How Toyota Material Handling UK simplified operations by partnering with CFTS

With a network of more than 1,000 employees in the UK alone, Toyota Material Handling is widely recognized as a world leader in its field. But keeping hundreds of field service technicians up to date with evolving industry standards is a challenge that’s vital to customer satisfaction and safety. To streamline the process – without sacrificing quality – Toyota recently elected to cement their relationship with CFTS and adopt their Thorough Examination competent person training.

Keeping up with industry standards

Under LOLER 98 safety regulations, all UK lifting equipment like forklifts require a regular Thorough Examination, which can only be carried out by a “competent person”. However, this important role is not clearly defined – leaving room for interpretation and doubt.

CFTS answers this by setting an industry-wide gold standard that stays up to date with evolving legislation and technology. As a result, Toyota’s customers can always be certain that the technician inspecting their material handling equipment is fully trained to the highest level.

As well as offering unbiased validation, CFTS trainers all have significant experience as service engineers, working across a variety of equipment – meaning Toyota’s technicians will benefit from the widest possible expertise and practical knowledge.

Phil Dunn, Service and Logistics at Toyota Material Handling UK says - “With the HSE achieving a 94% conviction rate, and fines for inadequate Thorough Examinations running into the millions, our customers rightly expect us to help them stay productive, legal, and safe.”

“We’ve been impressed when working with CFTS in the past and we know that they can help us to give customers an even greater layer of confidence and protection.”

Doubling down on customer satisfaction

As part of ‘The Toyota Way’ their Kaizen principal states that ‘through continuous improvement, we try to improve our operations’. As such, Toyota constantly looks for ways to better their training efforts – partnering with CFTS is one example of this.

Phil adds: “We’re proud of our excellent safety record here at TMHUK and our industry leading NPS score of 67, safety is always our primary concern added with customer satisfaction now being such a key differentiator in today’s world. And because CFTS provides refresher courses, we know our Competent Persons will stay up to date with changing rules, regulations, and technologies in the future ensuring we are the forefront of our industry in both these areas.”

Harnessing new efficiencies

As well as boosting its training, the partnership with CFTS will soon enable Toyota to streamline its whole Thorough Examination process.

Later this year, CFTS will launch the first mobile app that’s purpose built to deliver its industry standard Thorough Examination process. Like all CFTS-accredited members, Toyota’s examiners will have access to dedicated reports as well as specialized checklists for an even wider range of equipment types – both online and offline.

Toyota’s customers will also have easy digital access to their Thorough Examination paperwork, further reducing the time involved in compliance.

It’s just one of several projects reinforcing CFTS as the go-to authority on Thorough Examination and competent person training, for any service organization dedicated to keeping clients efficient and safe.