The only real thing which seems to make a difference is cameras mounted where the forklifts operate. I've had customers install systems ( I didn't get involved- another vendor handled installation, warranty & service) & ultimately management always seemed to find the system both expensive & difficult to maintain.
Once cameras were installed, no additional training was needed. Everyone knew "big brother" was watching & damages to product & to the forklifts themselves dimished.
Speaking of Davis Derby.
Does anyone know the spec of the MIFARE RFID version?
Customer want's to buy more RFID fobs but wants to source them without paying over the odd's.
Swoop223 if you could design the perfect system what would you have on it?
sure...
i've installed many shockwatch systems on trucks
also dealt with a system made by keytroller which was a keypad access system with shock monitor.
now i will say as long as these systems are managed properly they can serve a useful purpose but in most cases i've seen the management side appears to fall to the wayside. It seems the concept attracts the customer to the purchase but when it comes to actually taking the time to maintain the monitoring that's where i see the failure of it's effectiveness.
Swoop223 Do you have any experience with any of these systems?
unfortunatly edwardt is right on the money with these systems though.
EVERYONE has to be 'onboard' with thier use and operation or they are pointless.
How is the software with the shock watch system? Is it user friendly and feature rich?
we use shockwatch it is a proper system. the best of these sytems is the sticker on the side of the truck to create that the are monitord (the system here stop the machine and give a sound the superviser most give the truck back in service)
Edward_t Thank you for your honesty, but the TK5 system by Davis Derby is new to the US market, so the systems that you are talking about would not include the TK5. I will keep you posted on how things go as i set up dealers here in the US and i will work hard to find one in SC as soon as i can and hopefully this system will change your mind. Also these systems are put in place in conjunction with training. These systems are to installed for accountability as well as reporting. Some systems are better than others and that is why i chose to represent Davis Derby.
One of my customers had an incident where a truck got badly damaged & then just parked up & left.
Using the info stored on the access system they could pin point the last time it was switched on & which drivers keyfob it was, using this info they then looked on the cctv system in the warehouse & caught the person on video crashing the truck, parking the truck up & then going back to the truck a while later to see if the damage had been discovered.
When presented with the facts the person still denied it was them:
It was there unique keyfob id, plus everything from starting / crashing & then parking the truck back up as well as going back to it later was caught on video tape from various cctv cameras in the warehouse.
Some of the data systems log which axis the impacts occurred from.
I would think that any such system (and I have zero experience with any kind of on board detection and reporting systems) would also need to have some type of camera (and maybe an audio track) to verify operator violations.
For instance, suppose 2 trucks fitted with such systems collide. both trucks detectors record the impact. The operator of each truck blames the other. How can a detection system disclose fault or blame?
I may have just revealed the scope and depth of my ignorance here.
I'm not a fan of the access systems either, most companies i've found just use them as a expensive way of turning the truck on.
Most operators leave the equipment switched on & allow it to switch itself off after 5 minutes as there to lazy to press the button.
Another site I looked after the operators used to leave the keyfob on the truck when it was unattended.
I also much prefer the factory fitted plug & play option against a aftermarket system bodged in to the trucks wiring.
Davis Derby tech support is pretty good here in the UK & if you point out any issues you find with there products they do take on board comments & work out a fix.
My -opinion- of [virtually _all_] "impact and access monitoring systems" (other than on doors to the building) will not please "Game Changer", as they are as much a waste of time and effort as rubbing 'snake oil' on your feet to prevent getting a snake bite.
You can try all you want, but you can not fix stupid, and stupid is all these systems are trying to fix. The ignorance part can be educated away, and without the education of the operator, or elimination of the operator, all the 'access control and impact monitoring systems' in the world will only create a revolving door for new hires, which will give the folks in HR something to justify their existence.
IF you have properly trained, supervised and motivated employees, with clear expectations of their responsibilities, we/you don't need what they purport to offer. [period dot]
If you do NOT have properly trained, supervised and motivated employees, all the 'controls' in the world will not get the work done any faster, or with less 'loss'.
I don't argue with my customer's that want these devices, and have installed a number of them, and have removed far more from machines that had 'unknown problems' caused by either the devices, or the poor installation of those devices, usually in machines that were sold as 'wholesale' because it was not cost effective if someone had to quote the diagnostics and repair of the "W.I.F.s" caused by these devices. The ones with excellent TECH support (not sales support) are the only ones I would offer to any customer that thinks they want these types of devices, and asks my opinion of which ones would be best.
My advice to anyone who asked my opinion about these systems, [in confidence] was that they would be far better off spending their money with a -good- (not 'the least expensive') operator training program.
I am pretty sure the statistics agree with my points, and if they really did save money or injury or any other type of loss, or were a valuable concept statistically, they would already be included in every machine made, as the manufacturers have a legal and moral requirement (at least in the USA) to provide a machine as safe as possible.
When the US Military (who has more manpower, money, time and computer power, than anyone else I know of, to study these things) decides to require them on their forklifts, I will gladly change my tune.
I truly wish you good luck in your sales efforts. I make pretty good money to remove them, and put the machine back into the condition it was before someone else tried to do 'an aftermarket install'.
Sorry, let me try this again.
Cool send it to [email address removed]
I've found 2 pieces of documentation I've got on the Davis Derby TK5 system, if you add your email to your profile ill send it across.
Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I'm going for some beers next week with some friends in the trade, 1 has this new Davis Derby system on a customer fleet he looks after, I'll ask him what other issues he has found with it so far.