Press Releases
The right tool for the job
10 April 2012According to Jeff Sibio, industry marketing director for Postal Courier
Express, parcel & freight applications at Intermec Technologies,
“For anyone who has spent a moment in a fleet maintenance shop, there is
no doubt that it is grueling work. It is downright rugged. Over the
years, I have worked in a number of fleet maintenance operations. From
pumping fuel in high school in -10˚F weather to managing over 1,000 long
haul vehicles with two locations and 75 hard-working technicians, no
job was ever easy.”
Information systems however are making life easier. One good example is
utilizing technology to do a “spring cleaning” on your parts operation.
Moving from manual paper inventory, ordering and distribution to an
automated barcode based-system can have a dramatic impact. The resulting
clean-up can reduce your carrying cost on parts.
Automating processes can take thousands of dollars out of your cost,
reduce the number of unique parts and provide much more room to work
with. Not to mention that after the cleanup, you have the correct parts
needed to do the job, resulting in more trucks on the road vs. waiting
for parts and service.
Sibio goes on to say that information technology also can help transform
fleet maintenance by placing access to critical information in the
mechanics’ hands. Giving your team the information tools it needs to get
the job done right can have significant impact. When the mechanic
manages the electronic repair order; parts are billed out to the correct
truck; and vehicle repair history, inspection reports and other
information are available, it allows the mechanic to knowledgeably fix
the problem versus just solving the current symptom.
Also consider that rugged systems resistant to moisture, dust, grease
and grime make your users less reluctant to accept the technology. More
informed technicians who are confident in their tools lead to more
repairs processed quicker and fewer hours spent shuffling paper. Better
electronic records also result in more trucks on the road, less wait
time for the drivers and more accurate decision making for fleet asset
management needs.
“To attain these benefits, the information systems need to be up to the
task,” Sibio said. “Rugged solutions that can fall off the step of a
truck, scan grease-smudged and torn barcodes, and workstations that can
resist the afternoon clean-up with an occasional pressure washer spray
are not the same as the laptop off the IT guy’s desk. Your technician
will assure you the wrong tool may get the job done eventually, but the
right tool will get the job done well and more efficiently.”
full article at http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/Item/99146/the_right_tool_for_the_job.aspx