UniChem prescribes Merridale (Part 2)

The first stage in monitoring fuel consumption is the completion of a weekly mileage report for every vehicle. As well as detailing daily journeys this also includes a daily check list for serviceability and defects and weekly inspections on the condition of tyres, glass and bodywork, all of which must be signed off by the driver. Mileage information is then reconciled against the reports on fuelling transactions, which the site traffic office can now obtain from the Merridale system.

Previously this reconciliation relied on information which originated from a variety of fuelling systems used around the network. Many needed updating and were becoming difficult and expensive to maintain. On the older systems, details of fuelling transactions had to be extracted from paper roll printouts, a clerical process that was both time-consuming and susceptible to error. Immediate benefits of the Merridale system is in the availability of accurate information which is recorded and downloaded electronically from the pump.

Another advantage is that all the branches are working to a common standard for re-charging and sharing vehicle information across the network. Derek Paget does not rule out further development in order to take full advantage of the potential functionality of the Merridale system.

"Having standardised with the Merridale system we can see possibilities for the future, which may offer additional improvements to the way we record certain information. But that is only in its infancy at the moment," he said.

Why Merridale?

Having decided to introduce a common system, the research of possible suppliers commenced in earnest at the Commercial Vehicle Show held in March 2003. From this a short-list was created together with a plan of action for issuing invitations to tender. Derek Paget was appointed project manager in order to carry this through, working in conjunction with the group's IT department. The initial plan was to introduce the equipment on a piecemeal basis geared to the branch upgrade programme.

It was decided to implement the first three new fuelling installations at Croydon, Preston and Livingston, all of which were scheduled for rebuild during 2003. This decision provided additional impetus with priorities and a timetable for the initial delivery requirements.

Although all of the contenders had offered similar functionality, the main reason for choosing Merridale was that the complete system, from pumps to management software was supplied from a single source. This provided the reassurance that should anything go wrong with the system, there would be no risk of responsibility being divided and any queries could be dealt with through just one point of contact at MIS Fuel Monitoring of Wolverhampton.

Another aspect that impressed the UniChem team was MIS' pedigree in the manufacture of commercial diesel pumps. "The equipment looked good and we obtained positive feedback from a number of businesses already using the Merridale system," adds Derek Paget.

Endorsements were also provided by the suppliers of higher level fleet management systems, all of which were aware of the Merridale system and were able to confirm its compatibility for integration.

Implementation

The first two pilot installations at Croydon and Preston went so well that UniChem's senior management decided to extend the order to complete installations across the entire network.
The Livingston site was one of the last to be completed due to additional work which included the installation of a new underground storage tank. Overall, however, the time taken from initial contact at the Commercial Vehicle Show to going live on all ten sites was just over twelve months.

Derek Paget praised the performance of MIS Fuel Monitoring, saying "The company responded to our timetable. In fact we changed a few dates to suit our programme without any problems at all."

Depending on the nature of the site, installations were either hard wired or connected via GSM wireless link. This option was also seen as a key advantage because it allowed more flexibility in locating fuelling points.

During each of the installations there was at least one or normally two of the regional managers on site to assist with head to head training for every driver. The programme included a software training session for the office staff which was held a week after the installation date.

"The installations have all gone smoothly. MIS ensured this by providing the same installation team to each site so they were up to speed with our requirements and it became a very easy working relationship, which was clear from the very start of the project. From the first introduction we got the impression that MIS Fuel Monitoring were capable of doing what they said it would do and that is very important."