By Gregg Wartgow, Special to AEM –
As data-driven equipment becomes more prevalent throughout the agriculture and construction industries, it’s essential that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of what the data is, where it comes from, where it lives, and who is responsible for securing it throughout its lifecycle. That is why AEM and its members have developed a guidance document entitled Data Layers for Non-Road Equipment.
“The AEM Technology Leadership Groups thought it was critical to create common terminology that could be used to describe the different systems inside and outside a piece of equipment,” said Erica Baird, executive director for global sales and service at AEM member company Cummins and Vice Chair of AEM’s CE Sector Board. “Equipment data must cross all these systems and layers to make it to a customer system. Breaking these down into standard layer definitions helps set a common framework for discussing them.”
Discussing data layers is increasingly important today. As technologies like machine learning and autonomy help construction contractors and farmers gain a productivity edge with their equipment, ensuring the integrity of the data behind those technologies is crucial.
“People must be able to trust that their technologies and data systems are secure,” said Shane Coates, executive vice president of agriculture and construction dealer sales at JCB and a member of AEM’s Ag Sector Board of Directors. “The profitability and pure viability of an entire business segment, whether you’re talking about construction contractors or farmers, could be jeopardized if the right controls and governance aren’t in place regarding how machine data is managed. Having this guidance document that outlines data governance is incredibly important.”
“The profitability and pure viability of an entire business segment, whether you’re talking about construction contractors or farmers, could be jeopardized if the right controls and governance aren’t in place regarding how machine data is managed. Having this guidance document that outlines data governance is incredibly important.” -- Shane Coates
Six Layers of Data
The guidance document defines six layers of data for non-road equipment, each of which is grouped into three broader categories.
On-Board Data. Layer 0 refers to the individual sensors or controllers on a piece of equipment that gather asset-level data, such as an angle, moisture, or temperature sensor. Layer 1 involves a sub-system of sensors and controllers that gathers and packages asset-level data, such as an engine system or vocational add-on package.
Transfer Layer. Layer 2 is where an on-board system transfers packaged asset-level data as performance or production data to or from an individual system.
“This can be a port or plug on a machine where others can connect to access data,” said Korry Kobel, senior director of global product development at JLG Industries and Vice Chair of AEM’s CE Technology Leadership Group. “That safe, reliable machine an OEM manufactures has an intentional point in its design where data from the on-board systems can be transferred to the outside world.”
That interface also creates a bidirectional relationship. Kobel points to OTA (over the air) updates and remote operation as examples. “A machine can accept commands from the outside world at the transfer layer,” Kobel said. “Thus, the transfer layer must know how to process those commands and handle the incoming data.”
Off-Board Data. Layers 3-5 involve the storage of data off of the machine, such as in a cloud storage or on-premise server system. Layer 3 involves a single asset, Layer 4 involves a field or fleet of assets, and Layer 5 involves groups of field or fleet assets including any external data inputs and in-field sensors. Layer 5 encompasses what the guidance document refers to as a “system of systems.” One example of how Layer 5 could come into play is on a large construction project where several subcontractors are all utilizing their own telematics systems, but all of that data is consolidated into a single off-board system for easier, more streamlined access and analysis.
Data Layers Help Draw Lines of Responsibility
The data layers guidance document goes hand in hand with another of AEM’s recently released guidance documents, Cybersecurity for Machine Data for Non-Road Equipment.
“If you don’t have a good understanding of data layers, it’s very difficult to have a good conversation around data cybersecurity,” Kobel pointed out. “Understanding the data layers helps you determine what the threat vectors are, which parties need to be involved in the conversation, and who’s responsible for what.”
Take Data Layer 5, for instance. With several equipment operators using different telematics systems, a cybersecurity incident with just one of those systems could compromise the entire layer. That is why the primary responsibility for cybersecurity at Layer 5 lies with the manufacturer of the platform consolidating all of the data. Conversely, with on-board data at Layers 0 and 1, cybersecurity responsibility lies with the manufacturer of the individual sensor or sub-system of sensors. At the transfer layer (Layer 2), responsibility lies with the system integrator, which is the manufacturer of the machine system. All of this is defined in the data layers guidance document.
“Mapping cybersecurity responsibilities across the layers helps ensure comprehensive coverage,” Baird emphasized. “This prevents gaps where threats could exploit the interface between systems—such as between embedded controls and cloud services.”
“The AEM Technology Leadership Groups thought it was critical to create common terminology that could be used to describe the different systems inside and outside a piece of equipment. Data must cross all these systems and layers to make it to a customer system. Breaking these down into standard layer definitions helps set a common framework for discussing them.” -- Erica Baird
Mapping Out Data Strategies
As one of the chief architects of the data layers guidance document, Kobel is hopeful that it helps bring clarity to a topic that has been plagued by some degree of ambiguity. That will help an individual OEM’s manufacturing teams function more efficiently.
“In my experience working with telematics at JLG over the past 15-plus years, I’ve found that the technology team isn’t the only one that will be confused if you can’t get terminology aligned on something complex like data,” Kobel related. “You’ll wind up with different outcomes and a lot of frustrated people if you can’t be explicit and point to something consistently when talking to engineers.”
Coates is confident that the guidance document helps bring the clarity that’s needed.
“AEM members should map out how they utilize and manage data with end users, as well as other resources they use to manage data,” Coates said. “Then they can look at the AEM guidance document and determine where they fall within the six data layers that are defined. From there they can start to identify where there might be risks, and start coming up with a strategy around them. And then they can start using the guidance document as a classification and communication tool when discussing data layers with others.”
“The AEM teams that worked on this did a good job of making sure it wasn’t just applicable to the traditional rolling stock-type OEM,” Kobel added. “We saw how this language we’re using can also apply to our suppliers. For instance, a sensor manufacturer makes a product that will ultimately interface with the OEM’s machine. That sensor will be a piece of the machine. So, that sensor manufacturer should be aware of that hand-off, but should also understand how their decisions can feed into the overall architecture. The guidance document is a good basis for many stakeholders up and down the supply chain to have valuable conversations about data.”
As Coates pointed out, the non-road equipment industry is still relatively early in its data evolution. The guidance document couldn’t have come at a better time. Moving forward, data layers and responsibilities could be articulated in dealer contracts. And when regulators start turning an eye toward the non-road equipment industry, having a common language regarding data layers will be highly beneficial.
“When one person is talking about a certain aspect of data, it’s important that the scope and intent are readily understood by others,” Coates said.
AEM’s data layers guidance document is an important step toward making sure that happens.
About AEM's Guidance Documents
A trio of member-driven guidance documents to help promote the agreed-upon use of common language when representing the non-road equipment industry and discussing the topics of autonomy, cybersecurity, and data were issued by AEM.
The guidance documents, which are available to view and download on AEM.org, were released in conjunction with AEM’s Celebration of Construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. They serve as consensus resources for association staff, members, and industry peers to drive conversations and communications related to autonomy, cybersecurity, and data.
