GRITIT
GRITIT warmed to Masternaut’s tracking solution that helped demonstrate fleet accountability.
Winter risk management specialist needed to ensure its vehicles were legally compliant.
Challenge
Through recent harsh winters, organisations across the UK have been dealt severe disruptions and increased safety threats as a result of the unpredictable weather conditions. As a specialist UK gritting provider and winter risk management specialist, GRITIT (www.gritit.com) undertakes 100,000 service visits on average across the UK during the wintertime. Promising a total transfer of liability for their maintenance and services, GRITIT seeks to partner with innovative companies to keep job efficiency on a clear path.
Providing services to major retailers, offices, the NHS and schools, GRITIT receives MeteoGroup weather reports that are entered into a unique web-based solution for rigorous management of UK-wide commercial gritting operations. GRITIT required complete compatibility if it was going to introduce new processes into its reporting and job scheduling system.
Having discovered that claims for personal injuries in urban areas had grown by double digit figures during winter months, GRITIT required a solution that guaranteed legal compliance and ensured their clients – in both the public and private sectors – met a responsibility to maintain the safety of their premises during hazardous conditions.
Solution/Implementation
GRITIT’s snow clearance and gritting services are fully automated through a number of integrated specialist systems, creating a powerful operating system. For GRITIT, telematics provided the ‘window onto the workforce’ it was looking for. As a result, 200 gritting vehicles have been fitted with Masternaut Screenwatcher technology. The sophisticated tracking software enabled GRITIT to manage its PDA-based mobile workforce in real-time.
The Screenwatcher scheduling system ensures the right vehicles are sent to suitable locations, creating greater job efficiency. Masternaut uses GPS to track the gritters, with the information automatically transmitted via GPRS so that the position of the vehicle can then be recorded. This information is available to the gritting managers in real-time for accurate reporting or incident management. A daily report is also delivered by email for historical monitoring.
Accumulating and securely storing this information allows GRITIT to create a legally compliant audit trail providing details as to the location of any vehicle within the fleet, at any given time.
Results
GRITIT now relies on the Masternaut system as a welcome source of accountability for both its customers and front-line employees during the snow season. Masternaut’s vehicle tracking provides proof of attendance, leading to a reduced number of complaints against scheduled gritting jobs and unsafe customer premises.
As Masternaut is able to confirm a vehicle’s location for its clients, drivers no longer face the need to frequently return to the depot, therefore having the ability to service additional customers via the live real-time job scheduling. Armed with the latest logistics technology, GRITIT uses its adoption of innovative technology to increase sales and decrease time between completed jobs.
Masternaut’s business intelligence solution has also led to an increased awareness of driver safety. Control room managers can now take immediate action without driver input, based solely on the strength of data feedback.
Quote
“We chose Masternaut because its solution could be easily tailored to meet our specific requirements. The ability to monitor and record the exact location of our vehicles and their gritting activities gives us real competitive advantage. Working within a tightly managed operation, Masternaut provides us with full control over our fleet. The safety of our drivers has improved and we have historical information we can refer to should we need to investigate a query or claim from a third party.”
Jason Petsch, Commercial Director, GRITIT