Feedback from the Northern Gateway Alliance was the Padl-R and tags were easy to understand and use, and saved time over traditional delivery methods. Northern Gateway Alliance finished the trial with 100% faith in the accuracy of the delivery information and has subsequently implemented a policy for its staff and Mini Tankers that if there is no-tag on fleet that there is to be 'no-filling'.

Once the trial was completed further business process refinements were added and the Mini Tanker project manager traveled around New Zealand upgrading all 46 tankers with same software.

The solution has not been made compulsory for Mini Tanker customers, instead it has been offered as an additional service for which Mini Tankers charges a nominal fee to set up plus a small fee per tag per month. This covers the service and any time and materials required to apply the tags. Numerous large scale customers have already agreed to the RFID solution as they can see the benefits it provides. Mini Tankers plan to have all customers with 20+ items of fleet signed up as soon as possible.

What Next?

RFID technology, particularly in asset management, is still in its infancy in New Zealand so Mini Tankers is confident this technology will give it an edge over competitors for the foreseeable future.

As more customers sign-up to the Mini Tankers RFID service Mini Tankers is looking at expanding it’s reporting systems so customers can view fleet details over the internet. Mini Tankers are also looking to have an additional power supply added to new tankers when they are built that will allow the Padl-R to be connected when not in use.

As far as perceived flexibility/future-proofing of the solution is concerned, Mini Tankers are happy the hardware utilises industry standard Bluetooth protocols, so upgrades to hardware should be straight forward.

Mini Tankers have contacted Shell International with the recommendation the RFID solution be applied worldwide.

Conclusion

Tracient helped provide Mini Tankers with a high-end solution that built on existing service platforms and improved the service that Mini Tankers is able to provide its customers and franchisees.

The trial proved there were time savings and improved data accuracy for Mini Tanker franchisees which flowed into improved profitability. Mini Tanker’s customer experienced real value in terms of data accuracy for its fleet managed deliveries.

About Tracient Technologies

Tracient Technologies provides simple to use tools and technology for total asset visibility and efficient tracking. The Company specialises in the design and manufacture of wireless handheld RFID readers designed especially for wearable computing, hand portable and hands-free operation. Tracient’s products are designed to international standards and offer plug and play Bluetooth and USB connectivity with rapid integration into workstations, handheld computers and cellular phones.