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Fleet management information systems have\u00a0more features than you think. Here\u2019s how to make the best use of your software.\u00a0 Image: Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Specialized fleet software is a powerful tool to track vehicle maintenance, mileage, costs, and more. By fully utilizing their software systems \u2014 or even creating new features \u2014 fleet manatgers have been able to improve customer service, increase transparency, eliminate tedious tasks, ensure accurate billing, and solve an industrywide problem. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n The module not only sends an e-mail to the driver when a vehicle is due for service, it also includes a link that allows that driver to schedule the service appointment online, without having to call the fleet shop.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrently, our drivers have to call to find out the openings for service, and we don\u2019t have a person dedicated to answering our phone, so it\u2019s our service manager, Ernie Winnings, who has to keep up with this high volume of calls,\u201d Kuryla explained. \u201cHe\u2019s got to stop what he\u2019s doing, take the phone call, provide them some suggestions, and the driver has to get approval from their supervisor for that appointment time. Then they have to call fleet back to reserve the time.\u201d<\/p>\n The new software, integrated with the Human Resources system and located on the intranet, allows drivers to sign into FleetWave using a link to see which spots are open and choose their appointment.<\/p>\n \u201cThis feature is the number one thing [our service manager] wanted from the new system,\u201d Kuryla said.<\/p>\n One of the biggest challenges fleet managers face is recalls. Kuryla has solved that problem thanks to the integration of two software systems that allow the county to track the true cost of vehicle repairs, including warranties, and to manage recalls.<\/p>\n Wake County has been using an outside warranty claims administrator, Cascor, for about a decade. Fleet technicians repair and maintain their FCA, Ford, and GM vehicles, including warranty work<\/a>, on site, and the contracted company evaluates all the automatically submitted repair orders to file warranty claims.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were never able to put back into the software the results of the warranty claim,\u201d Kuryla said. A new integration between the contractor\u2019s software and the FMIS allows that data to get automatically added to the FMIS, permitting fleet staff to better track vehicle costs.<\/p>\n Secondly, the integration allows Cascor to run all the county\u2019s vehicles through a recall database and automatically send that to the FMIS. When a vehicle comes in for service, a pop-up in the FMIS tells the fleet manager which recalls <\/a>are open for that vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have to run VINs on every car and we don\u2019t have to manage all the recall notification letters that come in the mail,\u201d Kuryla explained.<\/p>\n Iowa State University Transportation Services has used its FMIS and motor pool system, Agile Fleet, for a few years for its 600 vehicles. Kathy Wellik, CAFM, transportation services director, said one of the most useful features is a \u201cprep\u201d feature on the motor pool module that has automated processes and helps staff members save time.<\/p>\n When keys of motor pool vehicles are returned to a kiosk, the vehicles automatically go into \u201cprep\u201d mode. The system alerts staff members what is returned to the lot so they can inspect and clean it, and the computer will mark it to be checked out again. It also allows staff members to keep track of where vehicles are parked.<\/p>\n This eliminates a significant amount of manual labor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe used to use pad and paper and every morning we\u2019d go out, we\u2019d collect the keys from the night drop, take a pad and paper, and we\u2019d go find each vehicle and write down license plate and mileage, and the dispatcher would have to check all those back in manually,\u201d Wellik said.<\/p>\n Pictured is one of the dashboards the City of Austin uses to track its fleet operation. Image courtesy of City of Austin<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In an effort to be transparent, the City of Austin, Texas, fleet staff created a dashboard of fleet data to be displayed on the intranet.<\/p>\n Information comes straight from the AssetWorks M5 system and includes maintenance and repair data for each of the six shops, parts inventory, and the contracts the city uses, said Bruce Kilmer, acting assistant director of fleet. This information not only provides end users with the data fleet managers have, but it also allows fleet staff to react quickly and make critical business decisions.<\/p>\n Kilmer learned web programming to put the information together, and the project has grown to include more data and become more sophisticated.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an effort we have to be as transparent as we can. We have metrics that report both internally and externally, as well as performance measures that we\u2019re meeting,\u201d Kilmer said.<\/p>\n Fancy features aren\u2019t the only methods to improve data use \u2014 ensuring data accuracy is one basic step for making data-driven decisions.<\/p>\n Mike McGee, maintenance supervisor for Pierce County, Wash., works to ensure that the data input into the FMIS \u2014 Faster \u2014 \u00a0is accurate so Equipment Services can do one of its most fundamental tasks: maintain an accurate chargeback system<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all starts with work orders,\u201d McGee said. \u201cThere\u2019s checks and balances from the owner of the work order, the service writer, and doer of the work \u2014 the technician. Before we close a work order, we\u2019ve ensured that we\u2019ve accounted for all the labor hours and cost associated to that work order.\u201d<\/p>\n Technicians are trained to open and finish work orders accurately so their hours are recorded correctly. Weekly, they must verify that they\u2019ve accounted for 40 hours. A supervisor of a work group ensures that all work orders are closed within 30 days. Then the FMIS analyst \u2014 McGee \u2014 uses this data to establish and track KPIs and informs customer departments of their progress.<\/p>\n The goal at the end of year is to close all work orders while maintaining 95% vehicle availability. Equipment Services uses the direct hours billed to project an accurate fully burdened labor rate for the following year. This accuracy allows McGee to fully explain fleet costs to customers.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of ways to use data from an FMIS but fundamentally in public and government fleet, this is what we\u2019re about, transparency and credibility with the customers that we serve,\u201d McGee said.<\/p>\n by Thi Dao<\/a><\/p>\nInnovative Ways to Use Your Fleet Data<\/h3>\n
Create an Online Scheduler for Appointments<\/h4>\n
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Tom Kuryla, director of fleet operations for Wake County, N.C., is ramping up the integration of a new FMIS, FleetWave by Chevin. One of the features he is most excited about is an online scheduler, a module that Chevin developed for the county.<\/p>\nSolve Those Recall and\u00a0Warranty Repair Problems<\/h4>\n
Track Vehicles Returned to the Motor Pool<\/h4>\n
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Build a Fleet Dashboard for\u00a0Fleet Staff & User Departments<\/h4>\n
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Set an Accurate Chargeback System<\/h4>\n
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I\u00b4m\u00a0a Fleet Management expert, and the manager of\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Cartel-Valencia-2019-1.jpg\")
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