How to Improve Goal Accuracy With Telemetry

Overview

Goals are only as accurate as the data they're based on. If your telemetry data is incomplete, delayed, or misconfigured, your goals will trigger false alerts, miss real issues, or fail to run at all.

This guide explains how telemetry quality impacts goal performance and provides actionable steps to optimize data collection for more reliable goals.

How Goals Depend on Telemetry

The Goal Evaluation Process

The problem: If telemetry data is missing, inaccurate, or outdated in step 1, the entire process produces unreliable results.

Common Telemetry Issues That Affect Goals

1. Missing or Intermittent Data

Symptoms:

• Goals show 0 hours runtime when asset was clearly operating
• Alerts trigger randomly despite consistent asset usage
• Weekly/monthly goals show incomplete totals

Causes:

• IoT device offline (cellular connection lost, power failure)
• Asset in area with poor signal coverage
• Telemetry device not properly installed or configured
• Device firmware outdated

How to diagnose:

1. Navigate to the asset's detail page
2. Check "Last Telemetry Update" timestamp
3. If timestamp is more than 24 hours old, data is stale
4. Review asset's telemetry history graph - look for gaps

Solutions:

• Verify IoT device has power and cellular signal
• Check device installation - ensure proper wiring and antenna placement
• Update device firmware to latest version
• Consider adding cellular signal boosters in low-coverage areas
• Contact ARMOR Support if device appears offline but is powered on

2. Delayed Data Transmission

Symptoms:

• Goals show lower values than expected during checks
• Alerts clear themselves 6-12 hours later when data catches up
• Asset appears inactive but is actually running

Causes:

• IoT devices batch data and transmit periodically (e.g., every 4 hours)
• Cellular network congestion causing upload delays
• Device buffering data locally when signal is unavailable

Solutions:

• Adjust goal check timing to allow for data lag (e.g., check at 4:00 AM instead of 2:00 AM)
• Use weekly goals instead of daily if data delay is consistent but manageable
• Upgrade to real-time telemetry devices if critical operations require immediate data

3. Inaccurate Data Readings

Symptoms:

• Runtime values are significantly higher or lower than reality
• Distance readings don't match expected travel
• Battery levels show 0% or 100% constantly

Causes:

• Telemetry device installed incorrectly (e.g., connected to wrong sensor)
• Device calibration off (distance sensor miscalibrated)
• CAN bus integration issues (reading wrong data stream)
• Sensor hardware failure

How to diagnose:

1. Compare telemetry data to physical observations (e.g., forklift ran all day but shows 1 hour)
2. Check multiple assets of same type - if one is off, likely device issue; if all are off, likely configuration issue
3. Review asset's data history - sudden spikes or drops indicate sensor problems

Solutions:

• Re-verify telemetry device installation per manufacturer guidelines
• Recalibrate sensors (distance, speed, battery level)
• Check device configuration in ARMOR admin portal - ensure correct data fields are mapped
• Replace faulty sensors or telemetry devices

4. Wrong Data Field Selected in Goal

Symptoms:

• Goal never triggers alerts despite poor asset performance
• Goal shows unexpected values (e.g., monitoring total lifetime runtime instead of daily)

Causes:

• Selected wrong metric when creating goal (e.g., runTimeTotal instead of runTimeToday)
• Data field not available for asset type (e.g., monitoring distance on stationary equipment)

How to diagnose:

1. Open the goal in edit mode
2. Review the "Data Field" selection
3. Check asset detail page to confirm this field is being reported

Solutions:

• Edit goal and select the correct data field
• Verify asset is capable of reporting the desired metric
• Consult ARMOR documentation for available data fields per asset type

Optimizing Telemetry for Goals

1. Verify Data Availability Before Creating Goals

Checklist before creating a goal:

• ✅ Navigate to an asset detail page
• ✅ Confirm the data field you want to monitor is displayed and updating
• ✅ Check "Last Updated" timestamp - should be within last 1-4 hours depending on device settings
• ✅ Review 7-day history graph - ensure consistent data without large gaps

2. Choose the Right Data Field for Your Goal

Goal Type	Recommended Data Field	Avoid Using
Daily utilization tracking	runTimeToday	runTimeTotal (lifetime hours, not daily)
Weekly performance	runTimeWeek	runTimeToday (only measures one day)
Route coverage	distanceToday	distanceTotal (lifetime odometer)
Battery health monitoring	batteryLevelMin	batteryLevelCurrent (fluctuates constantly)
Efficiency tracking	idleTimeToday	idlePercentage (calculated field, may not update correctly)

