The double whammy of the recession coupled with the credit crunch is a challenge to any business for 2009. Firms need to focus on becoming leaner and meaner and to raise the bar on managing their materials handling cost base by taking a closer look at the hidden costs of running their fleet. In doing so, managers could be saving their companies thousands of pounds on the bottom line. Tony Rooney, sales and marketing director at Briggs Equipment, says that the opportunity lies in working in collaboration with expert suppliers.
January 31, 2009 - When sales become increasingly challenging, what can you focus on to dramatically improve the health of your business? Through working in partnership with strategic supply chain partners like Briggs Equipment you can minimise fleet running costs and maximise productivity.
Take batteries for example. The battery is the engine of an electric machine. A typical 50 Hz battery will store around 35 kilo watts of energy and can take 12 hours to charge, so by increasing the efficiency of charging and improving battery run times, savings in electricity consumption of up to 22% can be achieved.
Energy efficiency is predominantly achieved through increasing the efficiency of battery charging. Charging times can be reduced by up to 50% through the use of high frequency (HF) chargers with air mix circulation. These smaller wall mounted units can be used on a range of batteries, they require less topping up and facilitate communication between the battery and the recharger to ensure optimum recharge and improved battery life. If new charging technology is used together with a single point filling system, maintenance times can be reduced by as much as 70%, resulting in significant savings in labour costs. For a standard mixed fleet of 18 warehouse and counterbalance trucks*, with a total of 36 batteries, Briggs recently helped realise cost savings of £30,500, with 80% of that being in electricity.
Fuel costs are another concern. A larger IC engine lift truck can use 10 to 20 litres of fuel per hour, and some drivers can use up to 30% more fuel than others, simply by the way the machine is specified and the way they drive. By measuring and controlling fuel consumption more thoroughly, you will reduce costs and improve the efficiencies of your drivers. For example, maximum torque can be achieved at just 60% of engine speed; so there is no need for drivers to operate at maximum engine speed or to over rev the engine.
Tyres are expensive items that are subject to damage, which can eat up large proportion of a company’s maintenance budget if damage occurs. A set of tyres can cost between £2,500 and £10,000 and, in an arduous application with rough surfaces it is possible to get through up to four sets of tyres per year. In order to extend tyre life, trucks can be fitted with intelligent devices such as tyre protectors and transmissions. By preventing forward and reverse selection whilst the truck is in motion or at high engine rpm, this system helps maintain traction, correct bad driving and reduce tyre and transmission wear. Briggs Equipment has found that this not only saves up to 50% on tyre life, but also protects the transmissions from unnecessary damage.
A materials handling supplier who takes a long-term, strategic approach to managing its customers’ business will be able to offer flexible solutions that maximise performance, whilst significantly reducing costs during an economic downturn. For example, Briggs’ new FlexiHire product helps customers to de-risk their business with short, flexible contracts at the same time as reducing their cost of running the fleet year on year by 5-10%.The no penalty withdrawal options, coupled with a sliding scale payment plan, are ideally suited to difficult business conditions.
Finally, research by Briggs Equipment shows that parts availability ranks as one of the most important aspects of service provision. Speed of delivery, quality of parts and pricing will all have an impact on running costs. A supplier with a standard 98% next day delivery capability will provide a flexible and responsive service so that equipment downtime is reduced to a minimum. Through its innovative direct ship service, Briggs has availability of over €35 million worth of parts in stock for next day delivery which means it can meet its customers’ diverse range of parts requirements at short notice and no extra cost.
This collaborative approach sees suppliers as strategic partners who can help you to manage your running costs and streamline your operation. This will help you not just to survive, but to perhaps thrive in the recession.
*fleet of 8 trucks, with 36 batteries, 9 reach truck, 9 counterbalance. Courtesy of EnerSys.
- Ends -
Visit our blog at www.lifttrucknews.net where you can find company and industry news designed to keep you updated with relevant information on some of the topical issues faced by organisations and operators within the UK industry. From opinion pieces from our CEO, through to how-to guides and “what’s new” from Briggs Equipment, join us… It’s worth blogging about.
Briggs Equipment UK
Briggs Equipment UK Ltd is a leading materials handling service provider and sole distributor of Yale Materials Handling products in Great Britain. Providing a wide range of equipment for a broad customer base, Briggs provides innovative, tailored and cost effective solutions on a nationwide basis. With its headquarters and national support centre in Cannock, Briggs people assist and advise in the delivery of long term solutions that enable customers to develop more efficient and results driven businesses.
Media contact:
Tiffany Clowes
Changeworks Communications
T. + 44 (0) 1785 247588
E.
Company Contact:
Scott Bullock
Briggs Equipment
Orbital Way
Cannock
WS11 8XW
T: 01543 430 455
W: www.briggsequipment.co.uk
Tags: Briggs, energy efficiency, cost efficiency, cost savings, productivity,
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