With a diverse and young population of more than 500,000, growing by approximately 1,000 new residents each month, the city of Surrey, British Columbia asserts, “the future lives here.” Perhaps that’s why Cullen Diesel Power, Ltd. is a perfect fit. The multi-faceted power company with a lean IT department puts a focus on technology and its smooth, seamless integration into their work.
Challenge
A mechanic’s shop is not exactly the ideal location for keeping expensive devices clean, organised and in working order. It’s a rough environment; heavy equipment, grease and other liquids, along with trucks rolling in and out, all contribute to the hazardous conditions.
So when the mechanics at Cullen Diesel Power Ltd. were relying on a community stash of laptops to run diagnostics in the shop, they were running into some roadblocks. Devices were getting damaged, they were being left unplugged and therefore uncharged and unusable, they were being taken home for personal use or lost altogether.
The Solution
After comparing a couple of different charging solutions and weighing the IT needs along with those of the service manager, Cullen Power Diesel Ltd. landed on the PC Locs FUYL Tower Charging Locker; two of them, actually. They found a space centrally located in the shop, for the multi-device charge station. This multi-device charging station makes checking out and returning laptops to their individual lockers simple and convenient. Now each mechanic has been assigned a specific device, a compartment inside the FUYL Tower and an access code for their assigned compartment.
Results
Just as everyone is responsible for their own toolbox, they’re also responsible for their own laptop. The accountability has helped tremendously with improved care for the devices as well as streamlined workflow. The FUYL Tower ensure that laptops are charged and ready for use as soon as the mechanics need them, saving time and ultimately saving money for customers. The IT staff appreciates the convenience of being able to quickly and remotely open any locker if a code is forgotten.
Additionally, there’s a much easier workflow as the same data will follow the same vehicle throughout any routine inspection, maintenance and provincial commercial vehicle inspection, to computer diagnostics and complete component overhauls. With everything more systematised, each laptop has been paired with its own Bluetooth adapter so mechanics don’t always need a corded connection to the trucks they’re working on. This alone has been saving many broken USB ports.
It’s still a rough environment for laptops–that goes without saying–but none of their stored devices have been damaged in the first year since the FUYL Tower arrived.
The IT experts at the shop in Surrey are happy with the results. They have been alleviated, spending less time fixing and replacing, which allows more time to grow and evolve. They’ve added a third FUYL Tower to the collection, giving them space to simultaneously charge 45 devices – laptops, tablets, mobile phones and more are all compatible. Looking toward the future, they may be implementing FUYL Towers into shops at five other locations.