March/April 2005

Roseville Enterprises, a Leeds-based manufacturing and service company with an unusual public-private sector background, says that tracking its fleet of 16 laundry and linen collection vehicles has brought a whole range of benefits to the operation. It has chosen a system from InfoTrack.

Roseville operates a "sheltered" factory that provides employment to people with disabilities. It is owned and run by Leeds City Council, but also serves adjacent councils and external customers. Its activities range from making PVC-U windows, pine furniture and soft furnishings to running a commercial laundry.

Production manager Peter Burden says that although working in the public sector, the company is run on a free-standing basis, and needs to operate efficiently. He says the InfoTrack system has helped the organisation save fuel and fleet maintenance costs, as well as monitoring driver performance and improving security.

He adds that its built-in route-mapping facility has helped the company pre-plan journeys more effectively. It has also helped the company prepare for the Working Time Directive, he says.

"When we first installed the system, I was a little concerned that it might be difficult to operate," he reports, "but we have found it easy to use." Installation was trouble-free, he says.