TSSI tracks and traces lubricant use

MAN truck center in Belgium reduces oil consumption by 8% after installing Graco’s Pulse® Pro fluid management system.

Located in Oudsbergen, Belgium, Truck Service Station International (TSSI) is an official dealer of MAN trucks in the north-east of the province of Limburg. It also provides comprehensive maintenance and repair services to up to 30 MAN trucks a day. When they were looking for a fully automated fluid management system to track and trace every liter of lubricant they use in their workshop for accurate billing, they opted for the Pulse^® Pro Fluid Management System from Graco. It was a choice they haven’t regretted. They highlight four specific benefits of the system:

 

Cost savings

“Pulse^® Pro is a highly innovative solution,” says TSSI’s Managing Director Marijke Weltjens. “The cost savings from Pulse^® Pro have been highly significant for a workshop like ours that services up to 30 trucks daily. We have already realized an eight percent reduction in oil consumption.”

 

Better inventory management

“Until recently, we were dispensing fluids manually. It was a process that was very error-prone,” adds Weltjens. “Sometimes technicians would forget to write the correct amount of oil or other lubricants on work orders; these missing amounts were not billed to the customer. If this happened frequently, this would mean a significant loss of income for us.” Pulse^® Pro now automatically monitors and records every single liter used in the workshop. What’s more, it is integrated with TSSI’s ERP system, X-DMS, to improve scheduling, procurement and pricing.

 

Greater accountability

“The workflow is also much smoother with Graco Pulse^® Pro,” says Weltjens. “When a truck comes in for maintenance, the technician identifies himself at the dispense meter and enters the work order number. If this does not happen, the system will not pump any oil. In other words, every liter of the right oil type on the work order is accurately pumped to the right truck. There is no more loss or mistakes.”

 

Easier re-ordering of bulk

Pulse^® Pro monitors and displays the current level of lubricants in each bulk tank on the Pulse^® Pro reporting screen. TSSI has configured the system to send two alert emails when oil tank levels are low. This avoids downtime due to a tank running empty.

 

How does Pulse^® Pro work at TSSI?

The technician scans and selects the right work order, and then takes this work order number to the Pulse^® Pro dispense meter. Here he identifies himself by entering a PIN number or by using an NFC tag. He is now able to enter the work order number and start dispensing fluid. Once that dispense is completed, the amount of oil is automatically posted to the same work order in X-DMS.

It’s clearly an easy system for the technician to use, as everything happens at the meter. He no longer has to walk to a fixed box on the wall to enter his work order number but can do this directly in the meter and immediately start the fluid dispense without wasting time.

Moreover, Graco has built a partnership with X-Power to integrate the Pulse^® Pro into their DMS platform X-DMS. The integration of these two systems ensures that TSSI can use one single platform to manage work orders and accurately invoice the end customer. Advanced reporting within the Pulse^® Pro software also enables TSSI to generate automatic reports, send automatic emails to fluid suppliers, and to have a complete history of all fluid dispenses that have occurred within a given period.

 

Technical specifications

The Pulse^® Pro Fluid Management System is compatible with petroleum and synthetic based oils (including automatic transmission fluid and gear lube), anti-freeze and windshield wash solvent. It is certified for interfacing with common dealer management software providers such as Reynolds & Reynolds®, CDK Global®, Procede Software, Dealertrack, RTDMS, PBS Systems and X-Power. However, Pulse^® Pro doesn’t have to interface with an ERP system; it can be totally stand-alone. Software access is via all major web browsers. It operates on 100-240 VAC line voltage for wired products and AA alkaline batteries for battery powered devices.

 

More information

If you have questions about the use of Pulse^® Pro Fluid Management for your own facility, or require more information on the system or components, fill out the contact form below.