Page 34 - CEN 13 Apr.indd
Basic HTML Version
4
APRIL 2013
freight and logistics
T
hrough this analysis, many executives are
discovering that their process for managing tools,
equipment, materials and consumables is lacking.
The traditional paper and spreadsheet-based approach is
no longer effective at preventing theft, loss and employee
hoarding of these critical business resources.
Even more troubling, is the realisation that the
mismanagement of tools, equipment and consumables
runs much deeper than the direct costs of replacing these
resources. It also leads to business interruptions that affect
every department in the organisation.
Increasingly, executives have realised that poor and
inefficient resource management places an unnecessary
strain on their businesses. Organisations are under
constant pressure to deliver on time and on budget, all in
the face of razor-thin profit margins, increased business
risk, rising client expectations, escalating insurance rates
and a severe shortage of skilled labour.
Consumables raise the issue of inventory management,
since, without effective tracking, optimal ordering
is impossible. Without access to reliable inventory
levels, the procurement department is often left to
guess how much should be allocated for consumable
replenishment.
The result is often misappropriated funds, or worse,
not enough money allocated, leading to a shortage of
supplies and delivery delays.
As this subject is quite broad, I am just touching on one
aspect, that of tyre management.
Effective consumable management
By Brigitte Radford of DapSol (A division of the D. A. Portal Group of Companies)
In light of the increasingly challenging business environment, companies who run an equipment fleet are
taking a closer look at their operations, searching for untapped profit-boosting opportunities and new
sources of competitive differentiation.
Tyres are generally one of the top five largest operating
costs for most fleets. As everyone is aware, tyre pressure
is critical. Under-inflated tyres significantly increase
fuel consumption, impact on vehicle performance and
shorten tyre life. After inflation, correct total vehicle
alignment is the second most important piece of
maintenance affecting tyre life.
One option available to fleet operators is to internally
manage the tyre programme with robust systems to
monitor, record and report on all aspects. On-the-
ground business rules, controls and procedures, together
with a computerised system for correlating and reporting
purposes, greatly assist with this task. Be sure to also
investigate tyre brands, their manufacturing processes
and related environmental policies. If contemplating
the use of reconditioned tyres as a viable economic
alternative, ensure proper due diligence is carried out
and a reputable supplier, with a tried and tested product,
is selected.
Tyre monitoring systems are also becoming available
for commercial fleets. This assists in automating the
data collection task. Some make use of readers that
automate the collection of tyre data to a database. This
allows fleet operators to see data for the entire fleet at
a glance.
For long-haul fleets that may not see their vehicles
for long periods of time, a centralised reading system
may not work, but there are emerging systems that
aggregate the tyre-pressure-sensor data back to the
asset-tracking system, so that alerts can be sent back to
the main office when an issue arises.
For small fleets, handheld devices exist that allow a
person checking tyres to simply walk around vehicles
and collect data for downloading to a central database,
allowing enforcement and trending to be done without
errors.
As tyre selection and management is such a specialised
area, companies can opt to outsource this function.
There are reputable companies that offer services such
as tyre and route surveys, scrap tyre analysis, load
studies and heat tests.
These companies offer full tyre management solutions.
This type of service typically includes tyre bay
management and tailored tyre maintenance.
In summary, a best-practice strategy factors in the
following aspects of tyre management: selection,
maintenance, alignment, rotation and the tracking of
usage and wear patterns.
This month’s FREE offering email:
, with
the subject entitled ‘Tyre Management Checklist’ for your
printable document. This will provide a checklist to ensure
your tyre management programme is in-line with industry
specific ‘best operating practices’.
