The ‘myLinde’ digital customer platform integrates all of Linde Material Handling’s (MH) key fleet management, safety and energy solutions, thus facilitating the process for intralogistics managers to effectively manage and control industrial trucks. The cloud-based web portal is being expanded step by step, with the latest addition being an AI feature that allows users to ask questions in plain language about the deployed vehicles, their capacity utilization and even shock events. The algorithm analyzes the data available in myLinde and generates context-based answers or visualizes the results in the form of tables and charts.
Digital fleet management is an effective tool for boosting efficiency. It reduces the workload associated with personnel and vehicle management and control, while helping to ensure transparent processes, identify optimization potential, deliver cost savings and maintain high vehicle availability. Last, but not least, it alleviates the burden on intralogistics managers, especially during peak periods when trucks need to be loaded and unloaded as quickly as possible or when components must reach assembly lines on schedule. Thorough preparation is essential in these situations to ensure the availability of drivers and suitable vehicles, proper battery charging cycles and times, and special safety precautions in areas with high pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
“Fleet managers have to cope with ever-growing volumes of data and information,” says Tobias Klein, Portfolio Manager at Linde MH. “Applications like myLinde help them maintain an overview and make fact-based decisions.” Through the web portal, users can access various areas: fleet management, battery charging management and operational safety management. Operating manuals and spare parts catalogs are also available online. “Users can log in worldwide via a web browser with single sign-on,” Klein adds.
Customer portal consolidates various applications
The core of myLinde is the fleet management system, which includes access control, driver and vehicle management, pre-operational checks, shock event management and fleet analysis features.
“Digitization leads to noticeable efficiency gains, even with smaller industrial truck fleets. For example, access permissions can be changed with just a few clicks, and information about drivers and vehicles can be easily duplicated,”
Depending on user-defined settings, pending training sessions, maintenance work and or shock events are displayed right on the home screen. “Customers who are already using myLinde particularly praise the clear, self-explanatory user interface,” says Klein. “This also keeps training requirements to a minimum.” Data protection is of the utmost importance: Personal data is visible only to specific user groups, the data is stored on servers in Europe, and the high security standards associated with ISO 27001 certification protect all company data from unauthorized access.
The second module of myLinde is designed to enhance workplace safety using the Linde Safety Guard assistance system. This system alerts forklift drivers and pedestrians to each other’s presence via stationary or mobile units. In myLinde, data collected by the system on near-misses or areas with a high risk of accidents can now be analyzed and displayed via customizable dashboards to raise employee awareness of identified hazards and proactively prevent workplace accidents. The third module provides fleet managers with an overview of the existing battery charging infrastructure and its utilization. With just a few clicks, charging limits can be set or vehicles and chargers prioritized to avoid peak power loads, reduce energy costs and ensure the availability of priority forklifts.
New AI feature in myLinde
The new AI feature in myLinde makes creating analyses and reports easier than ever. Instead of entering data into analysis tools, users of the web portal can now simply enter instructions or questions such as: “Create a table showing the operating hours of all forklifts over the past week,” or “What were the respective travel and lift percentages for each forklift?” or “Generate an overview of all shock events per day.” Tobias Klein is certain that this feature will be well-received.
“Compiling information from various data sources is tedious, and very few people enjoy doing it. Thanks to the ‘myLinde AI’ chat feature, this will soon become much easier and more convenient.”
