Fleet Maintenance - 24

The maintenance side
of document digitization
In order to combat the issues with a paper-based
maintenance shop documentation process, many
fleets are switching to using a mobile app.
By Emily Markham
Filling out driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) for
pre- and post-trip inspections is a standard procedure for
drivers. These inspections ensure the vehicle is in roadworthy condition and assure the driver it's okay to get behind
the wheel. But what happens when a vehicle issue is found?
Depending on the fleet, the process of reporting that issue
back to the maintenance shop could be a bit troublesome.
Many fleets still use a paper-based process for filling
out DVIRs, notes Vector's CEO and co-founder, Will
Chu. This written form of documentation can take
time to complete and paperwork can be easily lost
when transferred from the driver to the maintenance
department, not to mention the difficulty it presents
when trying to track down the history of that vehicle's
repairs. This can create a big liability for fleets.
In order to combat these issues with the paper process,
many fleets are switching to using a mobile application to
electronically file DVIRs. Drivers are able to fill out DVIRs on
the app and send them directly back to the maintenance
shop, with no waiting and less potential of getting lost.
Transitioning from paper maintenance shop documentation to digital offers fleets many benefits. Not only
does repair documentation get sent to the maintenance shop much faster, drivers are also able to use
the app to keep track of the progress of repairs.
Apps such as Transflo's TRANSFLO Mobile+ integrate with
the fleet's transportation management system (TMS) and
provide drivers visibility on the status of their vehicle.
"When drivers' trucks are in the shop, they want the
mechanics focused on getting them back on the
road," says Transflo's vice president of product and
innovation, Doug Schrier. "The mechanics update their progress within [the fleet's
TMS], and notifications can also be triggered when the trucks statuses are updated. This will ensure that the driver knows as soon as the truck is ready to roll."
Additionally, if the driver needed to take photos or a video of the issue for
the maintenance shop to "diagnose drivability of the asset and required
repairs," Schrier says, the mobile apps enable them to do so immediately.
This may also allow a technician to address the issue without the driver visiting the
maintenance shop, notes Chu, as well as allow the shop to order any necessary parts
to fix the issue that might not be in stock. Having this ability can save hours in the
repair process, which translates to more time on the road and less time in the shop.
Some mobile apps can also assist with preventive maintenance by sending notifications to drivers reminding them of upcoming services due on their vehicles. This can
help the driver plan ahead and ensures the required maintenance gets completed.
Overall, when it comes to digitized shop maintenance documentation, the driver's ability to communicate with the maintenance department as well as the back
office - along with being able to track current and past inspection reports - makes
the electronic document process a valuable asset to any fleet's operations.

24 Fleet Maintenance | March 2020

Think about the number of truck drivers using
and abusing that equipment all day long.
"Many trucking companies today are trying to
prevent their drivers from having to stop at a truck
stop just to scan documents," says Wes Pollock,
vice president of sales and strategic partnerships
for Eleos Technologies, a provider of mobile apps
for trucking fleets. "Fleets realize that when their
trucks are at a truck stop there's a higher likelihood of having damage to the equipment. They are
at a higher risk of having small accidents while
at a truck stop."
With all these potential complications, it makes
sense that fleets are taking the digital route.

Consider the
workflow
"The value of maintaining electronic documents
goes way beyond the
elimination of paper,"
says Cindy Nelson, vice
president of marketing and recruiting and
onboarding solutions
for EBE Technologies,
a provider of artificial
intelligence (AI)-powered
workflow solutions for
the commercial market.
Through using a
CMMS or TMS, along
with mobile applications
for document digitization, fleets are provided
incredible value, notes
Nelson, "from streamlining processes, improving
productivity, improving
accuracy of information, providing insight to
bottlenecks in operations,
allowing the appropriate
people to make more
timely decisions due to
»»Transitioning from paper
real-time access to documaintenance shop documentation
ments, [and a] reduction
to digital offers drivers the ability
in overhead of managing
to communicate with technicians
transactions which can
and to track the status of inspection
be automated through AI
reports for their vehicles.
driver workflows."
Photo courtesy of Vector
Additionally, when
a fleet uses a CMMS
or TMS, it allows them to operate between any
disparate systems such as dispatch and accounting. Nelson notes that when it comes to updating
any documents in these separate systems, they
only have to do it once, as the CMMS or TMS will
communicate that update between all systems.
Digitizing documents can help fleets to mitigate liability. Should an accident occur, having
documents such as maintenance records easily
tracked and available would provide fleets with
the evidence necessary to prove proper inspections were done or that the asset had been serviced
before the incident occurred.

Fleet Maintenance

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fleet Maintenance