A Business Creating Some Buzz
Every business is founded to put a roof over someone’s head.
We’ve been doing that at Daecher von Hunold since 1934.
I’ve been here for 15 years, and as managing director it’s my responsibility to keep our roofing business running efficiently. That’s what keeps our customers happy and provides jobs for our 30 employees.
Getting our crews and equipment from job to job is critical for our business. We started relying on Ford vehicles in 2013 and now have 13 Fords in a fleet of 15 vans and pickups.
In my experience, the more vehicles, the more confusion. In the past we often had problems keeping track of our teams because – from 6:45 every morning – we have crews on their way to locations all across the region.
We’ve been using Ford Pro Telematics1 and the Ford Pro Telematics Drive app for the past two years to help us manage our fleet more productively.
If we know things like where a team is and how much fuel is in their van in real-time, it makes it easier to plan. It also makes it easier to adapt, because no amount of planning can stop circumstances changing and surprises popping up during the day. If there’s a customer with an emergency because of storm damage for example, we can get a team across to help them faster.
“Time is money, and our vehicles need to be running.”Thomas Potthast, managing director of Daecher von Hunold roofing company, Germany.
We use the systems to monitor the health of our vehicles and stay ahead of maintenance for things like tyre pressures, batteries and fluid levels, so they don’t become a problem that takes time out of the working day. Time is money, and our vehicles need to be running.
Honestly, at first, some of our employees were quite sceptical. They thought we wanted to spy on them, but they’ve quickly discovered it’s not about that at all. They’re seeing the benefits of connectivity too.
They spend less time on the road because we can plan itineraries more efficiently. They’re able to concentrate on their roofing work rather than monitoring vehicles. They can pre-heat their cabins before they set off on cold mornings. If they’re working on the eighth storey of a building and forget their keys when they go back to the van for equipment, they can unlock it from their phone.
“From 6:45 every morning, we have crews on their way to locations all across the region.”Thomas Potthast, managing director of Daecher von Hunold roofing company, Germany.
The fact that our Ford vehicles arrive ready to connect to Ford Pro’s telematics systems made the whole process simpler and more cost effective too. When I started working for Daecher von Hunold, a service like this to support a small- or medium-sized business like ours was a pipe dream. Now we’re seeing real benefits every day.
We’ve been putting roofs over heads for a long time, and we’re looking to the future with total confidence.
Thomas Potthast is managing director of Daecher von Hunold roofing company, Germany.
1Ford Pro Telematics is available complimentary for one year from the warranty start date, and then on a subscription basis, subject to agreement to Ford Smart Mobility terms and conditions, and provides a comprehensive suite of features in addition to vehicle health including location and mapping, driving behaviour, fuel/energy usage, multi-make capabilities and a companion app for drivers to interface with fleet managers. Fleet customers can contact the Ford Pro Software Command Centre at softwaresolutions@fordpro.com for information about these Ford Telematics products. Data availability subject to data connectivity and access to vehicle data.
