TECHNOLOGY
Toro’ s Horizon 360 is an evolving tech platform enabling contractors to better see their entire business in operation. nesses,” said Roell,“ and we continuously take feedback on what analytics they might like to see. How many pounds of material am I using at different job sites that I might need to adjust or forecast for in the future?”
Data privacy
Collecting and analyzing data presents many opportunities for companies like Toro and Kioti. Still, many users are cautious about how their data might be used, stored and shared.
“ We haven’ t had contractors who have been concerned about our use of data,” said Roell at Toro.“ We take data privacy very seriously. We are not selling their data. This is a business management system. If they’ re using any other business management system, even QuickBooks, they know their information is going to that company. It’ s secure and we take that seriously.”
“ We have to accumulate some data so we can provide this service,” said Son of Kioti.“ Without data, we cannot provide anything. Customers understand that. A few customers say,‘ I don’ t want to activate.’ That’ s definitely their choice so they can deactivate it. That’ s how our policy works.”
Roell said that some operators are concerned that we want to watch and know everything they’ re doing, or that their managers will watch that way.“ When the owner is able to explain it as a way for them to have backup and proof of service when a customer calls. The customer might say,‘ You didn’ t salt this parking lot properly,’ the owner has the tracking data to know that work was done.” It’ s not Big Brother watching the operator and saying they should work a different way.“ We’ re protecting the operators and enabling that proof of service. It becomes a much better conversation for the owners there looking at those devices,” she said.
Is every manufacturer a technology company?
OPE + attended the Kress Next Summit event recently, and Kress leaders said the company is a technology company. Toro isn’ t quite ready to make that same statement yet, but many manufacturers of product are leaning heavily on technology today – we will talk with more of them soon.
Pure technology companies, such as Greenzie, enable makers of mowers including Wright Manufacturing and others to become technologists. As such, Greenzie needs to be on the leading edge of its autonomous vehicle technology. The company recently release its 4.0 software release, which includes performance updates aimed at minimizing unnecessary stops and increasing a mower’ s accuracy. Enhancements such as automatic sensor resets, hardware disconnect mitigation, cell signal degradation recovery, and further efficiencies.
Technology is a growing part of the manufacturing and use of outdoor power equipment, from battery management to maintenance scheduling to product use tracking. We’ re all technologists, starting now.
www. OPE-Plus. com April 2025 OPE + 17