When it comes to adopting on-board vehicle technology to increase efficiency or improve productivity in material handling flow, in most cases it involves some sort of compromise. The end user must evaluate existing systems and determine which one fits their needs best then modify and tweak existing processes in order to make it work as needed. Off the shelf productivity systems can and do provide good results for the end user but with a strong commitment to changing both processes and the people involved. What if you could reverse the selection process based on a needs first approach? What if you could work directly with the supplier and modify and tweak the technology and supporting software to suit your exact requirements? At IVDT, you can.

So, you have figured out how many hours a day your lift trucks are operating.
Your cost per hour maintenance ratio is at an all-time low. The operator training programs have had a significant decrease in avoidable damage. Now what? What about your own business? How well do you understand the things in your own business that you currently cannot measure?

We are very fortunate to work with thousands of dealers throughout North America on any number of exciting projects. Those projects can range from standard applications of our product line to customized process software that simplify or improve their business. Ultimately we are partnering with the dealer to serve the end user and provide value. At a recent meeting with a dealer representative and an operations team put together to assess the solutions proposed, both the dealer and I were asked a very direct question. What makes your product better than your competition? The question was product-centric and the dealer rep looked to me the product expert to reply… I replied… people!

Sometimes it is the simplest of concepts that are easy to implement that can have the greatest impact on any cost/time saving initiative. In this article we will explore how something simple like adding weigh scale to your material handling equipment, can increase the productivity of 3 specific areas in your warehouse.

Specializing in on-board forklift scales for over 30 years, we often meet with customers who at first are confused about 'Legal for Trade' and its lasting application on a forklift. The biggest problem that we see in the material handling industry is that the R.O.I. does not properly reflect the true nature of most applications.

One of the most frequent calls we receive is from small companies looking to get a handle on the weight of out going shipments. Many small companies, 9 lift trucks or less, do not have practical means of weighing outgoing product accurately.

Millions of pre-shift forklift safety checks are performed every day in North America with the majority of them being recorded and filed on paper. As companies diligently commit to meeting the requirements of OSHA, most would admit that they still feel vulnerable and that the information filed on the pre-shift safety is either inaccurate or the defects the process is designed to detect are not communicated effectively.

Productivity can be explained as the ratio of outputs to inputs. In the material handling world maximizing that ratio and handling both variables as efficiently as possible with operators and equipment is the challenge leading to profitability. Lost productivity occurs when that ratio for a number of reasons is not able to produce maximized results.

Most businesses would state that safe operating environments are their number one priority, some above profit and or customer satisfaction. However, how many are truly proactive in managing a safety policy that is preventative as opposed to hopeful?

Like so many products with competitive offerings understanding which one is best is a difficult task. Ask the sales representative and of course they will tell you theirs is…and certainly will have brochures and literature to support that claim. The difficulty in determining best option lies in the fact that all products are built on a model comprised of cost and expertise of the solution they are manufactured for. Lift Truck Scales are no different and the material handling environments that they work in provide a unique set of challenges that ultimately determine what works and what doesn’t.