Plantforces Chris Matthew on Why Connected Machines Are Transforming Plant Hire

“Plant Hire is no longer just about having the newest excavator or the biggest fleet" said Chris Matthew, Commercial Director at Plantforce rentals

“Customers now expect connected machines that generate meaningful data, support 3D machine control, improve safety and help them make better decisions across their projects.”

Peter Haddock caught up with Chris at Hillhead Show on the Leica Geosystems stand to find out about how the business continues to evolve.

Chris: “Our business has gone on quite a journey over the last couple of years, transitioning from a more transactional customer base to more strategic infrastructure customers.

“Those customers are demanding more from every machine as they have a much better understanding of how individual pieces of equipment are performing, and that’s driven by the information the machines generate.”

“For example, a number of customers now have to have a good reason to opt out of 3D machine control technology rather than opt into it.”

Safety was another part of the discussion, with Chris highlighting the use of human form recognition safety systems and 3D Collision avoidance from Xwatch Safety Solutions.

“We’re generating so much safety information from machines now. The key is creating an environment where we can actually use that data to improve what we do on site and make it safer.”

And for Chris, it’s all about investing in people and training: “With a greater focus on technology, we need the right people and skills in our industry to keep moving forward, whilst supporting our customers.”