Eight tips for creating a maintenance management program are shared, plus advice on updating your current program.<\/p>\n
1. Gather All the Maintenance-Related Information<\/h2>\n
First, understand your fleet.\u201cKnowing the average age and condition of the units gives a great head start on estimating initial \u2018up-to-speed\u2019 repairs and maintenance costs,\u201d said Joseph Shinn, technical manager: medium\/heavy-duty maintenance Merchants Fleet.<\/p>\n
Additionally, make sure you know the difference between scheduled maintenance and unscheduled repairs.\u201cUnderstanding the difference between these two types of occurrences in the vehicle\u2019s lifespan and being proactive rather than reactive can assist in budgeting, controlling spend, and increasing overall fleet health,\u201d Shinn added.<\/p>\n
2. Define Your Fleet’s Goals<\/h2>\n
Before you begin to build the framework of a new maintenance management program, clearly define your fleet\u2019s goals and objectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the challenge you\u2019re trying to solve? Is maximizing uptime to keep vehicles on the road your top priority? Are you focusing on minimizing the total cost of ownership? Or perhaps most likely, a combination of several goals to varying degrees? With these objectives in place, you can begin to tailor the parameters of your maintenance strategy to support the goals of your business best,\u201d said Joe Smith, maintenance account executive for ARI.<\/p>\n
With your goals clearly defined, you can then explore partnering with maintenance vendors and potentially a fleet management company (FMC) whose services best align with your objectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis step is often where the size and scale of your business comes into play. Often, most organizations will greatly benefit from partnering with an FMC who can help implement a consistent strategy across all your fleet vehicles,\u201d Smith added.<\/p>\n
Self-managing fleets should also consider whether their vehicles are centrally located or dispersed over a large area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will influence where the vehicles are serviced and with which service vendors the fleet should build a relationship,\u201d said Jamie Grams, national service department manager for Enterprise Fleet Management.<\/p>\n If a fleet plans to manage maintenance themselves, it\u2019s best to outline a preventive maintenance plan that aligns with vehicle manufacturer recommendations. Photo: Volvo<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Have buy-in from all stakeholders involved in fleet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt cannot be overstated how critically imperative a fleet manager\u2019s recognized authority is within an organization, especially when implementing a maintenance program for the first time. It is also important to solicit the feedback of the drivers and key stakeholders within the organization who historically have been involved with fleet decisions,\u201d Shinn said.<\/p>\n And, make sure you have executive sponsorship.<\/p>\n \u201cDriving change in any organization is hard, so make sure your leadership is setting expectations,\u201d said David Bieber, director, sales & strategic markets for Mike Albert.<\/p>\n Predictive Maintenance: Tell Me Something I Don\u2019t Know<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Managing your fleet\u2019s maintenance shouldn\u2019t be a guessing game. It should be well planned and thoroughly thought out.<\/p>\n \u201cPlan and start with a checklist of aspects of management that should be included in a program,\u201d said John Wuich, CAFM, vice president, Strategic Consulting Services (SCS) for Donlen.<\/p>\n If a fleet plans to manage maintenance themselves, it\u2019s best to outline a preventive maintenance plan that aligns with vehicle manufacturer recommendations.<\/p>\n \u201cVendors may recommend services too early or too often, or they may recommend maintenance that isn\u2019t completely necessary. It\u2019s always good to have a checks-and-balances process in place,\u201d said Grams of Enterprise Fleet Management.<\/p>\n Ensure you have a robust training program, both at program inception and ongoing, for newly hired employees.<\/p>\n \u201cDrivers must understand the expectations and know how to use the program for it to be successful,\u201d said Bieber of Mike Albert.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just focus on drivers, \u201ctrain the technicians and managers on preventive maintenance procedures,\u201d said Cindy Crawford, Ryder group director of maintenance and engineering.<\/p>\n Crawford recommended creating written processes and procedures for inspections.<\/p>\n Avoid trying to tackle all maintenance challenges simultaneously or make too many adjustments all at once. Photo: Ryder<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Also, be sure you have the right equipment for the job.<\/p>\n \u201cUtilizing the correct vehicles and equipment for the business is critical. Properly spec\u2019ed vehicles will perform better, last longer, minimize the need for unscheduled maintenance, and increase safety for the operators,\u201d Shinn said.