Think One
Standardizing on a single lift truck brand makes good business sense.
If you could find a way to reduce costs, increase productivity and promote teamwork, would you investigate further?
Especially if that solution came packaged with a responsive material handling expert?
To help you achieve these results try a simple technique - think one - and standardize on a single make of lift
truck. You'll find the benefits will number many more than one. Here are some:
Lower Costs
Dealing with one lift truck dealer can simplify your life. There is only one company
to call for any lift truck concern: selection, financing, application, service and parts.
In addition, if you currently keep common replacement parts for your lift truck fleet at your facility, you can
reduce or eliminate that on-hand inventory - the lift truck dealer can stock them for you.
This will save you money. You won't have to tie up company funds in similar lift truck parts for several different
brands. There will be no need to find a place for the parts inventory nor to keep records on it. You'll also reduce
the chance of an in-house parts inventory becoming obsolete or difficult to return if you've misjudged the amount
of parts your lift trucks consume. Other cost savings come at trade-in time. The dealer who sources your standardized
fleet will know your equipment and give you a fair price for it as used equipment or as a trade-in. A one-brand
lift truck fleet also can increase your bargaining power when replacing or adding equipment.
Increased Productivity
A multiple-brand lift truck fleet wastes operator time, which is the biggest factor in
a lift truck's operating cost. The lost production is due to the operator changing trucks, adjusting to new controls,
getting the feel of each varying machine and adapting to its idiosyncrasies.
If you have in-house mechanics, a diversified fleet requires completely different sets of repair manuals. It takes
mechanics a long time to climb the learning curve for each repair job. Maintenance people can waste hours diagnosing,
disassembling, repairing and reassembling components because they must be familiar with several brands.
Productivity gains also come from the simplified and shorter training both mechanics and operators require when
you have a single make of lift truck. The trainer can get back to his or her regular duties, while operators and
mechanics can confidently go about their business in a shorter time period.
More work gets done when lift trucks are up and running. The operators' improved knowledge of their single-brand
lift trucks allows them to notice out-of-ordinary occurrences, noises and operating irregularities. You'll probably
find concerns are addressed and problems fixed earlier - before they cause downtime.
With a standardized fleet, operators get to know the trucks' capacities and capabilities. This familiarity lessens
the chances for product damage and lift truck abuse, also resulting in higher productivity, and reduced costs.
Better Teamwork
Lift truck operators seek equipment that they know is comfortable, reliable, safe and
efficient. If you standardize on one quality lift truck brand, you can eliminate any squabbles over who gets to
use which lift truck. Departmental jealousies regarding which one has the better equipment will also disappear.
With these irritations eliminated, employees can act as a team having productivity as a common goal.
A Responsive Resource
In addition to these benefits, sourcing your lift truck fleet from one responsive dealer
should assure you of outstanding service after the sale. Look for a dealership that will provide:
1--speedy parts availability
2--trained and certified service technicians
3--knowledge to match its lift truck brand and models to your application
4--rental units when needed
5--a full line of equipment
6--maintenance and repair plans that guarantee stable operating costs for normal use
7--alternative approaches to your material handling problems
8--fleet management services
9--a commitment to partner with you for overall business success.