation menu and click on ‘Assets’ icon
2. Click on ‘Asset Options’ icon
3. Click on ‘Edit Asset’
4. Make desired changes and click ‘Save Changes’

How-To: View Asset Statuses

1. Go to the navigation menu and click on ‘Assets’ icon
2. Asset Status can be found under the name of each Asset
3. Hovering over status will show what the current status is
4. Alerts or messages can be acknowledged here as well

How-To: Delete Asset

1. Go to the navigation menu and click on ‘Assets’ icon
2. Click on ‘Asset Options’ icon
3. Click on ‘Delete Asset’ icon
4. Click on ‘Delete’ in the ‘Delete Asset’ popup box

Additional Information

Key Features

• Asset Tracking and Monitoring

The assets feature enables users to track and monitor assets in real-time using GPS or satellite tracking technologies. Users can view asset locations on maps within GSatTrack, enabling them to track asset movements, speed, heading, and other relevant parameters. This feature provides users with a comprehensive overview of asset activities and enables proactive management.

• Asset Status and Attributes

The assets feature enables users to access detailed information about each asset, including asset status, identification, owner, type, and additional customizable attributes. Users can define specific asset attributes based on their industry or tracking requirements, facilitating accurate asset identification and categorization.

• Geofencing and Alerts

Users can create geofences around specific areas or regions using the assets feature. Geofences are virtual boundaries that trigger alerts or notifications when assets enter or exit those predefined areas. Geofencing helps users monitor asset movements, ensure compliance with designated areas, and receive alerts for unauthorized access or asset deviation.

• Asset Historical Data

The assets feature allows users to access historical data related to assets. Users can review past asset movements, routes, sensor readings, and other historical information to gain insights into asset behavior and performance over time. This feature is valuable for performance analysis, maintenance planning, and identifying patterns or trends in asset activities.

• Reporting and Analytics

The assets feature integrates reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling users to generate custom reports and perform data analysis on asset-related information. Users can extract asset data, such as utilization rates, maintenance schedules, or sensor readings, and visualize it through charts, graphs, or tables. This empowers users to make data-driven decisions, optimize asset utilization, and identify areas for improvement.

• Asset Grouping and Categorization

The assets feature allows users to create asset groups and categories based on specific criteria. Users can group assets by location, type, owner, or any other relevant attribute. This feature facilitates efficient asset management, as users can filter and view assets based on specific groups or categories, simplifying the monitoring and tracking process.

Asset Types: What is Being Tracked

Just about anything can be tracked and turned into an asset. Below are examples of more common asset tracking and integration.

• Personnel/People
• Light Vehicles
• Commercial Vehicles
• Mobile Devices
• Rotorcraft
• Fixed position sensors (includes SCADA)
• Heavy machinery
• Merchant marine vessels
• Fishing Vessels
• Leisure Craft
• Rail
• Animals
• Aircraft
• Containers
• Rocket and recovery

Monitoring the Behavior of Things

Monitoring behavior considers how the asset interacts with the environment and elements surrounding it. For example, if the asset is a commercial vehicle, like an 18-wheeler, important information to track besides location would be vehicle speed, maintenance indicators, cargo load weight, fuel consumption, and idle times.

All of this information will help managers understand the efficiency of the vehicle both when it is fully loaded and empty. When comparing different like assets, say a Kenworth versus a Freightliner or Peterbilt, portal managers can start to understand which makes and models are more or less efficient. They can also see which elements are negatively impacting efficiency and performance and make adjustments accordingly.

• Vehicle or vessel speed

• Pipeline pressure

• Maintenance indicators (lights, gauges, and other sensors)

• Ocean currents

• Heart rate and other biometrics

• Wind speeds and direction

• Passenger load on public transport

• Available parking spots

• Drift and separation of river barges

• Rainfall and soil water levels

• Cargo load weight

• Fuel consumption and efficiency

• Power consumption and efficiency

• Idle times for assets, personnel, and equipment

Asset Fields

Fields are the required and optional information sections which help the portal define, identify, and interact with the asset. The asset cannot be added to the portal until the required fields are completed; however, the optional fields will enhance the user experience and data obtained when properly filled out.

