At the latest Trimble Insight Conference in New Orleans, Michael Kornhauser, who oversees Trimble’s TMS, maintenance, mapping, and navigation products, emphasized the importance of achieving operational excellence through small, consistent gains—a concept summarized by the phrase "magic penny" or compounding benefits. Getting "1% better every single day" has a tremendous compounding effect over the course of a year, leading to efficiencies that help companies scale without increasing headcount.

A key part of Trimble’s strategy is integrating advanced technology, like AI, into the core systems customers use today, many of which are decades-old and considered legacy. Kornhauser notes that this approach is possible because the progression of AI happened "organically" at Trimble, building on over ten years of internal work using machine learning to improve map data and core products.

Trimble is delivering AI features that impact specific user workflows without requiring a large "rip and replace" implementation. Examples announced at the conference include:

• TMT Fleet Maintenance: The Road Call Agent is an AI feature designed to optimize the interaction between drivers and maintenance staff. Instead of a human taking calls during a breakdown, the AI agent transcribes the driver's situation directly into the TMT system, automatically creating the work ticket. This process gets the driver to a safe resolution faster.
• Procurement Optimization: AI is being leveraged to optimize interactions between shippers and carriers through autonomous procurement (for shippers) and autonomous quotation (for carriers), aiming to benefit both sides of the transaction equally.

Kornhauser stresses that creating actionable insights starts with ensuring data flows in real-time. Trimble's focus is on connecting data both within the carrier's "four walls" and connecting to outside systems, whether that be shipper data or external operational data like Tandem Systems (for fuel dispatch). This open ecosystem is critical because the performance of partners directly affects the carrier’s efficiency.

By focusing on core competencies and utilizing technology to manage complexity and security (like cybersecurity), fleets can better navigate the current market environment and be positioned to maximize efficiencies when the market rebounds.