Fewer and fewer of us are old enough to remember the old-fashioned parking meter. Remember how it worked? After driving around a downtown block a few times, you finally spotted somebody loading shopping bags into the back seat of a Chevrolet station wagon, and then getting behind the wheel to drive away. You quickly slipped into the newly vacated spot and began to desperately hunt through your car for the quarters, dimes, and nickels you would need to deposit in that ancient coin-operated meter. And then you had to remember to return every 30 or 60 minutes to feed the meter with another of your precious coins.
Nowadays, the process is simpler but the technology involved is more complex. A company called T2 System ssupplies Digital Luke® Cosmo, a highly secure multi-space pay station designed as an on-street solution for all communities and cities, big and small. You pay for your parking with a couple of swipes or clicks on your smartphone app using a credit card, and you extend your parking by sending a simple text message. The challenge, of course, is that every Cosmo contains a powerful little computer connected to the T2 cloud, and all this technology requires electrical power that must be reliably supplied by a small solar panel on top of the pay station.
T2 Systems at first contacted ALV because the company needed a new supplier for the frame of their solar panels, and ALV had the manufacturing capacity and a reputation for excellence that served Cosmo requirements.
“After they saw our quality of work,” said ALV Managing Director Thuy-Van Campbell, “they decided they wanted us to assemble the entire Solar Module for them. This included taking over management of their suppliers, order components and assembly. This had the effect of dramatically reducing their costs for assembly and inventory management, and it also reduce the number of people required for their supply chain management group while improving product quality and on-time production schedules.”
Now the ALV team is looking for new and additional ways to save money for T2 Systems. “We think we may be able to help them take advantage of higher-quality and less expensive suppliers for their other Cosmo components such as solar cells and wiring,” said Campbell.
“Ultimately, it’s all about having a disciplined and passionate focus on how we can help our partners be more successful and more profitable.”
We are focused on delighting our clients and customers. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in designing and managing the supply chain that will optimize your business.
Managing Director
Thuy-Van Campbell
+1 (425) 519-3640
thuyvan@alvglobal.com
