jk-with-ifobThe award-winning Traka key control system has evolved over many years of working closely with the world’s largest corporations. It has been tried and tested in exacting conditions, and is in worldwide use 24 hours a day, all year round, yet its development is still ongoing as new opportunities and applications arise.

Traka’s market-leading solutions to date include an extensive range of intelligent key cabinets, the Traka Immobilisor, which turns the Traka iFob into an intelligent key for managing access to mechanical handling equipment such as fork lifts, industrial plant, commercial vehicles and other business assets; individual key boxes for use in remote environments; alcohol testers, again linked to key management systems; and a range of intelligent electronic lockers. Traka has customers across the spectrum of industry sectors, from prisons to casinos to the police. One of its biggest achievements in the warehouse and logistics market place is a long-term relationship with Tesco, with Traka providing the Immobilisor system for Tesco’s fork lift truck fleet. John Kent, Traka’s Chairman and the man behind the company’s phenomenal growth, spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.

traka-logoW&LN – When did the Traka story start?

Twenty years ago we were running a software company producing specialist applications for business, including software for vehicle rental companies to park up and log in cars returning from contract hire. We devised a Psion Organiser-based solution, giving hire companies a complete audit trail of when cars came in and where they were parked. When we advertised this, British Airways approached us with the problem of managing their Airside vehicles at Gatwick: vehicle keys were being taken without any proper accountability and it was impossible to identify who was using which vehicle and crucially, doing what damage. We devised an electronic key dispenser that held intelligent ‘bullets’ fixed to the key. The dispenser, or cabinet required users to swipe their access card to gain access and the bullets tracked removal of keys, giving a fully functioning audit system with computerised records. From a one-off solution for BA, this evolved into today’s Traka key management, available in a host of applications, all comprising keys, key cabinets and enabling and reporting software.

WLN – Who owns Traka?

I am the sole shareholder.

WLN – How big is Traka now?

This year we will turn over about £5m, and we employ a great team of just over 50.

WLN – As Chairman, what is your day-to-day role? Do you get personally involved in developing Traka solutions for clients?

As I said we have a great team who I rely on for product development and support. I remain in close touch with day-to-day sales and am especially involved with our overseas distributors, who represent our greatest expansion opportunity. This year I appointed a new MD, Robert Smith, with considerable expertise in managing much larger businesses, to help us achieve growth in the world market. My greatest enjoyment is developing new ideas with my technical team.

traka-cabWLN – As a company, how are you set up to market Traka solutions?

Our biggest challenge is the many market sectors we operate in and the expertise we need to market effectively to these sectors, so we have specialist teams for sales and support.

WLN – How many countries are Traka products available in? How do you sell your products outside the UK?

Traka is available in over 20 countries and our software has been translated into 11 languages, including Japanese. Most of our overseas sales have been through independent distributors although we now have Traka USA, Traka KMS in Ireland and Traka Africa in South Africa.

WLN – What different configurations of Traka Key Management systems are there?

Our basic key management product is modular but with many options, so we can provide anything from a system for 10 keys to one managing thousands. Our customers’ needs vary too; a prison’s security needs are very different to a museum’s, although the basics remain the same.

WLN – How do Tesco use your key management system on their fork lifts? How did that come about?

At the end of the 90’s Tesco started looking at improving their warehouse processes. We had introduced key management for their road vehicles, but their big problem was managing their fork trucks. As you will know it is a requirement to ensure fork trucks can be isolated to prevent unauthorised driving. The old fashioned method was using keys, but if you key trucks individually there is a big management issue when keys get lost or broken. At the time, the alternative methods were expensive, so we introduced the idea of managing existing keys using our Traka cabinets. That meant going back to individual keys but at least we could be sure drivers had correct licences for their trucks and were accountable for any damage.

WLN – What happened with Tesco’s fork lifts after that?

Using existing keys really wasn’t viable but we realised that our bullets, which all look the same, are a perfect key as the chip inside guarantees each one is unique. They are also very hardwearing, ideal in industrial environments. We developed a gadget we call the Immobilisor, which replaced the key barrel, allowing the iFob to become a really good, robust key for fork trucks. After the pilot site we started rolling Traka key management systems out to Tesco’s UK distribution centres. They are now in half of them, and have become Tesco’s standard fork lift security solution for these locations.

silver-bulletWLN – What does each fork lift driver need to use their truck, with your system?

All the driver needs is his Time and Attendance card, which he uses to clock in and out. Previously each fork truck required a dedicated iFob, held in the Traka cabinet. We could control access to this and record who used each truck. However, last year Tesco evolved their DCs’ processes and realised it was not convenient to make drivers take and replace iFobs between shifts. Fortunately we had developed a version allowing iFobs to be validated to suit drivers’ personal user profiles, so as they swiped their card and selected an iFob, the iFob was instantly validated to match the user’s profile and hence the truck the driver was allowed to take. For Tesco we have improved this even further, so their drivers permanently carry an iFob validated for the trucks they can use. As they use the iFob, the iFob records the truck ID and time, producing an audit trail of trucks driven. The iFob expires after the shift, so if given to a friend or colleague or lost, it will not work.
However, when the iFob is recharged at the start of the next shift, the latest transactions are downloaded. It is really simple, robust and as all the real intelligence is at the Traka cabinet (or download station as we now call them) very inexpensive.

WLN – What working environments do the iFobs function in?