Main

• Name: Name of the device to display in the List Panel and on all incoming messages and positions

• Device: Type of device (hardware manufacturer information)

• IMEI/ISN/ID: Device-specific identification number used to identify the device. This field will typically show the expected number of digits and pattern to help determine the correct number to enter.

• Sensitivity: Position grouping factor, with a default value of 50. The platform will group positions that are near one another to present a clean map interface. Set this value to 0 to disable position grouping.

• Icon: See Icon Information

Groups

Allows users to see and edit the groups the device is displayed in. Search: Allows users to search for specific names and toggle them directly

• Select All: Toggle all checked
• Select None: Toggle all unchecked

Users

Lists the users that have access to view and interact with the asset, can be toggled to enable/disable

• Search: Allows users to search for specific names and toggle them directly
• Select All: Toggle all checked
• Select None: Toggle all unchecked

Attributes

View all attributes and field information in the"Attributes article"

Settings

• Out of Service: (Y/N) toggle if the device is out of service

• Draw Lines Between Positions: (Y/N) toggle determines whether to draw lines between consecutive positions in History Mode or Live (Following) Mode

• Snap Lines to Roads: (Y/N) toggle if Draw Lines Between Positions is toggled Yes, those lines will be drawn as closely as possible to the roads that connect the two points

• Use GPS Corrected Magnetic Course: (Y/N) tells the platform to apply magnetic course to true north corrections when using a magnetic compass vs a GPS derived compass

• Suppress Emergency Alerts: (Y/N) enable to turn off emergency alert popups from this device

• Pop-up Incoming Text Messages: (Y/N) toggle to display messages from the device on the Map interface as a pop-up

• Message Destination ID: Method for routing text messages between devices that do not support address books. Template is “{Destination ID}:{Message}”. Example if device A has an ID of “1” and device B has an ID of “2” Device A can send a message to device B by typing “2:hello device B”

• Device Password: Password to authenticate connection to remote terminal.. Only specific devices require passwords for mobile terminated messages

• Transmit Encryption Key: Encryption key for messages, if device supports encryption and enabled (see Encryption)

• Hide Information: Options to the user whether or not to hide the following information from the map view and logs:

  • Accuracy
  • Address
  • Altitude
  • Heading
  • Speed
  • History flag icons

• Spatial Reference System: Select from a drop-down list of the sources and types of geolocation data

• Clear Asset History: Users can clear data reported by the asset. This action cannot be undone.

• Current Status Information: Displays yes, no, or unknown as a status indication for each of the following pieces of information:

  • Moving
  • Engine on
  • Speeding
  • Idling
  • Towing
  • Dwelling
  • In low power mode
  • Backup power
  • Antenna cut
  • GPS jammed
  • Cell jammed

Users can pull status information from any device that reports it, or they can toggle the Yes/No/Unknown manually from the Details Panel under Edit Asset. Two buttons also exist to Reset Status (return all values to Unknown) or Refresh (pull status information from the device).

Assets in the List Panel

List Panel functionality for assets includes quick glance notification indicators, which tell users if the asset has reported any positions, statuses, chats, or events, and whether there are unviewed alerts tied to that asset. Users can also toggle the visibility of each asset, or expand the asset’s detailed information and interactive elements in the Details Panel by clicking the Cog button.

Assets in the Details Panel

In the Details Panel, users have a wealth of interactive options for each asset, including viewing details of the main reporting categories (Positions, Alerts, Events, Status, Chats, Messages, and Activity Log).

At the top of the panel, users will find navigational options as well. The name of the selected asset will appear in a drop-down menu, which allows users to jump between assets. Left and right arrows also allow users to move between assets in the order in which they appear in the List Panel.

