Thirsting for answers is a fundamental part of the human experience.
Whether it’s through scientific research, consulting a higher power, or water cooler gossip, human beings search for insider information to help guide our everyday decisions. Without insightful facts, any decision isn’t much better than a coin flip.
That’s why forklift telemetry is utterly critical.
The modern marketplace is far too competitive to manage your fleet on gut feeling and intuition. You need the hard data that telemetry provides. Verifiable facts and collected figures give you an anchor point for the decisions you must make to keep your business thriving.
Read on to learn:
- What is forklift telemetry?
- How does forklift telematics benefit your warehouse?
- What can forklift fleet management software do?
What Is Forklift Telemetry?
Forklift telemetry systems (also called telematics) are data collection and fleet management systems.
They offer a comprehensive view of your fleet by providing both big-picture and detailed insights. With these systems, you can easily examine the overall effectiveness of your fleet or drill down to understand the activity of individual forklifts.
Telematics systems track and collate figures on an enormous variety of data inputs, including the following:
- Speed
- Location
- Route
- Impact detection
- Fuel consumption or battery level
- Key hours
- Error codes
- Maintenance metrics
- Productivity
Some systems collect even more data than the above examples, giving you the most complete understanding of your fleet.
Forklift telemetry is actionable data to improve your process and fleet.
How Does Forklift Telematics Benefit Your Warehouse?
Knowledge is power, as they say, and forklift telemetry is the source of that knowledge.
There are a multitude of advancements you could make with the proper analysis of that data. Indeed, applying the principles of Toyota Lean Management, you could Kaizen your whole fleet. However, there are a few core benefits that telemetry provides.
Here are some standout examples of how telematics benefits your warehouse.
- No more guessing. With the reliable data provided by these systems, you can move beyond the trial-and-error method of management that dominated the industry in years past. High-precision metrics spotlight inefficiencies, whether they are at the fleet-level or the operator-level.
- Identify your MVPs. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Some forklift operators have it, and some don’t. Yet, how do you know who’s who without watching? Telemetry-based forklift tracking software is the solution. The data on safety metrics provided by this software instantly identifies which operators are your stars and which you should bench.
- Codify forklift safety. Features like geofencing and speed controls allow you to set and enforce safety standards for your whole fleet, no matter where you are. These improve warehouse safety, reduce human error, and provide peace of mind.
- Simplify maintenance. These systems track maintenance metrics so that you can easily plan scheduled maintenance. This allows you to anticipate downtime and work in service calls when they will have the least impact on productivity. Moreover, these systems can send maintenance data directly to your Southern States Toyotalift service team, simplifying the maintenance pipeline.
Forklift telemetry elevates every aspect of your fleet with rock-solid data.
What Forklift Fleet Management Software Is Available?
While numerous forklift fleet management programs exist, there are two systems we recommend above the rest.
Toyota MyInsights
MyInsights is the Toyota forklift telematics system.
This comprehensive system comes standard on most new Toyota forklifts and offers a host of benefits.
- New and used. As mentioned, most new Toyota forklifts include MyInsights. However, Toyota also offers an aftermarket kit for older models that do not include MyInsights. That way, every Toyota forklift in your fleet can benefit from telemetry.
- Key hour tracking. MyInsights automatically tracks forklift run hours, eliminating manual tracking. This data allows you to identify utilization trends and optimize operations to minimize costs.
- Impact detection. Analog collision reporting can vary, as some workers hesitate for fear of being in trouble. MyInsights automatically detects impact events so that you are never blindsided by damage to your fleet or facility.
- Location monitoring. MyInsights uses GPS to track forklift location. With this data, you can easily view the last known location of each forklift in your fleet. Location tracking helps improve site security and asset retention.
- Additional options. While the above features come standard with MyInsights, there are some powerful add-ons that take this software to the next level. These advanced tools include geofencing, automatic alerts, digital checklists, and maintenance reporting.
If you’re running a Toyota fleet, MyInsights is the plug-and-play telematics solution you need to start collecting data right away.
Raymond iWarehouse
At one time, Raymond segmented iWarehouse into three tiers, but no longer.
Now, iWarehouse is a comprehensive suite of advanced technology solutions, making it a complete fleet management platform compatible with most forklift models. With iWarehouse, you can mix and match technologies to create a customized solution tailored to your facility, allowing you to pay only for what you need.
Raymond’s iWarehouse offers a wide range of features, and they are constantly adding more. Here is a popular subset of those offerings:
- Service dispatch. This feature allows you to instantly request service from your SST maintenance team with any internet-enabled device. It also lets you track maintenance history, repair costs, and downtime.
- Reporting and analytics. iTrack grants access to reports and analytics via the iWarehouse Gateway. This portal allows 24-hour access to cost, maintenance, dispatch, trend, and asset reports.
- Dedicated fleet analyst. This system provides you with consistent, knowledgeable support from a dedicated analyst when and where you need it. Their expert knowledge of iTrack helps you identify fleet issues and find tailor-made solutions.
- Equipment utilization. Track key hours for every forklift in your fleet and monitor which operators access which forklifts. This data is vital for fleet optimization.
- Access controls. This feature ensures only authorized users can access forklifts. It also tracks which operators use each vehicle, improving monitoring, safety, and security.
- Impact detection. When the system detects a collision, it sends an automatic alert with all critical information either via text or email. Faster reporting leads to quicker response times and prevents further damage.
- Real-time fleet diagnostics. The iWarehouse system automatically sends diagnostic codes to your SST maintenance team, effectively automating service requests and tracking.
- Labor management. This cost-effective labor management software helps identify opportunities to save on labor costs, utilization, and processes.
- Load sensing. This feature better tracks productivity, allowing you to determine when a traveling forklift has a load or empty forks.
- Enhanced location tracking. Enhanced location tracking allows you to utilize geofencing and speed controls to better manage safety and compliance throughout your facility.
The Raymond iWarehouse system allows any operation to right-size its telematics systems.
Selecting the Best Forklift Tracking Software for Your Warehouse
Forklift telemetry gives you the insight you need into your forklift fleet, but we can give you the inside scoop on forklift telematics systems.
Whether you want a plug-and-play solution or a more bespoke system, our solutions team has all the insider information you need to select the product that’s best for you. The SST team can help analyze your business needs and recommend the features and reports that will best serve your growth goals. Leverage our expertise and take the first step toward optimization today.
To learn more about forklift telemetry or to request a quote, contact us online or visit one of our locations:
Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Ocala
Orlando
Tampa
Winter Haven
Georgia
Albany
Macon
Columbus
Valdosta
Further Reading
How To Turn Forklift Fleet Analytics Into Action & Savings
Optimizing Your Forklift Fleet: A Step-By-Step Guide
Calculating the True Cost per Hour of Your Forklift