may2022 - 14

assets and uses fault code information, DVIR
reports, and chronic repair alerts helps you be
better prepared to monitor the health of your
equipment, " Trimble's Walters said.
Metrics that Walters advised fleets to follow
when assessing the effectiveness of their maintenance
programs include PM compliance, chronic
repairs, downtime, frequency as a measure of
repairs performed on an asset between preventive
maintenance services, and over the road
breakdowns.
" An increase in frequency quickly identifies
a problem program or may be linked to certain
repair work being outsourced, " Walters continued.
" Fleets should also be monitoring asset downtime,
which could be impacted positively or negatively
due to outsourcing maintenance activities. "
Fleet maintenance software facilitates that
process, and can do so in real time, Walters noted.
Through the repair order creation process, whether
for internal or external repair work, for example,
the software can alert the fleet to preventive
maintenance services that are coming up or are
overdue, warranty status of the asset, job, or part,
and if a chronic repair issue exists. The information
allows the fleet to make informed decisions
about where the service should take place.
Additionally, advanced reporting tools allow
fleets to customize KPIs and metrics to their fleet's
specific needs, and simplify access to data in an
informed, user-friendly environment. In combination
with those capabilities are information tools
for technicians, which empower them to make
better decisions based on a vehicle's repair needs
and parts availability, as well as its warranty status.
For outsourced maintenance, it is very important
for fleets to know and track out-of-service
times and repair costs, related Jake Schell,
associate product manager for the Mitchell 1
" An increase in
frequency quickly
identifies a problem
program or may be linked
to certain repair work
being outsourced. "
Dave Walters, senior solutions
engineer, Trimble
Commercial Vehicle Group. Truck repair software
can be used to evaluate the expected time and cost
of repairs against the actual time and cost of the
outsourced jobs.
" A full suite of programs that empowers the fleet
to ensure its vehicles are being properly maintained
provides a way to track maintenance and
repairs on vehicles flowing through fleet and
outsourced service provider shops, " Schell said.
" As this data is collected, the fleet can access
reports to make informed decisions. For example,
knowing the time needed to perform repairs is a
powerful way to enable the fleet to better balance
workload and reduce downtime.
" The metrics a fleet chooses to collect depends
largely on what goals it hopes to attain, " Schell
added. " Nevertheless, there are basic metrics that
will provide insight to the overall effectiveness of
the maintenance program, whether it's in-house
or outsourced. "
Those metrics, according to Schell, include
repair times per job, parts costs, when specific
problems develop based on time or mileage, and
technician performance in completing jobs in
the estimated time, as well as comebacks. There
is also the amount of time a vehicle spends in the
shop-not only the time to perform the service but
also how long the vehicle was in the shop waiting.
Patrick McKittrick, CEO at heavy-duty repair
shop software provider Fullbay, pointed out that
fleets need to get a true cost of ownership for their
equipment and make sure it's safe to be on the
road. " That's only going to be possible by getting
accurate and timely data from repair providers, "
he said. " If a fleet knows exactly what work is
being performed, and that required inspections
and maintenance intervals are being met, they'll
be able to avoid compliance headaches and issues.
" Uptime is the name of the game, but with a
manual process it's hard to understand, " McKittrick
added. " Plus, by understanding what parts are
being used and the frequency of breakdowns,
they can start to optimize their spec'ing process. "
True cost of ownership, cost per mile, uptime,
and safety are the most important maintenance
metrics to follow, McKittrick noted. If a fleet's
service provider is not being used effectively
and preventive maintenance is delayed or is
not keeping up with manufacturer recommendations
for processes and intervals, they might
think they're saving money. In reality, they could
face unexpected downtime, unsafe equipment,
or invalidated warranties.
" Repair shop software creates a closed loop
between the shop and the fleet, sending data
back and forth, " McKittrick stated. " It facilitates
communication about real-time status so the
fleet has full transparency. With analytics that
can be used for predictive insights, they'll be able
to maintain safer and more profitable fleets. "
For related content go to
FleetMaintenance.com/shop-operations
» Love's showcased its mobile mechanic truck workshop at the Technology & Maintenance Council 2022 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Photo: John Hitch | Fleet Maintenance
14 Fleet Maintenance | May 2022

http://www.FleetMaintenance.com/shop-operations

may2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of may2022