Initions Wins Second Telematik Award

For the second time, initions AG won the renowned Telematik Award (telematics award) awarded by German media group Telematik-Markt since 2010. This year, the jury honored the symbiosis of artificial intelligence and the telematics app OPHEO Mobile, which created the basis for autonomous truck dispatching. This is where the AI component roadEngine plays a central role: constantly comparing the target and actual data of the current tours, it calculates alternatives fully automatically if necessary. The actual data is provided by telematics app OPHEO Mobile and other on-board systems such as Fleetboard or Webfleet, that can be integrated into the process. Among more than 200 applicants, this innovative software solution was able to prevail in the main category Telematics Apps.

By developing roadEngine, initions AG enhanced its digital transport control center and telematics system OPHEO in 2018 by an AI component for the automation of truck dispatching, with “road” standing for “rolling automatic dispatching”. Based on the telematics data from the vehicles, the roadEngine recognizes impending schedule violations, driving time overruns, or other conflicts. In these cases, roadEngine calculates plan changes that eliminate or minimize the conflicts using an evolutionary algorithm.

The changed tour data is automatically sent to the drivers’ telematics devices without the dispatcher having to check alternatives or intervene. This way, roadEngine automates the transport management process, increases the dispatching productivity, saves costs and increases service quality.

The prize was awarded virtually by German media group Telematik-Markt and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). This was the tenth edition of the competition, which was held under the patronage of Dr. Bernd Althusmann, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, Transport and Digitization. “The Telematik Award ceremony has an international significance and showcases the very top of the technology industry,” Althusmann emphasized during this year’s ceremony, which was held exclusively in a digital format due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In his congratulatory speech, VDA Managing Director Dr. Kurt-Christian Scheel pointed out “the openness to other apps and the interface work for the benefit of the innovative overall system and customer satisfaction”.

“We are very happy that the jury recognized the potential of OPHEO, our roadEngine and OPHEO Mobile. The symbiosis of all of these solutions enables our customers to automate their dispatching—to the point of completely autonomous control by OPHEO,” CEO and founder of initions AG Dr. Stefan Anschütz explains.

inition’s digital transport control center OPHEO offers an intelligent standard software for road freight transport management that has been tried and tested for many years. This solution comprises tour optimization, ETA forecasting and telematics components. Besides the dispatching process, OPHEO also automates communication with customers.