Live motion capture
September 1st 2010 The use of live performance data from
trucks is a key ingredient of Barloworld's
Intelligent Fleet Management,says
Graham Jones, gm for UK Sales
The addition of real time performance data to our fleet
management offering is helping to improve decision
making leading to increased availability, lower operating
costs and greater flexibility.
A key ingredient of our service offering is our fleet
management system which captures live performance data from
trucks, presenting it to managers via a dedicated web portal. The
system consists of a telemetry device which sends data directly
from each truck to our secure back office service management
system. The system uses equipment monitoring technology
which can integrate into the Canbus 'nervous system' of the latest
forklift trucks such as the Hyster Fortens engine counterbalance
truck.
We have simplified the data capture process and improved the
accuracy of reports by accessing data directly from the trucks.
Our new system is fitted to forklift trucks very quickly,
inexpensively and without downtime to customer operations.
The fleet management system collects, analyses and reports on
truck performance data such as daily run time, hourmeter
readings, impacts, maintenance completion and cost of
ownership. The web portal provides secure access to fleet
management reports at any time and any geographical location.
Reports are available to managers at the touch of a button and
can be accessed across multiple sites.
When fitted to the latest Hyster trucks, equipment fault codes
are also captured in real time, alerting Barloworld service teams
to any problems as they arise. This early warning system helps us
to respond quickly and effectively with the correct parts.
This sort of intelligence aids decision making and helps
operators to significantly reduce cost over time, for example, by
reducing damage or reallocating assets and maximising
contractual hours. Utilisation can be controlled so that truck use
is more balanced across the fleet, helping to maximise hours on
under used trucks, while curbing over use on others.
We continue to innovate and introduce solutions that help
customers improve efficiency and reduce costs. Effective fleet
management helps companies to identify under-utilised assets
for reallocation within the business or indeed to reduce fleet size
to minimise cost.
The system is compatible with most types and makes of
equipment and companies will see an early return on investment
through improved efficiency, availability and utilisation of their
fleets.We have already introduced it into several logistics and
manufacturing operations with great success.
Intelligent service
The overall management of materials handling fleets is also
evolving, with more businesses embracing the benefits offered by
an intelligent approach. As an independent service organisation,
Barloworld is focused on raising performance and driving down
lifetime fleet costs through intelligent service provision.
When a business approaches us to address a materials
handling need, usually the first question asked by our sales team
is 'why do it that way?'We try to get businesses thinking
differently about their fleet with a view that their process could,
with a little effort, be improved and cost taken out.
It is not always necessary to make changes, but many
businesses choose to explore the possibilities that we can identify,
for example, a different mix or number of trucks. Such benefits
may be identified following a comprehensive site survey, process
map or warehouse simulation based on finding a better solution,
rather than just looking to replace what has been done before.
Barloworld understands the importance of choosing the right
type of equipment, capable of reliable daily performance, suited
to the specific operation and for the duration of a contract.
Nationwide, we have more than 1,000 staff, including 500 fully
trained and experienced engineers, geared towards keeping the
equipment moving.Maintenance schedules are planned
according to the environment and use and are supported by
information from the fleet management system. Furthermore,
mobile engineers are equipped with fully stocked service vans
and advanced PDA technology to attend breakdowns quickly.
Businesses have the opportunity to improve their forklift fleet,
take better control and drive out cost by choosing a supplier that
can predict and change the
future of forklift trucks. More articles from Barloworld Handling Limited: | 