<\/p>\n There have been tremendous innovations in telematics technologies related to maintenance<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThose technologies have driven improvements in all aspects of managing equipment performance and related impacts on maintenance. When considering the creation of a maintenance management program, not only look at the tools made available to you but also who is making the information available to you. Typically, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the equipment being used has the most robust information and tools because it has access to the most data and is most knowledgeable about what the telematics data means. Most third-party providers may not get all the information available that an OEM would,\u201d said Lee Brodeur, vice president of leasing operations and contract services for Mack Trucks.<\/p>\n Analyzing existing fleet data is crucial to ensure long-term success with a maintenance management program.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a historical data set to look back on, then it\u2019s imperative that you set that up quickly so that you\u2019re able to identify opportunities to reduce cost and increase uptime. You should ask yourself, is what my company doing today providing the results needed?\u201d said Mark Malanca, manager of Truck Department, Mechanical and Maintenance for LeasePlan USA.<\/p>\n A well-developed maintenance management program needs to be dynamic in nature to adjust the maintenance procedures during your fleet\u2019s life.<\/p>\n \u201cThe creation of such a program should be supported by proper tools and developed in partnership with the truck OEM to secure the necessary level of product knowledge and expertise. Otherwise, building and maintaining such a program could become a timing consuming and costly task,\u201d said Evandro Silva, senior manager Connected Innovation for Volvo Trucks North America.<\/p>\n A new program involves a review of current processes and changes that could cost additional money upfront.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to trust the process and to realize that the program is not costing more but allowing some of your vehicles to be serviced properly. That may mean the inclusion or exclusion of certain items that had been approved previously, If you trust the company and program you are working with and have patience in the changes that are being made, the program will truly work. In no time, you will see a positive decrease in downtime and cost and an increase in efficiencies and productivity,\u201d said Tony Hernandez, team lead \u2013 truck maintenance at Emkay.<\/p>\n Review current programs anytime new brands or models are added to the fleet. Photo: Mack Trucks<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n While the subject-matter experts have varying opinions on when a maintenance management program should be updated, they did agree on one thing: review it with regularity.<\/p>\n \u201cNew technology gets introduced every day in every field, not just fleet management. It is hard to pinpoint the exact time an update is required. The best way to keep up with new technology is by having a solid management program in place and functioning with a reliable FMC and vendor network that continually invests in staying close to the forefront of new technological advancements,\u201d said Shinn of Merchants Fleet.<\/p>\n Your fleet management partner should include a full review of the program and the data captured as part of their account review.<\/p>\n \u201cUse this time to make adjustments that facilitate increased control and reduced costs,\u201d said Bieber of Mike Albert.Review current programs anytime new brands or models are added to the fleet.\u201cWhen new brands or models are introduced, it\u2019s a best practice to review the manufacturer recommended maintenance for these new vehicles and adjust maintenance guidelines accordingly,\u201d said Grams of Enterprise Fleet Management.<\/p>\n Remain agile and assess and refine your maintenance management strategy based on your business\u2019s continued evolution and your fleet vehicles\u2019 performance.\u201cIt is important to be realistic about the rate at which your business can effectively manage change; you don\u2019t want to overreach. Focus on incremental, manageable changes. At the very least, commit to a regular cadence (quarterly, annually, etc.) for reviewing the performance of your maintenance program,\u201d said Smith of ARI.<\/p>\n Indeed, a program can \u2014 and should\u00a0 \u2014 be tweaked at any time. \u00a0\u201cIt may be determined that an additional vendor or added vendors are needed to support vehicles. Similarly, under-performing vendors may be removed from a network,\u201d said Wuich of Donlen.<\/p>\n With the constant changes and advances in technology, there is almost a continuous need to review any maintenance management program.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen selecting the tools and software to support a maintenance management program, a fleet should make sure the program is integrated with a connected vehicle data solution and with a suite of analytics tools, such as machine learning and AI. This will allow continuous improvements to be implemented over time, minimizing the need for constant changes in the program,\u201d said Silva of Volvo Trucks North America.