City of Shawinigan — Streamlining Fleet Key Management for Public Works Efficiency
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Customer

City of Shawinigan

Market

Government

Company Size

Government

Country

Canada

Challenge

Managing vehicle keys across multiple municipal departments was a daily struggle for the City of Shawinigan. With approximately 150 vehicles—including trucks, excavators, graders, and specialized equipment—keys were constantly being misplaced or duplicated.

Each morning, staff spent valuable time searching for the right keys or replacing lost ones. This repetitive inefficiency translated into wasted resources and delayed operations. For supervisors like David Carpentier, Foreman of the Mechanical Workshop, the situation had become unsustainable:

“We were always losing keys. Every week we had to replace them. With so many vehicles and teams, tracking who had which key was impossible.”

The city needed a centralized, traceable, and reliable system to eliminate lost keys and improve accountability across all departments.

Solution

In 2023, the City of Shawinigan implemented an ecos electronic key cabinet to digitize and automate fleet key management.

Now, every city employee accesses the cabinet using secure identification. Each key withdrawal and return is automatically logged, allowing supervisors to see exactly who took which vehicle, when, and for what purpose. Keys are organized by vehicle type — from pickup trucks and loaders to 10- and 12-wheelers — making it easy for workers to find what they need at the start of each shift.

The ecos key management system is used daily by multiple city departments, including:

  • Public Works and Road Maintenance
  • Excavation and Water Services
  • Parks and Recreation
“Every morning, employees log in, select the vehicle they need, and get to work immediately. We also use the reporting tools to check who took which vehicle and at what time — it’s a huge help.”

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Results

The introduction of ecos brought immediate, measurable improvements to the city’s operations:

  • Significant time savings — Staff no longer waste time searching for missing keys. “We save 15 to 20 minutes every time we don’t have to look for a key,” explains Carpentier.
  • Full visibility and traceability — Every vehicle movement is recorded, providing complete transparency for supervisors and managers.
  • Optimized winter operations — During snow removal, when timing is critical, vehicles can be dispatched faster and more efficiently.
  • Ease of use and adoption — Employees across departments adapted quickly; the system is intuitive and reliable.
  • Zero maintenance issues — “We’ve never had any problems,” says Carpentier. “It’s easy to use and manage.”
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“It’s simple, reliable, and saves us time every single day.
Everyone adapted quickly, and the system has been flawless.”

- David Carpentier – Foreman, Mechanical Workshop, City of Shawinigan

For the City of Shawinigan, ecos key management systems have eliminated lost keys, improved operational efficiency, and brought structure and accountability to a complex fleet.

From daily vehicle dispatching to major snow removal operations, the city now runs smoother — with more time for what really matters: keeping Shawinigan moving.