Asset Options - Buttons

• Asset Information: displays the Name, Device type, and IMEI/ISN/ID for the selected asset
• Current Position: opens the Summary Panel with the selected asset’s most recently reported position information displayed
• Follow Live: Opens the map view in Live Mode and initiates the Follow Asset feature, which centers the map automatically when new position data arrives from the asset
• History Replay: (only works in History Mode) shows the asset’s position history one position after another in sequence for the duration of history selected by the user
• Send Waypoint: (for supported assets) sends Waypoint location to the device and prompts user for the following information:
• Place: select the Place from a drop-down menu

or

• Lat: the latitude coordinate of the Waypoint
• Lng: the longitude coordinate of the Waypoint

or

• Address Search: looks up the address latitude/longitude

or

Users can click the map interface to populate the position location

• Set Waypoint: (portal only) allows users to set a waypoint for the asset, and then manually check it when the waypoint has been reached

• Add Position: allows users to manually log

• Lat: the latitude coordinate of the position to be added

• Lng: the longitude coordinate of the position to be added

• Date/Time: the date and time to be used for the position to be added

• Speed: speed to be used for the position to be added

Rather than input Lat/Lng coordinates manually, users can click the map interface to populate the position location.

Asset Options - Feature Shortcuts

• Route Asset: Opens the Route Asset to Place feature, which prompts users for the following information:

• Place: select from a drop-down menu of Places that are saved in the portal

• Asset: select from a drop-down menu of Assets in the portal (active Asset selected by default)

• Via: choose between routing by roads for standard navigation applications, or direct (for air and sea)

• Send Message: For devices that support two-way messaging, users send text messages directly from the portal to the Asset.

• Send Command: For devices that support over-the-air configuration, users can send commands directly to the device from the portal. For more information, see the Send Command article.

• Set Output: For supported devices, the Set Output command changes the state of output pins on the remote device. The configuration of the pins may require predefining the expected behavior of the pin, for example, an I/O (Input/Output) pin would need to be configured as an output first, and possibly set the type of output pin you need between output high, output low, relay output, and pull up/pull down options. Most devices do not support high amperage output pins, but they are powerful enough to drive a magnetic or optical relay that can switch large amperage devices such as starters, lights, gates, or motors.

• Set Driver: Status Allows users to manually assign Driver Statuses for logging purposes, and does not require the Asset to support logging in directly from the device. Users will be prompted to select the Driver from a list of Drivers that have been assigned to the Assets in a drop-down menu, set their Status from a list in a drop-down menu (from a Driver Status Template), and include any notes.

• Logs: Provides users access to the device-level logs for various types of information sent to and from the device.

• Message Log: Tabbed into three separate categories (Incoming, Outgoing, Alerts), the message log allows asset managers to see the message summary, date and time of transmission, message delivery status or failures, and options for interacting with each, including the ability to acknowledge messages, delete an item, or filter the list.

• I/O Log: displays the history of I/O settings for the device along with pin changes

• Driver Log: displays the history of Driver logins/logouts and other trip-related information for the Asset.

• Waypoint Log: displays the history of the Waypoint activity for the Asset

• Refueling Log: allows users to manually log refueling events, and displays a history of all logged fueling events (both manually submitted through the portal and submitted through the device) For manual logging, users will be prompted for the following information about the refueling activity:

• Fuel: the amount of fuel added (in specified measurements)

• Odometer: the odometer reading at the time of the refueling event

• Date/Time: the date and time of the refueling event

• Service Meters: for supported devices, displays all information sent from the device’s service metering functionality, including ignition times and other sensor data

• Garmin Forms: for supported devices, displays completed Garmin Forms sent from the device

• Edit Asset: Opens the interface that allows users to configure the fields listed above in Asset Fields.

• Delete Asset: Allows the user to delete the asset (this action cannot be undone).

Notification Tabs

Other tabs in the Details Panel are for viewing the expanded versions of each Notification type, and allowing users to interact with those Notifications. For more information, see the article on Notifications.

Assets on the Map

Hovering over any Asset’s icon on the map will display the Asset’s name and the timestamp of the reported position over which the user is hovering. Clicking the reported position opens the position Summary Panel, which contains a number of pieces of information about the asset and the position:

• Name and manufacturer
• Timestamp of the reported position
• Location (approximated address of the reported position)
• Location (lat/lng) of the reported position
• Speed (reported or calculated)
• Altitude and Heading
• Any extra information such as battery life and the transmission source of the message

Additionally, there will be a quick actions menu (Dot Menu) on each, with functions based on capabilities. These functions include shortcuts to toggle visibility, open the Details Panel, create a Place, open the Ruler Tool, and open the Get Route Tool.

See Also

Supporting Features

• Alerts

• Driver Management

• Geofences

• Journeys

• Reports

• Routes