BMW, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, has recently partnered with a New Jersey company to improve the safety, efficiency and security of its UK forklift fleet through the use of keycards.
The keycards are used to restrict access to forklifts and other industrial vehicles to trained, authorized users. They are part of a comprehensive digital vehicle management system (VMS) that BMW purchased from ID Systems, a leading machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions company based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
System Installed at Three BMK Plants in the UK
ID Systems’ PowerFleet Vehicle Management System was installed on BMW’s fleet of industrial trucks at its three plants in the UK — Hams Hall, Oxford and Swindon — according to a company news release. The cost of the system was not made public.
In addition to issuing the keycards only to authorized operators, the PowerFleet system can also improve workplace safety and security by providing electronic vehicle inspection checklists and managing vehicle impacts. It also helps reduce industrial fleet maintenance costs by uploading vital vehicle data, reporting vehicle problems online, and scheduling maintenance according to vehicle usage rather than an established timetable.
PowerFleet can even tell BMW when is the optimal economic time to replace its vehicles.
‘A Cutting Edge VMS’
Jeffrey Jagid, chairman and CEO of ID Systems, said BMW is only the latest firm to employ the cutting edge vehicle maintenance system.
“We are very pleased to add the BMW Group as an end-user of our wireless technology, joining many other world-class automotive manufacturers in our customer base,” Jagid said. “Our wireless vehicle management systems are a best practice for industrial safety management, material handling efficiency, and supply chain cost control, which drives significant economic and qualitative benefits for our customers.
“The PowerFleet system not only provides a unique set of functions, like patented impact management technology, it also satisfies BMW’s stringent WiFi and network security requirements,” said Jagid.
Company Met Stringent IT Requirements
ID Systems Marketing Manager Heidtrun Schulte said overcoming BMW’s stringent technical requirements was critical to the auto maker’s decision to move forward with the PowerFleet system implementation.
“BMW also had some unique IT requirements related to software hosting and support that we were also able to meet,” Schulte said.
Improves Accountability, Right Place at Right Time
One of the biggest benefits of a VMS system like PowerFleet is its ability to improve material handling productivity by establishing accountability for the use of equipment, ensuring that it is in the right place at the right time. It also can provide critical unique fleet utilization metrics.
ID Systems has subsidiaries in Germany, Texas and the UK. Besides working with forklifts, it also develops wireless M2M solutions for rental cars, trailers, containers and cargo.