The iFobs work on trucks anywhere: in warehouses, cold stores and outside in high and low temperatures and bad weather. You can use the same system to control operator access to cleaning machines, and virtually any other industrial machinery. We even have applications in South Africa where iFobs are used to control access to diamond sorting, and are about to go live down a platinum mine.

WLN – Are you now offering the same fork lift key control to other companies?

Tesco’s are our largest customer for fork truck management solutions but we have installed Traka in thousands of other trucks in the UK, both in other retailers and logistics DC’s and in one particular manufacturing plant, where they have reduced truck damage costs by 80%, with huge consequential reductions in stock damage and truck downtime.

WLN – Many fork lifts these days come fitted with PIN pads and access controls. Why do people need a system like yours?

You’re right, a pre-fitted key pad does offer an alternative to a truck key management system like ours, but in our experience, in a busy warehouse people get to know each other’s PIN numbers (or soon discover a number that works) and so become phantom users of the trucks. It is hard to discipline a user when he was on holiday on the day in question! All this means that in the event of an accident any kind of audit trail is worthless, whereas Traka gives you a clear user record, should you need it. Traka has many other advantages too – our pre-operational safety check ensures drivers acknowledge the truck’s condition before they start their shift, and this is permanently recorded in the database. If the truck is faulty, the Fault Logging feature makes it incredibly easy to log the fault and automatically ensure that the truck is V.O.R. until fixed. What’s more, the Fault Logging feature immediately tells the engineer rather than the more traditional lengthy delay before the fault is notified.

WLN – Does your Traka fork lift system produce instant management data on the customer’s lift truck fleet?

As soon as the iFob is replaced in the cabinet, we have the information on users and time. So you have daily information on truck usage, faults logged, drivers’ acceptance and so on. This is stored centrally on the server, so if you have a network of sites, the information can be consolidated to give overall truck usage, downtime and so forth. Our background is one of software too, so not only is the software fully compatible with the largest networks (and smallest too!) but we understand the need for training and ongoing support.

WLN – How does the data from your systems compare with the fork lift OEMs’ systems we mentioned?

One thing our customers tell us is that our software really is easy to use. Our customers’ job is to shift packages in their DCs: they are not software experts. We very much focus on the truck usage, and do not give information on the various activities the truck may have performed. We do however have an excellent shock sensor with some cleverly designed software that ignores jolts that occur when trucks drive over old railways lines, floor joints or even pallets.

ifob-with-receptorWLN – How does the price of a Traka key management system for a fork lift compare with a key pad fitted to a truck?

Traka fork lift management is a quarter of the price per truck of a sophisticated key pad data logging system, and takes less than an hour and a half to fit.

WLN – What about key systems to control area access?

You can also use our iFobs and key cabinets to control access to all sorts of keys including vehicles, COSHH cabinets, high value or restricted areas and also manage access to arm-mounted terminals by holding them in lockers, which in turn are managed using keys held in Traka cabinets. For Tesco we have further developed a special truck mounted box for holding these units.

WLN – Detecting truck operators’ use of alcohol before coming on shift is crucial in warehouse safety. What alcohol testers do you supply?

We interface the same alcohol breath tester the police use so we can ensure users are tested (randomly if required) before they take selected keys. It makes implementing an alcohol testing policy very easy.

WLN – On the IT side, how compatible are your systems with companies’ existing IT networks?

All our software is Microsoft based and works on all customer networks.  With customers including the Foreign Office and major banks, you can imagine how stringent their testing is!

WLN – Do you publish case studies about companies using your key management and other systems? Is there one for Tesco’s fork lifts?

We have many case studies and even have a video on our web site showing Traka in use at a Tesco DC.

WLN – Where do you develop and manufacture your technology?

All our R&D and production happen in the UK.

WLN – Do you carry out your own installations and repairs and service?

We have our own installation and support team, all with air conditioned VW Transporter vans, and we even have a BMW motorcycle for fast response!

WLN – Presumably you’re set for substantial growth as more companies adopt your systems. Have you got the capacity to meet the demand?

We have ambitious growth plans and our factory is 15,000 square foot and has lots of expansion capacity. Being based in the centre of the UK also helps us support our nationwide customers.

WLN – What technical standards are your systems made to?

We manufacture to stringent self-imposed standards and with many military customers we have to ensure consistent quality standards.

WLN – What awards have you won over the years?

Our highlight awards are our two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, one in 2004 for Innovation and the second in 2008 for Overseas Trade. It really was a great honour to win these and to meet the Queen twice! In addition we have won numerous local business awards, including Business of the Year in 2007.

WLN – What are your latest product developments that are relevant to warehousing and logistics operations?

We have two very interesting developments. One is to charge the driver’s AMT battery during his shift, which means he no longer has to waste time being issued with a spare battery when his expires – this can save as much as 15 minutes per person per shift, and gives a return on investment in about three months! Our second is to use the iFob as an interlock key to prevent drive offs from dock doors. This is a serious issue in the industry, yet an expensive one to resolve. Our solution is £650 per door, a fraction of the price of alternatives.

WLN – What external factors do you see driving demand for your systems?

We are fortunate in that we are in security, Health & Safety and electronics, which are all important industries. We sell to worldwide markets – all we have to do is to educate them and hopefully we will continue to grow.

WLN – Finally, where do you see Traka’s systems for warehousing and logistics operations going from here?

Technology has obviously greatly contributed to these operations, but there remain many areas for improvements in efficiency and safety. Every accident is avoidable and if we can help improve efficiency, reduce cost and make the industry safer, then I am sure we must have a considerable opportunity.

Traka plc   tel: 01234 712345   www.traka.com

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