Analyzing current operations
Th e fi rst step to improving shop processes and
procedures begins with a thorough evaluation
of current operations, says Taki Darakos, Vice
President of Maintenance, Transervice.
Transervice (transervice.com) off ers full-service
leasing, contract maintenance, driver and logistics
support, warranty recovery and material handling
maintenance.
Oft entimes, fl eets may opt to hire a consulting
company, like Transervice, for example, to provide
an outside perspective to evaluate existing shop
layout and processes.
“Having an outside set of eyes look and off er
some suggestions can help,” Darakos says. “We
typically do this as part of our initial sales consultation,
but also have metrics that we measure on
an ongoing basis.”
Some questions to consider during an evaluation
include:
What does the fl eet look like? (Types of vehicles
serviced, size of fl eet, etc.)
What kind of downtime are shops experiencing?
What kind of staffi ng is in place?
Can improvements on shop layout or the cost
of parts they buy or carry be made?
Are there opportunities to make customer routing
more effi cient?
Are they having a hard time fi nding or retaining
drivers?
Th e comparative analysis can be particularly
helpful for smaller fl eets. One example looks at the
decision to partner with a national parts program
or tire program when it comes to parts usage.
“Many times smaller fl eets do not have this level
of data or the relationships to easily obtain this
data,” Darakos explains. “We have found many that
still use paper and spreadsheets to track maintenance
expenses. We can give them visibility. We
can also do comparisons to see how their current
cost per mile compares to enterprise-wide data. Is
it higher or lower? Where are the diff erences?”
While an initial analysis is a fi rst step, it’s
important to continue analyzing operations going
forward to help improve the operator, technician
and overall operating costs, Darakos says.
One example includes equipment spec’ing,
since a fl eet’s asset portfolio is ever-evolving.
Darakos suggests reviewing operations on an
annual basis to confi rm if changes in tools and
equipment, staff training or shop layout need to
be addressed. Shop layout in particular can have
a critical impact on effi ciency.
12 Fleet Maintenance | March 2018
“We have had existing shops that had been in
place for years,” Darakos says. “By moving around
the parts area, shop computers, toolbox storage, etc.
we are able to become more effi cient. No one really
thought of this because it had always been that way.”
Review the data
Evaluating an operation’s effi ciency starts by
fi guring out which questions to ask. Th e next step
is to fi gure out how to answer those questions.
To do this, reviewing data off ers an overview of
current and prospective processes.
Fleets can work with a contracted service provider,
or use a computerized maintenance management
system (CMMS) to access and review this data.
A CMMS can provide both real-time information
as well as repair and service history for both the
individual vehicle and trends for the entire fl eet.
Overall, the most common CMMS features
utilized by fl eets are:
• Preventative maintenance (PM) management.
Optimizing maintenance schedules.
• Inventory tracking. Better management of inventory
can improve the buying process.
• Labor tracking. Figure out standard labor times,
and how long, on average, it takes to complete
specifi c tasks.
• Financial system integration. Further improvements
on purchasing data.
» A CMMS can provide both real-time information
as well as repair and service history for both the
individual vehicle and trends for the entire fleet.
Photo courtesy of TMW Systems
How operations management can aid in shop efficiency
Operations management is
controlling the systems and
processes used to manufacture
products or, in the case
of a maintenance and repair
facility, provide services.
Dr. Ray R. Venkataraman, a
professor of project and supply
chain management at Penn
State Behrend, provides insights
on how improving operations
management can aid in running
a more efficient shop.
“The techniques of operations
management and “lean” can be
applied to design efficient layouts
and efficient scheduling to optimize
a fleet maintenance repair
facility,” Venkataraman says.
Shops can review a number of
any and all areas of their operation
in order to become more
efficient. Some examples include:
• Establish/create vehicle maintenance
and repair standards
• Hire properly certified
technicians and provide
ongoing training
• Redesign shop layout for
improving efficiency (use lean
principles eliminate waste)
• Automate the process where
possible and leverage data
• Buy necessary equipment
such as vehicle lifts, etc.
Venkataraman notes it is important
to address common pitfalls
when adopting new processes.
To do this, shops must address
and eliminate any concerns
about the change, utilize data
and technology available to
evaluate and implement more
effective processes and be sure
to acquire the needed resources
to implement change successfully.
Having data to back up
the proposed plan can
reaffirm the decision
to make a change.
» Reviewing incremental changes can help
fleets adjust different aspects of their
operation, such as improved scheduling
or more efficient maintenance cycles.
Photo courtesy of Transervice
/transervice.com