Connected operations take the power of data, use it to generate insights and thereby help people run their businesses more efficiently, safely and sustainably, says Jeffrey Hausman, chief product officer at Samsara.

Improved connection in business processes comes via technological advances, of course, including networking, edge computing, digital workflows, artificial intelligence and more. But it’s also about people, and looking for ways to help them with digital workflows, mobile workflows, ways of removing mundane administrative tasks and automating them.

“It changes the dynamics for how people can actually do their jobs,” says Hausman. “It makes them more engaged, makes them feel better. And that helps with retention, which is one of the critical challenges for organizations today.”

One of the technologies that changes the human experience for the better is edge technology — a term for sensors and other data-capturing devices that are deployed at the “edge” of operations (not in the warehouse or loading dock, for example) such as in a truck cab. Cheaper microprocessors and data storage and transmission make these feasible in ways they weren’t before. That opens up opportunities that include monitoring trucks in real time.

“I can process for following distance in real time to give you a real feedback loop that says, ‘You're following too closely,’” Hausman says. “I'm going to give you an alert or a nudge in the cab while you're driving.”

It's all about providing the insights to the right people in the right place at the right time, Hausman says, including back-office workers and those in the field. But there are many further possibilities that are exciting, he adds, such as using virtual reality to train staff. In the case of one customer, doing so reduced employee attrition from 30% to 3%. “A tremendous competitive advantage,” Hausman says.