<\/p>\n Some advice? \u201cSet goals. Define metrics to measure success. Assess gaps. Take steps to correct,\u201d Wuich said.<\/p>\n Listen to all parties involved in helping you and gather information before making an informed decision.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all fleets are created equal, so not all fleet programs should be either. The utilization and geological environments are where you will be a valuable asset when making your decision on service intervals and intricacies for your fleet. No one knows your business better than you. If you do a lot of idling, stop-and-go driving, or utilize the vehicles in extreme weather, it is important that these factors be taken into consideration when putting a program in place. Keep in mind to utilize the tools you have in place. Consider miles, hours, and time when putting a program in place,\u201d said Hernandez of Emkay.<\/p>\n When reviewing your plan, consider performing a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the current maintenance plan.<\/p>\n \u201cSome examples of questions to include are what has worked well and what has not? What changes are expected to occur in our business or industry? What laws, regulations, or fuel prices might present a threat, and how might we prepare a strategy for this in our new maintenance program? What reporting will help me management the fleet more effectively?\u201d said Grams of Enterprise Fleet Management.<\/p>\n And, start to utilize new technologies available whenever feasible and possible.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce a customer is using these software tools, it is important for fleet maintenance managers to ensure those software tools are updated on a regular basis. With advancements in technology and the ever-increasing range of sensors, ignoring a software update can lead to larger repairs and extended downtime later,\u201d said Brodeur of Mack Trucks.<\/p>\n Review your unscheduled maintenance data (breakdowns, repeat failures, etc.) to understand their opportunities to improve.<\/p>\n \u201cStart with the basics. A good quality PM program is where it starts. Find and fix it before it breaks,\u201d said Crawford of Ryder.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to enhance your maintenance management program, start with your data.<\/p>\n \u201cExamine what your data is trying to tell you. What are the challenges facing your fleet? What factors are driving costs? Perhaps you\u2019ll find that vehicles should be cycled out sooner to help you avoid catastrophic failures or maybe units are breaking down too often because they\u2019re over-utilized or under-spec\u2019ed for their intended job function. This insight will empower you to begin making better, data-driven decisions that will help you achieve tangible improvements,\u201d Smith added.<\/p>\n Avoid trying to tackle all maintenance challenges simultaneously or make too many adjustments all at once.\u201cIf you pull too many levers and change numerous variables, it will likely be difficult to determine what is – or isn\u2019t – working. Instead, focus on a few key metrics or pain points, address those trouble spots, benchmark your improvements, and build on those successes,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n But at the end of the day, no changes will have any impact if no one knows how to employ them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever you make any changes, ensure you retrain everyone involved, especially your drivers to ensure they understand how it impacts them,\u201d said Bieber of Mike Albert.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n by Lauren Fletcher<\/a><\/p>\n Source: https:\/\/www.businessfleet.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.<\/p>\n Photo: Volvo Ensure you have a robust training program, both at program inception and ongoing, for newly hired employees. The value of a maintenance management program for your truck fleet is undeniable. Improved useful life, reduced expenses, reduced vehicle downtime. But how, exactly, do you get a solid program up and running? Eight tips for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[53],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9783"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9783"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9785,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9783\/revisions\/9785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"If](\"https:\/\/fleetimages.bobitstudios.com\/upload\/work-truck-online\/content\/article\/2021-01\/20210129-programs-2-__-720x516-s.jpg\")
3. Get Buy-In<\/h2>\n
4. Plan Ahead<\/h2>\n
5. Train Everyone<\/h2>\n
![\"Avoid](\"https:\/\/fleetimages.bobitstudios.com\/upload\/work-truck-online\/content\/article\/2021-01\/20210129-programs-3-__-720x516-s.jpg\")
6. Have the Right Tools<\/h2>\n
7. Analyze Data<\/h2>\n
8. Be Prepared for Change<\/h2>\n
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Tips for Overhauling Maintenance Management Programs<\/h2>\n
CUT COTS OF THE FLEET WITH OUR AUDIT PROGRAM<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nFLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"