3. Ensure Consistent Data Collection Frequency

IoT devices transmit data at different intervals depending on model and configuration:

Device Type	Typical Transmission Frequency	Goal Recommendation
Real-time GPS trackers	Every 1-5 minutes while moving	Safe for daily goals
Standard IoT devices	Every 2-4 hours	Use daily goals, check after 4 AM
Low-power sensors	Once per day (overnight batch upload)	Use weekly goals to smooth out delays

Action: Check your device documentation or ARMOR Support for transmission intervals. Adjust goal check timing accordingly.

4. Monitor Telemetry Health Proactively

Set up telemetry monitoring alerts:

• Create a goal to detect assets that haven't reported data in 24 hours
• Use lastTelemetryUpdate metric (if available)
• Receive alerts when devices go offline

Example configuration:

Troubleshooting Goal Accuracy Issues

Scenario 1: Goal Shows 0 Hours Runtime for Assets That Ran All Day

Diagnosis steps:

1. Check asset detail page → "Last Telemetry Update" timestamp
2. If stale (>24 hours), device is offline
3. If recent, check if runTimeToday field shows 0
4. If field is missing entirely, device isn't configured to report runtime

Solutions:

• If device offline: Restore connectivity (check power, cellular signal)
• If field shows 0 but asset ran: Device misconfigured - verify CAN bus integration
• If field missing: Device doesn't support this metric - choose different data field or upgrade device

Scenario 2: Weekly Goal Shows Lower Value Than Expected

Diagnosis steps:

1. Check if data transmission delay is pushing updates past goal check time
2. Review asset's 7-day telemetry history for gaps
3. Confirm goal's weekDays selection matches operational schedule

Solutions:

• Adjust goal check day (e.g., check Saturday morning instead of Friday night)
• Fill telemetry gaps by resolving device connectivity issues
• Correct weekDays selection if goal is excluding operational days

Scenario 3: Goals Trigger Alerts Randomly Despite Consistent Asset Performance

Diagnosis steps:

1. Review asset's telemetry history - look for data spikes or drops
2. Check if multiple assets show same pattern (system-wide issue) or just one (device issue)
3. Verify goal threshold is appropriate for asset type

Solutions:

• If data spikes: Sensor calibration issue - recalibrate or replace
• If data drops: Intermittent connectivity - improve signal coverage
• If threshold issue: Adjust goal target value to match realistic performance

Best Practices for Telemetry-Driven Goals

• Validate data quality before scaling goals - Test on pilot assets first
• Use aggregated metrics (daily, weekly) - More reliable than real-time snapshots
• Build in buffer time - Allow 2-4 hours after midnight for data to finalize before goal checks
• Monitor device health - Create goals to detect offline devices
• Document data field definitions - Ensure goal creators understand what each metric measures
• Review telemetry coverage quarterly - Verify all assets are reporting consistently

Advanced: Custom Telemetry Fields for Goals

If standard telemetry fields don't meet your needs, ARMOR supports custom calculated fields:

• Utilization Percentage: (runTimeToday / 24) * 100
• Efficiency Ratio: distanceToday / runTimeToday
• Battery Degradation Rate: Historical trend of batteryLevelMin over 30 days

Implementation: Contact ARMOR Support to configure custom fields. Once created, they can be used in goals like any standard metric.

Telemetry Data Quality Checklist

Use this checklist to audit telemetry quality before implementing goals:

• ✅ All assets have active IoT devices installed and powered
• ✅ Last telemetry update timestamp is within expected interval (1-4 hours)
• ✅ Telemetry history graphs show consistent data with no multi-day gaps
• ✅ Data values are realistic (e.g., 6 hours runtime, not 600 hours)
• ✅ Data fields required for goals are available and updating
• ✅ Device firmware is up to date
• ✅ Cellular signal strength is adequate (if applicable)
• ✅ Device installation follows manufacturer guidelines

Related Topics

• Goals Not Triggering Alerts - Troubleshooting guide
• Understanding Telemetry Data Fields - Metric definitions
• Runtime/Distance/Efficiency Goal Suggestions - Choosing the right metrics

Getting Help

If you're experiencing persistent telemetry issues affecting goal accuracy, contact the ARMOR Support Team for device diagnostics and configuration assistance.