March 2018 | VehicleServicePros.com 15
– such as weather and geographic location conditions
– which soft ware companies then input into
their proprietary algorithms to provide usable
information to make sound business decisions.
“Better information reduces downtime,” Adler
says. “If I can get that truck back on the road quicker,
I save money.”
Get everyone
on board
Optimizing schedules doesn’t
just apply to vehicle maintenance;
it can refer to staff
schedules as well. Knowing
what to expect – to a certain
extent – also allows fl eets to
assign tasks to technicians or
employees based on skillset,
according to TMW’s Adler.
Adler also advises the
CMMS be available not only
for management, but technicians
and employees working
in the shop.
“We actually have kiosks
where the technician is
working from, and he gets
messages – ‘here’s what you
need to do,’ ‘here’s what we
did the last time we worked
on this’ or ‘this part is under
warranty,’” Adler says. “Th e
technician is getting realtime
information and he’s
able to do his job better. If you
can push it down to the shop
fl oor, you can pick up a lot of
effi ciencies.”
Adler says some management
may argue they do not
want technicians working on
computers, instead spending
time servicing vehicles. But,
he counters, the computer
and soft ware can make the
technician more effi cient by
serving as a resource to record
issues and/or service on the
vehicle immediately, as well
as provide the means to look
up the vehicle’s history, look
up and order parts, etc.
It’s important to note that
any implemented changes
may aff ect the entire organization.
Employees handling
more routine day-to-day
operations, like technicians,
and those who manage larger
projects and long-term company
outlook, like management,
need to be in sync.
Before making decisions be
clear with all departments and
staff – including technicians,
managers and corporate – that
a process or procedure change
is happening.
It’s important to fully communicate and
engage with staff and management alike to
ensure everyone understands the end goals and
why changes are being made.
Conclusion
Change will not occur overnight, and the full process
must be implemented and followed through in order
to see results.
Continually reviewing processes and making
changes when necessary also keeps shop operations
effi cient.
“You have to consistently be re-evaluating what
you are doing and how,” Transervice’s Darakos
says. “Without this your costs gradually increase
and you lose your competitive edge in the marketplace.”
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