Remember the old saying, “You get what you pay for?” It still holds today, and here’s a perfect example.
Imagine spending over a thousand dollars on a cell phone when a free phone will make and receive calls.
My first mobile phone, the 1988 Motorola 2950 Special Edition, had a zippered bag to hold the giant battery and a handset with a spiral cord. The power cord plugged into a cigarette lighter. It was very useful for work covering a large territory.
Luckily, my boss recognized the benefits of cell phones early. These phones retailed between $1,000 and $2,000, and you were charged by the minute and more for long distances. Wow! How times have changed.
Paying for performance
Of course, a $1,500 iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest today. It is an A17 with a 6-core GPU processor. One terabyte of storage supports USB 3 for up to 20x faster transfers. It can also record up to 29 hours of video playback and supports Face ID.
Many of us are willing to pay the price for the equipment and service that connects us. We may pay a little more for some cool things that make it even better, like great cameras, more storage, and added security. Most of us don’t need all that, but no one wants to return to the bag phone. And for only $1,129.99 down and $31.38/mo. x 36 months, the iPhone 15 can be yours!
Telematics are like cell phones
Just as phones have changed, I’ve watched telematics solutions such as iWAREHOUSE develop for vehicle monitoring and analysis of forklifts. As a service tech, then in customer service, and finally in sales, I’ve seen the need and watched what the industry has developed. The telematics field has advanced a great deal in the last few years, as has the technology for smart devices.
What value do telematics solutions bring?
Often, the questions asked after an accident or impact that nobody heard, saw, or was willing to admit to being who was on the forklift and whether they were trained. Or, in the case of an injury, immediately, the questions asked are: Was the daily checklist done to meet the OSHA requirement followed by, did that paperwork get reviewed and filed, and how much work does the forklift (my employee) do daily? As a warehouse manager, an EH&S specialist, or a VP of Operations, I’ve seen this important information help to manage their fleets.
Report: Failed Checklist Questions
Remember the early battery-operated smoke detectors in the 1970s? You weren’t sure they would go off when they should or when there was no smoke. The same was true of impact detection in early forklift telematics: a single threshold-captured magnet switch adjusted by turning a dial. Although it could log operators, finding out who the operator was required some button technology that I think was a precursor to the chip embedded in our credit cards. It wasn’t expensive but didn’t work well.
The telematics evolution
Over the years, telematics was wired into the truck power, and impact detectors improved, but they still had the button keys and no daily checklist support. Managers hated them because they went off too often and broke frequently, and operators in the tougher warehouses attacked them with hammers or wire cutters. Unlike smoke detectors, telematics cost about $1,000 each, so management lost this battle. It’s a good thing technology is still evolving.
Four basic telematics features
Selecting a telematics vendor goes well beyond the four basic features below. As a customer, you also want to consider the post-sales support. For instance, Abel Womack has a dedicated Advanced Technology Dept. that offers professional support services because telematics is a bit more complicated than choosing a smartphone.
- Access Control: They all use RFID badges for access control, which companies often already have for site entry. If not, RFID badges are low-cost enough to buy for every employee. Most use RFID, which, unlike actual keys, can be removed from the authorized list in the software. Most have software to keep track of an operator whose training does not include a particular type of lift, whose training has expired, or whose card is lost while operating the truck. Yet few can slow the forklift’s top speed for trainees or notify operators if they share badges.
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Report: Vehicle utilization
Impact Detection: They all have impact detection, but most have 3-axis sensors, and few have accurate enough sensors to differentiate and capture even minor deceleration events or have professional services to help read all that data.
- Checklist Enforcement: They all offer checklist enforcement, but only some have features to help ensure compliance.
- Data Collection: A fourth feature they all have but vary in is data collection. They can collect data about when things happen, who logged on, the severity of the impact, key-on, and Deadman-on. Yet few collect data on how long a daily checklist takes, impact severity in the 3-axis, lift-on, pallet present, and battery state of charge.
When it comes to telematics solutions, why settle for less?
Again, not many solutions have a daily checklist for pencil whipping prevention, with supervisor notification when a failure occurs. Few can remotely unlock a truck with a failed checklist or tie in with battery monitors or location management. Many cannot integrate object detection, have a gateway for information with Professional Services Support, or have the background and developed professional services to tie it all together. But Raymond’s iWAREHOUSE and support from Abel Womack can do it all.
If you run a warehouse and are shopping for telematics solutions, don’t settle for a bag phone. Call Abel Womack first and discover all the features and data you can have at your fingertips with iWAREHOUSE.
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