I.D. Systems
Industrial Vehicle Management Solutions Have Become a Supply Chain Best Practice

Automation-based solutions play a crucial role in improving service and increasing returnon- investment (ROI). Many organizations consider radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to be a major force in transforming global supply chain automation and visibility in the logistics fraternity. Kenneth S. Ehrman was quick to realize this in 1993, when he laid the cornerstone of I.D. Systems, with an approach to monitor high-value assets. I.D. Systems is a global provider of proprietary machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless solutions for tracking and managing highvalue enterprise assets, including wireless industrial vehicle management systems (VMS).

The VMS environment has been migrating from self-hosted solutions to cloud-based technologies, a ubiquitous change in the market. “However, to keep toe-to-toe with this change is cumbersome, since it has a significant potential of disruption for the customer’s business, along with a lot of cost,” explains Ehrman, CEO, I.D.Systems. In addition, implementing new technologies can sometimes become a protracted, distracting process, consuming the entire IT department. “It is critical to understand the priority of implementing a VMS technology that not only gives the highest ROI, but also drives incremental revenue and incorporates safety,” says Ehrman.

Instead of focusing on the ‘I’—or Investment—in the ROI concept, I.D. Systems focuses on the ‘R’—or Return

I.D. Systems’ solutions are built to solve even the most complex vehicle-related issues that can arise in the logistics sector. The company’s key product, PowerFleet® VMS, is a patented system, ideal for medium to large fleets and enterprise operations. Powered by best-in-breed vehicle access control, autonomous impact intelligence, and event-driven electronic safety checklists, PowerFleet can react in real time to virtually any conceivable onvehicle event.

Where there is data, there must be visibility. In a SCM environment, it is a requisite need, but I.D. Systems considers ’velocity’ as the game-changer, because the customer’s goal is to move products as quickly as possible. Ehrman comments, “Our devices are smart, with sensors and algorithms to identify various conditions.” Tracking, monitoring and managing over 200,000 high-value assets for roughly half of the Fortune 200 companies every day, I.D. Systems’ success stories have been trend-setting. One example is the company’s work with Walmart, the world's largest retailer with more than 10,000 stores worldwide, and a global innovator in the use of wireless supply chain technology.
Not content with the status-quo of its material handling operations, Walmart deployed I.D. Systems’ PowerFleet VMS across its distribution centers to control and monitor industrial vehicles. The system helped Walmart improve its process controls, including enforcement of safety polices, and analyze the actual usage of its forklift fleet at peak times, enabling an optimal reallocation of equipment to the right departments at the right times. This resulted in a dramatic increase in forklift utilization, along with a transparent SCM.

Having a constant influx of current, fresh data from the world's largest installed base of VMS systems enables Analytics and Business Intelligence to be applied across each customer’s enterprise and to its peer industry as a whole. Ehrman says, "We want to leverage our sizable database of assets as a catalyst to drive exponential growth of our VMS solutions across large enterprises. The more assets we accumulate, the more valuable our industry data becomes."

While growth and ROI are critical to the company’s success, Ehrman concludes, "Instead of focusing on the ‘I’—the Investment—in the ROI concept, I.D. Systems focuses on the ‘R’—or Return."