Challenge

Operating multiple locations across Canada with hundreds of vehicles regularly coming and going from their facilities, Somerville Auto Group faced ongoing challenges with the mismanagement of keys across their diverse fleet. With 83 employees handling a variety of trucks, vans, and other commercial vehicles for leasing and rentals, keeping track of keys manually using hooks on a wall was not only labour-intensive but also prone to human error.

Dean Earle, National Fleet Operations Director, often found himself and his team wasting precious hours each day searching for misplaced keys, trying to track down who last took a key and when. This led to frequent miscommunication and operational delays, ultimately impacting customers.

The financial impact of replacing lost keys, lost time for staff, and frustration across departments was a major obstacle nagging at the company.

Pain Points

• Lost Key Replacement Costs: Modern vehicle keys cost upwards of $400 per replacement, posing a serious financial impact over time.
• Lost Time: Staff regularly experienced frustration from wasting time trying to find missing keys with no clues to follow up on.
• No Accountability: Hooks on a wall enabled anybody to take and return keys, with no proof or timeline of use.

Solution

After evaluating several key management options, management decided to implement Keycafe in three locations across Canada due to the comprehensive support, superior security features, and user-friendly app-based system that allowed for remote management from the other side of the country. Keycafe’s solution also stood out with its ability to provide real-time tracking and detailed logging of key usage, addressing the core issues of accountability and time wastage that Somerville Auto Group faced.

The company’s largest setup in Toronto has capacity for 345 keys, with room for additional expansion units as the business grows. Keycafe’s fob-based system allows each employee to use a personal fob as an authenticator to check keys in and out. This automated system logs every key transaction, making it easy to track who had which keys and when. The real-time visibility into key usage not only reduced the time spent searching for keys but also enhanced overall security by ensuring that only authorized personnel could access specific keys.

Somerville Auto Group's Implementation

• Real-Time Inventory: Keycafe’s software shows which vehicle keys are in the SmartBox and which are currently in use - and by whom.
• Fob-Based Authentication: Both keys and staff are identified with NFC fobs at the SmartBox, so no key usage goes untracked.
• Centralized Management: Managers can view and control key inventory and permissions across all locations, allowing for full oversight.

Result

Keycafe’s automated key management system has effectively eliminated the issue of missing keys, resulting in substantial time and cost savings. With clear records of key usage, accountability is unavoidable, and the process of managing keys coming and going has been simplified. Ongoing education provided by Keycafe’s customer success team also contributed to a positive reception from all staff members.

Old-school employees who were initially resistant to change quickly adapted and were shocked by the ease of use. Time previously spent searching for keys has been repurposed towards more productive tasks. Financially, the elimination of lost keys has saved the company a considerable amount in both replacement costs and man hours.

The success of Keycafe’s implementation at Somerville Auto Group has not only improved daily operations, but also turned what was once a source of frustration into a tool for long-lasting benefits.

The Outcome

• No More Lost Keys: Since installing Keycafe’s system, not a single key has gone missing across three locations.
• Recovered Time: Staff no longer spend time worrying about and searching for lost keys.
• User Accountability: Staff are more conscious about returning keys, knowing all usage is tracked.