Building an operational tool for heavy industry — Seeking "real world" data and site reality [R]

Reddit r/MachineLearning / 4/27/2026

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Key Points

  • A small R&D team is building an operational tool for heavy industry (ports, mining/quarries, and fleet operations) and says many existing solutions miss on-the-ground realities.
  • The project aims to close a “Truth Gap” caused by manual logs, missing throughput data, and fragmented “Swiss cheese” connectivity at job sites.
  • They are not selling anything yet and are seeking 15-minute conversations to identify where current tracking/inspection systems fail.
  • They also want access to historical or raw logs/records (under NDA) that reveal real bottlenecks, damage patterns, and throughput errors to stress-test their approach.
  • The stated goal is to use provided context and data to build an MVP that works for each site’s specific bottlenecks, positioning the tool as a “nervous system” for accurate operations.

Hi everyone,

I’m part of a small team currently in the R&D phase of building a new tool for industrial operations (specifically focused on Ports, Mining/Quarries, and Fleet Ops).

We’ve seen a lot of technology built by people who have never stepped foot on a dusty job site or a busy container gate. We’re trying to do the opposite. We want to solve the "Truth Gap"—the mess caused by manual logs, missing throughput data, and the general "Swiss cheese" data connectivity you deal with on-site.

We aren't looking for sales, and we have nothing to promote yet. What we do need is to connect with people who actually live the reality of these operations. We need to make sure our logic holds up against the grime, the heat, and the chaos of the field.

We are looking for:

  • Conversations: 15 minutes of your time to tell us where current tracking/inspection systems fail you.
  • Data Access: Historical or raw logs/records (under NDA) that show real friction points (bottlenecks, damage patterns, or throughput errors).
  • Operational Insight: Anyone willing to give us a "boots on the ground" perspective to help us stress-test our approach.

The Goal: If you give us the context and the data to help us build the MVP, we’ll work with you to ensure the final tool actually solves your specific bottlenecks. We want to build the "Nervous System" for these sites so you don't have to guess your numbers.

If you’re tired of tools built for boardrooms instead of operators, I’d love to chat.

Please DM me if you’re open to trading some notes or a data-sharing collaboration.

submitted by /u/ComparisonFeeling883
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