Warrington’s Own Buses has overhauled its fleet management approach via a platform from Freeway Fleet Systems that accompanies transition of the operator’s vehicles to battery-electric power.
Adoption of Freeway has seen a largely manual, paper-based system in the engineering department succeeded by the cloud-based platform, which was introduced specifically for the battery-electric fleet and the new depot that houses them.
Freeway is playing what the supplier describes as “a key role” in commissioning the 105 Volvo BZL buses. All parts for them have been integrated into the platform.
By the time the final diesel bus is retired, stores and purchasing operations will benefit from automated processes including barcoded bins, auto-replenishment, and real-time tracking of parts performance and costs.
Technicians have been issued with rugged tablet that run a mobile web app, eliminating the need for paperwork.
Speaking about the change, Warrington’s Own Buses Engineering Director Karl Hutchison says: “We are always looking to improve our systems, and we aligned that with the introduction of the new buses. The support from Freeway has been excellent throughout.
“Freeway drives improved compliance, and the standout benefit is quality control,” he continues. “We can instantly see what has been done, supported by photographic evidence. The system ensures that every job is completed thoroughly, with digital proof to back it up.”
