We recently sat down with Access Control Group CEO Arun Patel to talk about the early days of  Access, the changes in the industry, the importance of innovation, the acquisition of MinitCharger, and what he wishes every resource manager knew about telematics.

Access Background and Business Strategy:

1. Arun, you started Access in early 2000. After 18 years, is Access where you imagined it would be? What lessons have you learned along the way?

Not quite, but I am happy with our progress, differentiation and the platform we have built for our comprehensive solutions in a variety of industries. We began with the material handling industry and quickly learned that the industry is ten years or so behind than the automotive and construction equipment industries. Unfortunately, many end users typically go with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) rather than looking for a better solution. It took customers in this industry a while to understand that they have options to change the way they manage their fleets and do not need to depend on OEM alone to do so.

2. What is your background? And where did the passion for developing supply chain technology solutions come from?

I am a Biomedical Engineer by trade however, my passion is in product development and solving problems with practical and affordable solutions. My Access journey began in 2001 while shopping at a popular retailer. I noticed that they would leave several forklifts with the keys in the ignition, unattended. This can cause serious risks as anyone can hop on the equipment and take it for a joy ride if they wished. That is where my idea of Autolock came from. It is a simple, keyless entry system that was developed to keep unauthorized personnel from using the equipment.  As I began to learn more within the industry, I saw that there was real potential in helping end users change the way they manage their fleets.

3. You mention being innovative throughout your messaging. What steps have you taken over the years to develop new technologies that set you apart from other telematics providers?

That’s easy. Access is the first to develop a web-based fleet management software in the industry which ultimately changed how end users view and act on data collected. Our innovation continued with simplified and user-friendly designs, implementation and reporting. Since then, we have added unique battery management solutions, which is another crucial component in asset management. Now, customers can manage all of their assets under one simple platform, while improving productivity all around.

4. Access recently purchased Minit Charger. What was the strategy behind the acquisition and how does it affect your long-term goals for Access?

Minit Charger is a pioneer just like Access. When the whole industry was questioning fast charging, Minit Charger proved them wrong. Today, every charger manufacturer has followed suit. Our strategy behind this acquisition is simple – be the one source solution provider for our customers so they can lower costs and resources.

Our near-term goal is to enhance energy efficiency and offer chargers for any application with maintenance free batteries. This will help our customers improve productivity so they can focus on their core business needs.

5. As the CEO of Access, what strategies have you incorporated into your business model and product offering to give you the greatest advantage over your competitors?

We have incorporated many strategies for our business model and product offerings such as a transparent pricing structure for the life of the term with no hidden fees. Our customers know exactly how much they will need to invest and can plan accordingly.

We have also simplified the installation process with minimal or no downtime. Customers have flexible options such as cellular or Wi-Fi communication and can host their data internally or in the cloud. We have created a comprehensive yet modular platform where customers can manage their equipment, battery and charging solutions all in one place and can upgrade/downgrade services as needed. Customers have the ability to monitor a variety of equipment regardless of brand and size. In addition, we offer asset consulting, a free service that is available to help customers leverage their business insights.

Benefits of Access and Fleet Management Solutions

1. What is the greatest impact you have seen Access’ products have on a real customer’s fleet management operational goals?

Improved safety, reduction in accidents and incidents, and improved productivity are the most common benefits among our customers.  Many of our customers have benefited from these in addition to optimizing their fleet or avoided adding unnecessary additional equipment based on actual utilization. That’s huge. Customers realized how much they can save and improve their business with just one simple solution like ours.

2. What are the top three most common problems potential customers come to you with when considering Access for their fleet management? How does Access specifically address those?

The most common pain points for our customers are equipment abuse, safety compliance, and fleet optimization. When customers implement our solutions, they improve safety and compliance with our OSHA approved checklist, reduce equipment and vehicle abuse due to access control and management and optimize their fleet. Our customers hardly know that the system is implemented due to our less intrusive process.

3. What information do you wish potential customers knew about Access that they may not know when researching telematics devices?

Overall, we would like our potential customers to have an open mind to independent providers like us. Access’ solutions are can be implemented on any type of vehicle or equipment. Meaning that they will not be stuck with their original equipment manufacturers system and can optimize their investments. Most customers have a mixed fleet so by implementing our solutions, they can manage all of these assets under one seamless platform. Customers and their pain points vary. In return, we respond their needs with solutions that are customizable.

4. Why is it important to incorporate fleet management solutions into the operational strategy for GSE, Manufacturing, and Distribution Centers?

There are several reasons. Almost all powered assets require a major investment. Since the use of assets can vary, keeping track of their usage and maintenance scheduling can be a nightmare.  Equipment abuse, safety compliance, and fleet balancing are common requirements and needs regardless of GSE, DC or manufacturing operation. Basically, if you are interested in protecting and maximizing your asset investment, fleet management solutions are your answer. 

5. What have you done to ensure that Access’ products do not detract from productivity but instead support and increase the efficiencies in spite of a declining workforce?

This is one of Access’ strong sides. Smooth implementation, a user-friendly system, and effortless visibility require minimal time. If trained properly, operators see our solutions as an aid to improve productivity by becoming better at their job. By getting operators to understand the value in our solutions they can embrace this change and keep a safe and efficient working environment.

6. Governing compliance agencies like OSHA have put a significant amount of pressure on safety managers to remain compliant and protect their workforce. Do your products support those efforts? If so, how?

Our electronic safety checklist pretty much eliminates “pencil whipping”. Therefore, safety and operations stakeholders get promptly notified if there is a failure. With access to OSHA mandated reports in just a few clicks, it keeps safety managers in control without spending too much time.

Goals and Vision for Access

1. As mentioned before, you are always working to stay innovative in this market. Do you have any new products or releases that current and future Access customers should be aware of?

Access is by far the most innovative and practical solution provider. While I cannot provide details on our future innovations, I can at least share that we strive to offer more to our customers so they can continue to leverage their investment, spend minimal time and stay in control.

Our challenge is to show customers how our innovation can be applied broadly in their operations to reap the additional benefits of their investment.  All we need is an open mind and a better understanding of their processes. Often times, purchasers and users are different and there may be a communication gap. However, with our solutions, we can simplify the process.

2. Since founding Access in 2000, there has been a good amount of evolution in your products and growth in your customer base. What are some of the goals you hope to accomplish within the five years to continue that momentum?

Access strives to stay on the technological edge and use it to solve customer pain points. We are putting our strong IIoT experience to work so we can go beyond typical fleet management solutions and continue to improve our strategies so that they align with our customer’s needs.

3. What is the one thing you can say has remained consistent about Access throughout its past 18 years that you will ensure continues into the future?

Our customer-centric approach will never change.  Thanks to our customers, their partnership and willingness to support us with validation of our innovative ideas has enabled us to be different. Another attribute is our creativity. We spend the time to understand the challenge and then apply our solid experience to solve it. However, we are willing to go into unchartered territories if required. That out of the box thinking will not change as well, because it’s in our DNA.

Founder and CEO of Access Control Group and CEO of MinitCharger, Arun has a background in Biomedical Engineering from NJIT and M.S. University. With years of experience as a product development manager, Arun started Access in 2001 and developed devices and software that have revolutionized the telematics industry.

Get in touch with Arun