Woodcliff Lake, NJ—Toyota Forklifts of Atlanta is going to roll out ID Systems’ PowerFleet wireless vehicle management system (VMS) on a fleet of lift trucks for a US specialty retailer. After implementation, the retailer will have deployed PowerFleet in 18 retail and distribution sites, with another 17 sites slated for deployment over the next 12 months. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Toyota Forklifts of Atlanta distributes several leading brands of industrial vehicles, including Toyota Industrial Equipment, the world’s largest lift truck manufacturer.
The version of PowerFleet being deployed leverages the retailer’s existing Wi-Fi network to communicate wirelessly with the lift trucks at each site, while the system’s software and data are cloud-hosted in a secure ID Systems data centre. Data reports are delivered automatically via email. Users can also access the system software as needed via Internet browser. As a result, the system requires virtually no support from the retailer’s IT organization.
“These orders are significant on several levels,” said Kenneth Ehrman, ID Systems’ chairman and CEO. “First, this is another example of a business rolling out VMS across its enterprise. Second, these orders reflect the growth in importance of ID Systems’ strategic partnerships with forklift dealers. Finally, our cloud-hosted solution represents a rapidly growing trend of deploying VMS as a service, with lower costs and fewer administrative duties for the customer.”
Vehicle Management Systems (VMS) help improve workplace safety and security by restricting vehicle access to trained, authorized operators, providing electronic vehicle inspection checklists, and sensing vehicle impacts. A wireless VMS also helps reduce fleet maintenance costs by automatically uploading vehicle data, reporting vehicle problems electronically, scheduling maintenance according to actual usage rather than by calendar time, and helping determine the optimal economic time to replace equipment.
In addition, a wireless VMS helps improve supply chain productivity by establishing accountability for the use of equipment, ensuring equipment is in the proper place at the right time, streamlining material handling work flow, and providing unique metrics on equipment utilization.
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