Essential service role
June 1st 2006 With greater emphasis on health and safety than ever before, it is vital that materials handling equipment complies with all relevant regulations. Mike Mathias, managing director of BT explains the importance of finding a provider with the necessary resources, skills and experience to keep equipment working safely and effectively and outlines the importance of training
No two operations are the same, so everyone's needs are different. Choosing a supplier with a wider range of solutions and the ability to tailor these to your individual needs will ensure that a company has the right plan for their business which will help optimise materials handling costs and ensure a safe working environment.
A wide choice of service plans and optional upgrades are available to allow customers to choose the correct type and level of support for their needs. Technological knowledge is important too, so that the most appropriate recommendations can be made to customers to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
Maintenance
Choosing a company that understands the implications of unplanned stoppages and costs to an operation will help to ensure that material handling equipment does not let you down. Scheduling the correct level and frequency of preventative maintenance visits will ensure trucks are kept working safely and meeting a company's requirements.
Just as importantly, it is vital that a supplier can manage any unforeseen problems.
At BT, for example, once a call is taken, the latest technology is used to automatically allocate an engineer based on location, skills and parts availability, all designed to maximise equipment uptime for the customer.
Engineers are equipped with a handheld computer (PDA), giving instant access to essential information on customer fleets, fault reporting, service histories and parts manuals. With all this information available at the touch of a button, customers can be confident of a speedy resolution.
Parts support
Service vehicles carry a full compliment of parts that reflect the use of their customers. Any parts used by engineers are automatically replenished overnight directly into their vehicles, ready for an early start the next day. In the field, engineers can order parts from the warehouse network via their PDA, enabling the time spent on site to be used effectively.
BT parts are fully warranted, ensuring the safety and reliability of customers' equipment. The company provides complete parts support for all its models many years after production ceases.
Training
Excellent machinery and service packages are all very well; however, if your users cannot operate the truck efficiently you're not going to achieve maximum productivity and cost efficiency, or comply with health and safety regulations.
With any handling operation using operator-controlled trucks, people represent more than 70% of the total cost.
Furthermore, it is equally true that operator performance, based on a combination of skill and motivation, will usually have the greatest effect on overall productivity and will also determine the levels of unplanned operating costs resulting from accidents and errors. With this in mind, it is important to ensure that operators are fully trained.
BT offers a range of courses for drivers of all types of materials handling equipment, covering all aspects of truck handling.
Bulletin
BT has been at the forefront of material handling equipment design, innovation and customer care for 60 years and recognises the importance of cost effective and safe material handling equipment to most business operations.
The company operates from two main business centres in Warrington and Leicester. These are backed by a number of network offices and a fleet management centre to provide coverage throughout the UK and ROI.
BT has been awarded ISO 9002 certification.
For more information: BT Rolatruc Meridian West Meridian Business Park Leicester LE19 1WX Tel: 0116 202 4294 www.bt-rolatruc.co.uk More articles from Toyota Material Handling (UK) Ltd: | 
