Haldensleben, September 2022
Gaining access to a locked storage area, stealing a construction machine and trailer and reloading it: You would think the effort would be too great and would be a deterrent. Unfortunately, theft is a reality on many construction sites. According to crime statistics, cases of serious theft in particular are increasing significantly.
This was also the case at Kurt König Baumaschinen GmbH. Thieves gained access to the fenced-off area at a branch of the construction machinery rental company and stole a Takeuchi mini-excavator. However, thanks to the cooperation of Kurt König, the Halle (Saale) police department and the use of syniotec’s solutions, stolen goods worth over 300,000 euros were found and the mini excavator is now back in use. As the gang had been wanted for some time, the federal police were also involved, which significantly accelerated the investigation.
SAM and IoT clarify
Kurt König Baumaschinen GmbH has been a strong partner for construction, trade and industry since it was founded in 1932. The construction machinery dealer is represented throughout Germany with 11 locations. However, when the employees of the Magdeburg branch wanted to start work on 13.09.2022, an employee discovered damage to the fence. It quickly became clear that a mini excavator had been stolen together with the trailer. The employee immediately called Sven Schmid-Bauer, sales manager of all branches, and the police were informed. “As the contact person at Kurt König for the SAM software used by syniotec, the employee immediately knew that I could track the location of the machine,” says Schmid-Bauer. “So I was able to see directly that the stolen mini excavator had been parked in a remote wooded area for about 45 minutes. The last location transmission then came from a garage in Halle. We gave this information to the police.”
At the same time, a branch manager from Kurt König looked around the wooded area where the excavator was apparently being reloaded. The trailer, which was stolen together with the machine, was parked there. This could be returned immediately. “About four weeks later, we received a call from the police that the mini excavator and other stolen goods worth over 300,000 euros had been found,” says Schmid-Bauer. “We were able to pick up the excavator directly from a towing yard and it is now back in normal use.” It happens from time to time that something is stolen. “However, this is the first case in which the machine was found thanks to active assistance and is now back in use. None of this would be possible without the built-in IoT from syniotec and the overview in SAM,” Schmid-Bauer concludes.
A successful collaboration
syniotec and Kurt König GmbH have been working together since 2022. The specially developed telematics system from syniotec is installed in the fleets at all locations. Thanks to live GPS tracking, theft protection for partners is included and provides direct added value in such situations. “The data transfer from our GPS tracking device in the machine to SAM takes place reliably and securely via GPRS data transfer over the mobile phone network. In addition to the theft alarm, there are of course other advantages. All relevant technical data such as operating hours per project, maintenance intervals and persons responsible for the machine can be viewed,” says syniotec CFO Arne Stehnken. “We are constantly expanding both SAM and our IoT devices in close cooperation with the construction companies.” Sven Schmid-Bauer also recognizes these advantages. “We have now equipped almost 70% of our fleet with IoT from syniotec. And the trend is rising,” says Schmid-Bauer happily.
