Fleet Maintenance Software vs CMMS with Sean Eckersley
Sean Eckersley from Assetminder is today’s guest. He’s talking about fleet maintenance software versus the use of traditional CMMS’s.
Various assets can have different maintenance schedules. Fleet software is like CMMS but focuses on fleets of vehicles. These include trucks, trailers, and even plant machinery. A Computerized Maintenance Management System, or CMMS, focuses on assets like manufacturing equipment.
We will tackle:
- Differences between a fleet software and CMMS
- How does a CMMS fail to support fleets
- Can you also add third-party vendors into the system
- And much more!
Differences between a fleet software and CMMS
Since they’re similar, you’ll come across a lot of similarities. In the UK, the DVSA regulates road-going assets and the maintenance schedules. It also checks how often these schedules get inspected, maintained or taken off the road to get work done. The maintenance planning side of a fleet system is harder to track. That’s because you don’t know where the asset is at all times. Scheduling repairs or inspections on those assets need mobile engineers. They can then go to inspect and repair them wherever they are. So, the main difference is that a fleet system requires a very userfriendly and connected app. It should also have a database to store asset information. You may have mobile technicians that you need to connect with through your fleet system. That wouldn’t be as typical in a CMMS.
Can an asset’s past usage help create predictability?
For servicing an asset, you can set a reminder through, for instance, Assetminder. It has a maintenance planner for you to set up events associated with the mileage of the asset. Then when the asset gets to that timeframe, you know that a service is necessary. There are also a lot of routine inspections that need to get done, either weekly or monthly. Based on a vehicle’s schedule, you may need to combine events to cut downtimes.
How does a CMMS fail to support fleets?
Fleet systems come with a lot of aspects. These include details such as:
- The driver’s details
- Training to operate specific machinery
- Driver license checking
- Reporting on defects or a maintenance event occurrence
With a fleet system, you’d have all these aspects and more. The app would be userfriendly enough that even non-technical staff can use them.
Can CMMS support fleets?
They can. You can set an asset maintenance schedule, repair, and manage a maintenance plan for an asset in a CMMS. But, in the UK, a fleet system would work best. That’s because they get built for that environment rather than a broad asset environment.
Significant features and functions when getting a fleet management system?
The UK has two fleet levels. You would have:
- A maintenance bookshop to repair your assets
- An asset on a repair and maintenance route
When picking an asset for your business, you would choose based on cost. Once you select a course, you need to decide on that exact system, the features you need. For instance, for drivers, you would need a system that can manage all aspects of your fleet. Also, the driver information should fit into that one system.
Can you also add third-party vendors into the system?
It’s hard to get buy-ins from third-parties in the UK. These would make it possible for the data to feed into the fleet system. It would also make it more visible for the business. The data can come from the third-party, the repair, or the workshop using the fleet system at the point of repair. Or, the fleet would have to take that data if they couldn’t get the buy-in. They’d then input the data into the fleet system after the event, which isn’t the preferred method.
The less human contact in getting data into the system, the fewer errors possible. Correct data helps with knowing asset costs and the likelihood of a breakdown. It serves to save the business more money while keeping the asset on the road.
Does fleet software look into evaluating the life cycle cost?
Fleet systems these days provide graphs, piecharts, and reports of the captured data. It then goes to a reporting suite before being presented in the many forms mentioned above. These give an ongoing review of what an asset or asset type costs the fleet. That’s the data the fleet manager would need for meetings that check the fleet’s assets. That information is necessary from the capture phase to the repair, reporting the defect, and the occurring event phases.
Can fleet systems integrated with OEM sites to get billing materials, parts lists, etc.?
Several fleet systems can manage stock, purchasing of parts, and manage third-party stocks. By integrating and implementing the system, you can bring fleet parts in bulk based on the data. Then when you’re adding spare parts for a particular work order, the system picks them from the stock. The levels of what’s used and the asset repair cost can then get reported.
How does dedicated fleet software contribute to driving primary metrics?
It would be best if you were proactive in understanding the data before an event. For instance, you can plan when an asset’s service will be due. Keeping track of that ensures you have the assets, parts, and workforce needed for the repairs. That’s a crucial phase in maintenance planning to ensure the downtime is minimal.
How can you be successful with fleet management systems?
For your organization to be successful with managing fleets include:
- Knowing the costings of the fleet
- Having the ability to analyze the collected data
- Being able to make decisions at the backend
- Linking data captured within the management system across other departments
What could you change to make fleet management programs better?
There are a lot of fleet systems in the UK. But, these systems get created by what a software engineer feels that the system would need. They aren’t userfriendly enough for the technicians or fitters doing the work. For you to make it better, the complex workflows and processes need to go. The fleet systems need to be easier to use to manage maintenance.
Adoption is also vital. You need to pick a system you can follow throughout its implementation phases.
Fleet management, in a nutshell
Connect with someone that understands your requirements and the challenges you face. They can help you work through the journey together. You’ll then establish the benefits you’re trying to get from the fleet system. From there, it becomes a journey to pick the right solution, through to its implementation and going live. So making sure that if you’re in the market for a fleet system, that you get the right people involved in the business.
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