CARROLL INDEPENDENT FUEL COMPANY, INC. EQUIPS FULL FLEET OF METERED DELIVERY TRUCKS WITH MELARD'S WIRELESS SIDEARM
Rugged, Wireless Unit to Improve Operating Efficiencies and Customer Satisfaction by Streamlining Field Communications
Armonk, N.Y.--May 14, 2002
Melard Technologies, Inc., leading provider of ruggedized hardware, application software and related computer peripherals for use by the mobile workforce, today announced that Carroll Independent Fuel Company, Inc. will arm its fleet of 70 metered delivery trucks with the wireless SIDEARM(TM) All-Terrain Handheld Computer. The wireless and GPS technologies provided by the rugged unit will enable Carroll Fuel to further improve customer-response time by streamlining the company order-to-delivery business process.
"The SIDEARM provides our delivery personnel with an all around user-friendly system to more efficiently track deliveries, send and receive updates and maintain real-time inventory levels throughout the day. The wireless system almost entirely eliminates the paper trail left by delivery orders and paper receipts, which were frequently lost, damaged or difficult to read," said Mike Connelly, operations manager at Carroll Independent Fuel Company, Inc. "Now, by wirelessly sending data in real-time between the home office and our field operators, we've eliminated all posting errors and we've increased deliveries each week by roughly 1,000 extra gallons delivered per truck."
The SIDEARM's touch-screen based system is linked to an in-vehicle printer which ensures that accurate, legible in-depth customer receipts are available at the point-of-sale. In the case of emergency deliveries, the SIDEARM's GPS functionally enables the home office to immediately determine which truck is in the closest proximity to the delivery location and can send the job assignment to that specific driver, tracking the progress and completion of the delivery from start to finish. "In the highly-competitive fuel delivery industry, business success depends on customer satisfaction through speedy, efficient deliveries. The wireless system Carroll Fuel relies on ensures prompt attention is paid to emergency calls and that accurate reporting for customer records occurs instantly at delivery sites," said Russell Schmidt, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Melard Technologies. "The rapid deployment and acceptance of the SIDEARM by Carroll Fuel's drivers illustrates the versatility and effectiveness of the unit, regardless of industry.
We're pleased to expand our offerings to the fuel servicing arena." By fall 2002, each metered vehicle will contain a unit mounted on the passenger side, enabling delivery personnel to maintain their daily schedules, delivery orders and fuel inventories without having to deal with cumbersome amounts of paper. Carroll Fuel plans on furthering their reliance on the SIDEARM by eliminating the costly radio system currently installed in each truck linking field operators to dispatch. Instead, all delivery orders and status reports will be sent using the wireless connection. Also, in the near future, Carroll Fuel will use the GPS technology loaded onto the SIDEARM to offer a tracking system on their Web site, to provide customers with an accurate, up-to-the-minute estimate of the time of delivery.
About Carroll Independent Fuel Company, Inc.
Founded in 1907 and headquartered in Baltimore, Md., Carroll Independent Fuel Company, Inc. is a fourth-generation family-run full-service fuel operation for residential and commercial customers. Carroll specializes in delivering high quality HVAC service, fuel delivery and equipment to customers from Southern Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia. More information on the company is available at www.carrollfuel.com.
About Melard Technologies, Inc.
Melard Technologies, Inc. designs, develops and deploys rugged hardware platforms, application software and related computer peripherals to deliver a complete, real-time wireless data solution to remote field workers and mobile professionals. Melard has successfully deployed thousands of mobile wireless data systems to the Field Service, Telecommunications, Cable and Utility industries. The Company's robust integration of wireless communications capabilities delivers a measurable gain in network coverage that enables the optimized productivity, responsiveness and performance of mobile professionals and gives organizations the competitive edge they need to succeed. Melard Technologies, Inc. is based in Armonk, New York. Additional information is available on the Company's Web site at www.melard.com.
All trademarks are property of Melard Technologies, Inc. All other company and product names are property of their respective owners. Contact: Nikki Shimshock or Shoba Vaitheeswaran Schwartz Communications, Inc. 781-684-0770 melard@schwartz-pr.com Melissa Student Melard Technologies, Inc. 914-273-4488 mstudent@melard.com