Today, we live in a world connected in countless ways, and our phones offer a seamless user experience with a single touch of the screen. Within minutes, we can use our phones to find exactly what we want to buy, buy it, and order home delivery tomorrow, in some cases, today.

This is how our world works, and it’s the same world that Cat® customers live in. They also want a seamless user experience with the latest technology that will make their life and work more efficient.

ENTER CAT DIGITAL

By linking physical assets to a digital interface, Cat Digital transforms data into business applications. It’s exciting. And we are at the forefront, using an incredibly simple model – it all starts with connecting resources. We then import telematics data from our over 1.2 million connected assets into our digital platform, where we use advanced analytics and machine learning, along with our technical data, to deliver value-added services to customers through apps.

At Caterpillar, we know our customers and our equipment best, so we are ideally placed to bridge the gap between physical hardware and the digital world. Melissa Boussen, Director of Digital Product Management, recently explained to BuiltinChicago why solutions made by Caterpillar make the most sense.

“No one knows our products the way we do, as our engineers know what is happening in the field with our resources and can develop digital solutions to solve problems,” Boussen said. “This vertical integration is what sets Caterpillar apart from the competition.”

OUR FOCUS

Each winning team competes using a game plan. Caterpillar is no different. We have identified seven priority areas that will help us win in the digital space and where we can have the greatest impact on achieving our service development goals.

• Connectivity: Since the end of 2016, we have more than doubled our number of connected assets and currently have over 1.2 million connected assets. Equally important, almost all assets are now connected when delivered to customers, so this number is growing every day. The more connected resources, the more data. And more data allows us to become even more customer-centric, helping them improve security and productivity, minimize downtime, and maximize resource utilization.
• Our Cloud Platform: A single, trusted data source enables us to accelerate the delivery of digital applications and is essential to delivering a world-class digital experience. We call our cloud data platform Cat® Helios, and it’s a modern, single source of data for businesses, resellers, and customers.
• Information about the services: With 2 million service graphics and 1.5 million product codes, we have digitized how buyers and sellers access service information. We recently completed an update to our most used Caterpillar app to a cloud-based solution and improved content organization so users can quickly find the information they need. We will also launch a new mobile version soon.
• Equipment management: Our equipment management tools help customers reduce unplanned downtime and increase productivity by gaining insight into the usage and location of their assets. Customers can also use these tools to purchase parts or submit service requests.
• Condition Monitoring: Cat dealers use condition monitoring tools and information to provide service or maintenance recommendations to keep customer equipment in top condition. With our dealers’ extensive industry experience and proprietary equipment, no one could be better placed to be the trusted advisor who oversees the health of our clients’ assets, even those with a mixed fleet.
• Lead and Opportunity Management: We use digital information to prioritize, advise and provide clients with the right solution at the right time. The result is a better service to our customers, increased productivity and less unplanned downtime.
• E-commerce and digital retail: Our goal is to provide the best digital online experience and self-service experience for e-commerce. We know that customers expect us to be even easier to do business with, and we invest heavily in a variety of e-commerce solutions for large and small clients.

CONNECTIVITY IS CONNECTED! AND SO IS CATERPILLAR

Each of our core areas has been identified for a good reason: they are critical components that drive future success and are critical to improving the customer experience. But when we put it all together, the real magic happens. The areas of activity for Cat Digital, like the Caterpillar team itself, are interdependent. Each component is part of a system that delivers smart hardware, strengthening Caterpillar’s reputation as a leading innovator in the industry and helping our customers build a better world.

There has never been a more exciting time at Caterpillar. With some of the brightest minds in the industry and our leadership committed to investing in cutting-edge technology, our future looks very bright.