Property management firm selects Quartix vehicle tracking 01 April 2011

First Choice Homes Oldham has chosen Quartix vehicle tracking for its commercial fleet, after the online system came top for price, quality and technical merit in a European public tendering exercise.

Quartix has now equipped 85 of the Oldham property management company's vehicles with its tracking unit. And, in a separate development, FCHO has commissioned Quartix to connect 17 of its older short-term hire vehicles to Quartix Pay As You Go rental alternative.

"Now we can identify where our vehicles are on-screen, round the clock, and send the nearest and most appropriately skilled operatives to a job," comments David Thomas, FCHO repairs support manager.

"It means improved service and performance for our customers and jobs get done quicker," he adds.

One of FCHO's biggest problems – the amount of operatives' down-time – has also been resolved. "This is because we can ring-fence a depot, for example, and that produces information on how long operatives spend [there] and, hopefully, why they're doing that," states Thomas.

"Furthermore, all trades, from caretakers to security staff, operate our vehicles, and the system allows us to record any time they spend in specific areas."

Thomas says that FCHO decided to search for a new telematics supplier after its first system was unable to provide the information it required, and downloading was taking too long. A second system, which involved all data being downloaded onto laptops, took up to four hours to track just 10 vehicles, he says.

"Basically we don't have enough vehicles for every single operative. Sometimes a person will swap vehicles or,, if someone is on leave someone will use their vehicle. If any damage is done … we can now easily identify the driver."

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Quartix Ltd

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.