News
BOC-Linde selects VSc Transport Management system
13 October 2009
BOC’s new transport management system boosts safety, service and efficiency standards and it’s environmentally friendly too!
"Thanks to VSc Solutions and partner 7global, BOC’s global transport management system is helping to improve driving standards, boost service levels and increase corporate efficiency"
The VSc Transport Management System which includes telematics and route compliance, is delivering improvements across BOC’s transport fleet, and has exceeded all expectations in its trial stage. The system has been implemented in over 600 BOC vehicles in the UK, with further vehicles in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Australia currently in trial mode.
BOC Gases Transport Manager, Andrew Smith, spearheaded the project to monitor the activity of its delivery drivers and their vehicles during a normal working day, and to accurately assess driving standards and vehicle usage. By using computers in the driver’s cab, Andrew and his team can access statistics on speed, braking, acceleration habits and driver performance. BOC believes that better understanding of drivers’ driving patterns and behaviours can help improve safety and standards with any weaknesses identified addressed through driver training and re-education programmes.
" At BOC we take a very proactive stance towards improving safety for our drivers, other road users and the environment, and as this was a global project we needed a common approach to identify how best to improve safety standards across our fleet of vehicle, " said Andrew Smith. "Our decision to select VSc and 7global was supported by our South African business, AFROX, which had already developed a close working relationship with VSc’s partner company VSc Solutions South Africa. VSc Solutions South Arica understood our business needs and had implemented an integrated cab computer system that was working smoothly in AFROX and delivering considerable benefit through route efficiency and compliance to schedule Our aim was to take this system and implement it in the UK initially and then globally to raise safety standards by developing a responsive driver education and coaching programme".
In autumn 2005, BOC began a trial of the VSc system on 60 vehicles operating out of its Wolverhampton and Bristol depots with results closely monitored against pre-defined success criteria. The pilot was a success and following board approval, the VSc Transport Management Solution (TMS) was rolled out to the rest of the BOC fleet of over 600 vehicles.
"As a significant project with global potential the VSc system needed to measure up to exacting standards in scalability, interoperability and flexibility with the application hosted by a reputable hosting company capable of managing this real-time information system 24 hours a day seven days a week, " added Andrew. "VSc and 7global were already established, successful partners and we have enjoyed a very positive and smooth delivery as a result. "
VSc worked with 7global and the BOC team providing a complete service from consultation and design through to implementation, support, and management. From 7global’s privately owned secure data centre located in a former Bank of England building, the BOC/VSc production system is hosted on a dedicated bespoke platform, managed and supported 24/7.
A key component of the VSc system for the driver and the transport team is the debrief report. When drivers return to the depot they are debriefed, using a report automatically produced from the information gathered during that day’s deliveries. This report gives the driver and the transport team a chance to discuss individual events, whilst fresh in their minds and propose solutions or identify where training is needed. The debrief report also identifies deliveries completed, routes taken, sequence of deliveries, and indicates where changes should be made to improve service times and levels. The BOC team consulted widely with drivers and trade union representatives across the company who see it as a positive benefit for driver well-being.
Having achieved measurable safety and service level improvements from its new transport management system, BOC worked with the VSc team to craft an interface between its corporate ERP system, SAP™ and the CAB computer system to enable them to compare and contrast the planned versus actual daily schedules. These daily schedules and the information gathered from the actual delivery are mapped in real-time by the 7global hosted system to improve BOC’s visibility of how well it is meeting customer expectations. This information is delivering instant improvements and service benefits. Better decisions can be made with this real-time accurate information; services can be finely turned from instant driver feedback; and overall BOC is further contributing to its record on environmental and quality issues.
Andrew Smith keeps a watchful eye on how the technology can be applied to improve safety, service and efficiency and open up new service opportunities. "We have already achieved a 50 per cent reduction in the number of "events" being recorded by our drivers in the pilot and when applied across all our transport regions could make a significant contribution to our business. Many companies have invested new technology to monitor and track drivers and vehicles. What is important about BOC’s implementation of the VSc TMS system is how widely the information it produces is used across our business to make safety, service and efficiency improvements for our drivers, customers, the business and the environment. "
Andrew continues, "Our drivers see this as a collaborative project that benefits them. Our customers are benefiting from improved and more responsive service levels while the business is making better decisions, improving compliance, reducing costs, identifying new service opportunities and building further momentum around its positive stance on environmental issues. "
The VSc TMS hosted by 7global is now in operation in six countries, including UK, South Arica, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, representing over a 1000 vehicle installations.
About BOC Gases
BOC Gases is a member of the Linde Group, a global industrial gases provider. The company employs about 20,000 people and supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment. For more than a century the company’s gases and expertise have contributed to advances in many industries and aspects of everyday life, including steel-making, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics and health care. For more information, please see BOC Gases online at www.boc-gases.com.
About the Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading industrial gases and engineering company with more than 53,000 employees working in around 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC Group the company has gases and engineering sales of approximately 12 billion euros. The strategy of Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward looking products and services. For more information, please see Linde Group on line at www.linde.com.
