Large worksites suffer from low productivity of staff doing high-value work when they have to walk long distances. The time lost from walking during a work shift is time that is not spent generating value in the business, and it can never be regained. Many businesses in New Zealand stand to obtain measurable benefits by introducing Segway Personal Transporters (PTs). While primary industries are the largest export sector by value in this country, it is a sector which is yet to begin to directly embrace Segway PTs. To date, deployments have been limited to a small number of dairy farms, forestry sites and Kiwifruit orchards. Endeavours such as horticulture, commercial growing (including glasshouses and flowers) and vineyards are yet to discover the utility of the Segway x2 model, which can be fitted with either ATV or Turf tyres to suit conditions. The Segway i2 is also suitable, particularly when the surface is firm (grass, clay, shingle, wood chips) and this model's narrow footprint is desirable. Here is a recent example of how a garden centre in Spain has achieved a fifty-plus percent increase in staff productivity with a fleet of three Segway PTs, as reported at the official Segway Blog (where you can read the full version of this story, and many others):

Viveros Bermejo is a garden center in Murcia, Spain. It spans 130.000 square meters and specializes in ornamental plants and flowers. In an effort to improve the productivity and maneuverability of his employees, Manager, Juan Bermejo, implemented Segway Personal Transporters (PTs). “The PTs have benefitted the business tremendously,” said Bermejo. “My team’s overall efficiency has greatly improved and I’m very happy about that.” Q:How many units are you using at the garden center? A: We currently have 5 Segway i2 PTs and we use them all daily. Q: What do you use the Segway PT for? A: The nursery is a sprawling facility. We use the PTs as a means of transportation to efficiently travel throughout the property. Q:How did your employees travel throughout the nursery before you implemented Segway PTs? A: Our employees walked the facility and it was very time consuming to get from Point A to Point B. Q: How many hours per day do you use the PTs? A: The garden center is open Monday through Saturday. We use the PTs every day for 8 to 10 hours per day. Q: Specifically how has the Segway PT benefitted your business? A: PTs can travel up to 12.5 mph/20 kph. They allow employees to cover more ground at a quicker rate, which is key to productivity in a large facility. Q: In your opinion, how much more productive is your staff using Segway PTs? A: I can confidently say that my staff is 50% to 60% more productive when using a Segway PT. Q: What do you like best about the Segway PT? A: There are so many benefits to using PTs. They improve the visibility and productivity of our employees. They offer a small footprint and a true zero turning radius, which make them incredibly maneuverable. In addition, PTs are green, quiet and very inexpensive to operate.