Keep a close eye on costs

Crown has integrated the InfoLink fleet management system and the new FleetSTATS fleet cost management system under one roof – the Crown Insite productivity suite is an integrated data management solution that gives fleet managers a comprehensive, 360-degree overview of their forklift fleet.

It delivers detailed, relevant updates on fleet performance and operating costs in real time, helping companies continuously improve their operating results.

Ken Dufford, VP Europe at Crown says: “With the integrated data management provided by Crown Insite, we’re thinking beyond the forklift truck and putting our customers in a position where they can identify problem areas at an early stage, set realistic targets and make the right cost-related decisions based on detailed, relevant information on their fleets.”

While the InfoLink fleet management system uses an intuitive user interface to deliver huge amounts of useful information on lift trucks and their operators at a glance, the equally user-friendly FleetSTATS fleet cost management system records and analyses total expenditure on maintenance and rental costs. The system features continuous electronic monitoring of spare parts requisitions and customer service calls, so that processes can be managed more precisely and accurate, multi-site data used to reduce costs. Consistent cost control makes it easier to choose the right customer service package, while also paving the way to higher operational efficiency at the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO).

Thanks to 360-degree data collection, combined with clear, at-a-glance presentation of the analysed data, managers can keep track of every aspect of their warehouse operations – from individual forklifts to the fleet as a whole. Data analysis identifies, for example, the causes of repairs and above-average spare parts requisitions or maintenance requests. Managers can quickly spot potential areas for optimisation, take suitable corrective action, reduce repair costs and improve the overall performance of their fleet.

Crown’s proven InfoLink fleet management system helps customers monitor and manage the efficient use of their forklift fleet and total operations by delivering actionable data through content-rich, interactive dashboards that help fleet managers focus on real opportunities and avoid wasted time deciphering mounds of data. The wireless system provides decision makers fleet-wide visibility into an array of fleet information, such as battery usage, impact history, truck utilisation, safety compliance, service needs etc.

Guillermo Cagigas, Systems Director at the Spanish express logistics provider Palibex, explains the benefits: “InfoLink has helped us to optimise our entire vehicle fleet and streamline our operations by giving us a clear, daily overview of the time each lift truck is in use, the number of metres covered, how long each battery lasts, as well as impacts, so we can ensure that both trucks and merchandise are treated with the utmost respect.”

In 2013, InfoLink received the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) Award in the Forklift Truck Solutions category for revolutionising materials handling technology for UK office supplies wholesaler Spicers by reducing maintenance and repair costs by 90% and the total fleet size by 40%.