SmartMakers asset tracking for logistics

SmartMakers is the Realtime Operations provider for organisations with complex, variable workflows across logistics, production and field operations. Its IoT- and AI-based solutions connect the physical world with digital processes.  

EMIL EGGER is a leading Swiss transport and logistics company specialising in heavy-lift logistics, crane rental, special transports and supply chain warehousing across Europe. Every day, the company operates hundreds of swap bodies - demountable freight containers with folding legs that enable efficient transfer of palletised goods between road and rail without the need to unload cargo.

Once these swap bodies left the depot loaded with customer cargo, EMIL EGGER had no quick, easy or reliable way to track their location. Units were often left at customer sites for periods ranging from a few days to several years.

Without clear visibility of asset locations, EMIL EGGER’s team relied on slow, manual processes to locate equipment. This included calling customers, visiting customer sites and piecing together information from transport records. In some cases, the company even had to purchase additional swap bodies to meet customer demand at specific locations. With replacement costs running into several thousand euros per asset, the financial impact was significant.

EMIL EGGER approached SmartMakers with a clear requirement: to design and deploy a reliable, low-maintenance GPS asset tracking solution that would improve fleet visibility, utilisation and management. The solution also needed to overcome specific challenges that had caused previous tracking initiatives to fail, including unreliable connectivity and bulky, battery-powered devices with short battery life.

Faced with 300 swap bodies and limited asset visibility, the company turned to an IoT solution to bring its asset tracking under control

A long-standing Digital Matter partner, SmartMakers designed and deployed a three-month proof of concept to address EMIL EGGER’s asset visibility challenges. At the heart of the solution were Digital Matter Yabby Edge Cellular and Barra Edge devices.

The Yabby Edge is a compact, ultra-rugged, battery-powered GPS tracking device roughly the size of a deck of cards. It provides location visibility for assets both indoors and outdoors using GNSS, Wi-Fi scanning and cellular tower positioning. With user-replaceable AAA lithium batteries offering up to ten years of battery life and an IP68-rated waterproof housing, it is designed for long-term, low-maintenance deployment in demanding logistics environments.

The Barra Edge complements this approach. Purpose-built for high-volume, heavy-duty asset deployments, its slim, rugged IK07-rated housing includes built-in magnetic activation and tamper detection, alerting operators if a device is removed. Powered by AA lithium batteries with up to ten years of life, it also supports minimal-maintenance operations at scale.

During the proof of concept, devices were mounted directly onto the swap bodies in a fast and simple plug-and-play installation process. Within minutes, the devices began transmitting regular asset location data to SmartMakers’ cloud-based Real Time Operations Platform. The platform transforms raw telemetry data into a clear visual dashboard and routes location information directly into EMIL EGGER’s transport management system via an API.

But the real value goes beyond visibility. With reliable, on-demand location data at hand, the team can actively manage its fleet and keep logistics processes under control at all times.

“We knew this customer needed robust, proven devices and immediately recognised that Digital Matter’s Yabby Edge Cellular and Barra Edge were an ideal fit for EMIL EGGER’s specific freight container tracking challenges. The devices performed reliably and solved the exact problems the customer had experienced with previous logistics asset tracking solutions. We rely on Digital Matter hardware without hesitation. This deployment was no exception.”

Following the success of the proof of concept, SmartMakers scaled the deployment to 330 swap bodies. The project was subsequently expanded to 650 devices, extending tracking coverage to additional heavy equipment, including crane ballasts and flatbeds

From wasted time and unexpected costs to proactive fleet management at scale

The impact of the deployment was immediate. For the first time, EMIL EGGER had full transparency over the location of every tracked swap body in its fleet across Europe.

Operationally, the solution transformed how EMIL EGGER’s dispatch team managed the fleet. Geofencing capabilities enabled automated detection of asset arrivals and departures at depots and customer sites, eliminating many of the manual calls and emails that had previously consumed significant staff time.

Outside depots and customer sites, on-demand asset location data is available via a visual map on desktop and mobile devices. With this information automatically flowing into EMIL EGGER’s transport management system, dispatchers can distribute and manage the fleet far more efficiently, while reducing the risk of unexpected asset replacement costs.

The benefits of the GPS asset tracking solution extend beyond EMIL EGGER’s internal operations. By making accurate asset location data automatically available within logistics workflows, the solution also benefits EMIL EGGER’s customers, who gain greater clarity regarding the whereabouts of their goods.

The SmartMakers IoT-based asset tracking solution gave EMIL EGGER something that manual processes and spreadsheets could not provide: certainty. As EMIL EGGER’s IT Project Manager explains:

“For us, monitoring is primarily a kind of insurance that nothing gets lost. We finally have proof of where the swap bodies are and always know exactly where they are located. Our customers really benefit from this.”

The long battery life of both the Yabby Edge and Barra Edge devices has also reduced operational effort. Compared with the previous tracking solution, which required frequent intervention and failed in the field, the Digital Matter devices require far less maintenance and cause less downtime. This allows the EMIL EGGER team to spend less time on hardware upkeep and more time on its core logistics tasks.

“The scale of the project tells its own story. What began as a 25-device proof of concept grew to 330 tracked swap bodies, and then to a fleet-wide deployment of 650 devices spanning multiple asset types. That trajectory, from cautious trial to confident company-wide rollout, reflects satisfaction with the technology and a genuine shift in how EMIL EGGER thinks about asset management. Digital Matter devices are core to our portfolio, enabling us to deliver outstanding solutions at speed.” - SmartMakers