AEMP Telematics Focus: How Productive is Your Shop?

How essential data on equipment health can also help you measure and improve shop efficiency

Since 1970, the trucking industry has used a structured coding system that allows manufacturers, equipment owners, technicians and fleet managers to communicate about, capture and report on maintenance activities. Called Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards (VMRS) codes, the numeric codes allow everyone in the service supply chain to have a complete understanding of what was done during a repair or scheduled maintenance.

Sound familiar? If you are already using AEMP's API in your fleet's data collection program, you are already pulling actionable data on the health of your equipment.

Now, how about using your available data to measure and improve your shop's efficiency?

By collecting information from every service event, you can build a baseline report that will help you answer these questions:

  • How long does it take your shop and/or technicians to complete diagnostics assessments?
  • How much time passes between diagnosis and the completed repair?
  • How long does it take to get parts? Measure vendors, both in-house and outside suppliers.
  • Which type of repairs tend to cause technicians to exceed budgeted Standard Repair Times (SRTs)?
  • How often does a particular piece of equipment come back to the shop for the same repair?

While AEMP doesn't (yet) have API codes for things like how long your technician has to wait to get a part, the telematic M&R data reports you already generate can show how well your shop is performing.

The same report information can help you determine if more training is necessary on particular types of repairs and service; which vendors work efficiently with your business; which vehicles monopolize your shop time budget; and if you have multiple locations, or service trucks, how they compare.

If you need help collecting your productivity data, consult the vendor for your digital fleet management program and have them put together a procedure that works for you. It will be time well spent.

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