March/April 2005

An innovative telemetry system for managing bulk product collections and deliveries has been developed jointly by BOX telematics and a customer, James & Son (GM). It is said to represent a first in combining silo-level product monitoring with remote vehicle tracking.

James & Son collects products from breweries and food preparation companies and delivers them to farms nationwide. One of its priorities is to avoid allowing suppliers' silos to fill beyond a critical point, as this could interrupt production.

The new system brings together two key components that have previously only been implemented separately. Product levels in the feed silos are monitored remotely, and vehicle locations and activities are also monitored.

This means the company can keep a constant check on the levels of product in its suppliers' silos, and can divert the nearest available vehicle to do a pick-up if the level is reaching a critical point.

The system can also be used to plan routes, identify trends, recover stolen vehicles and trigger alarms automatically when pre-programmed silo threshold levels are exceeded, alerting staff to re-direct vehicles.

There are also business benefits, adds Roger Gaunt, finance director at James & Son, who reports that some suppliers were previously inclined to keep vehicles waiting for collections. The new system enables the company to monitor such situations, highlighting the need for better silo management.

The system has already been installed at 16 silo sites across the country, including premises of large brewers and food producers such as McCain Foods and Carlsberg-Tetley. On-board equipment has at the same time been installed in all ten specialist bulk vehicles operated by James & Son.

BOX telematics was recommended to James & Son by network operator Orange. Back in 1999 the company was also appointed the country's first wholesale service provider of data for Orange. Last year it was named "UK's Rising Technology Star for 2004" at the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards.