Effectiveness Analysis of Intellitrac GPS Application for Heavy Equipment Monitoring and Management in Coal Fired Power Plant Environment

Abstract

Coal-fired power plants (PLTUs) naturally feature highly demanding environments that require heavy equipment to be managed with utmost efficiency, hence the deployment of GPS-based telematics such as Intellitrac to provide more visibility and improve the performance. Though there has been some validation of such systems through quantitative methods in terms of metrics like optimizing fuel consumption, the aspect that has been neglected is the understanding of the experience, human perspective and day-to-day use of the technology involved. In response, this research qualitatively explores how Intellitrac works by examining into the users' subjective lived experience to understand the role of human-factor in technological outcomes. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with five key personnel (Operations Manager, Field Supervisor, Maintenance Technician, and two Heavy Equipment Operators) at the Rembang PLTU, whose data was triangulated with direct observation and document review. Four major, interconnected themes emerged from the analysis: (1) a paradigm shift to more proactive vigilance but still largely constrained due to lack of integration with maintenance systems; (2) the paradox of visibility effect, which on one hand facilitates coordination but on the other hand corrodes trust due to perceived surveillance; (3) the inadequacy of raw metrics out of context, where data was seen to miss the operational details leading to defensive reactions; and (4) systemic problems such as fragmented IT systems and poor training that blocked efficiency. The findings suggest that the effectiveness is a phenomenon that is socially and technically constructed through a series of complex interactions between human and non-human agents which encompass and extend beyond technical dimensions. This research makes a theoretical contribution by opening the technology adoption literature with a qualitative-phenomenological lens that gives weight to subjective experience, organizational culture, and system integration as key factors. On the other hand, it yields important insights for developers and management, highlighting the fact that in order to maximize ROI, it is not only about technological advances per se but also rationalization, user empowerment, and context-sensitive analytical features that collectively facilitate a data-driven and flexible way of working.

Keywords: Intellitrac GPS, PLTU, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Technology Effectiveness, Heavy Equipment Management, User Experience

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007195