Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/93367
technology in focus: MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE Closed-loop maintenance W Getting information electronically helps speed repairs BY AARON HUFF hen vehicle repairs are delayed or missed altogether, drivers, dis- patchers and shop supervisors inevitably start pointing fingers. A driver might claim that when his "check engine" light came on or when he found an oil leak, he reported it promptly on his daily driver vehicle inspection report. A dispatcher could say he passed the DVIR paperwork to maintenance. The shop supervisor could say he never saw the memo. Tracking anything on paper is a hassle – especially when multiple parties are involved. Some of the latest features in fleet maintenance systems can keep things from falling through the cracks. Fault codes When a driver sees the "check engine" light appear on his dash, he might notify dispatch, who in turn could contact maintenance to schedule a repair. The driver doesn't have to be the first line of defense, however. Telematics systems can capture fault codes from the vehicle and alert fleet managers the moment they appear – even before drivers notice a problem. Besides capturing and reporting fault code information, technology can give technicians the information they need to repair the problem immediately. Mitchell 1's Repair-Connect.net Tracking anything on paper is a hassle – especially when multiple parties are involved. Web-based application uses Diagnos- tic Trouble Codes to locate informa- tion required to fix the problem identified by the code. The program has seven tabs that contain details specific to the reported DTC, such as component location, connector views, removal and installation, wiring diagrams and specifications. Mitchell 1 is developing an interface with Noregon Systems, a provider of PC- based diagnostics systems, to capture and pass a Vehicle Identification Number and DTC into Repair-Connect.net. A technician simply would connect a laptop installed with Noregon's J-Pro software to the vehicle to communicate the infor- mation electronically. Arsenault Associates, developer of the Dossier fleet maintenance management system, integrates with the Networkfleet telematics system. When Networkfleet detects a fault code, Dossier receives it automatically, and users can preassign or "map" each fault code to a priority level. Fault codes show up in Dossier as a pending work item ranked by priority status. When work is assigned to a technician, it becomes a repair order, and all information about the fault code remains in Dossier for further reporting and analysis. Dossier also receives vehicle mileage and hours automatically. Integrated DVIRs Integration between maintenance software and telematics can give fleets a way for 44 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2012 Data Dis' integration with PeopleNet captures electronic DVIRs and fault code information from vehicles. Mitchell 1's Repair-Connect.net Web-based application uses Diagnostic Trouble Codes to locate information required to fix the problem identified by the code. drivers to report vehicle conditions directly to shop supervisors. Fleets can expedite the service process by creating work orders, prioritizing repairs, scheduling technician time and ordering parts before the vehicle arrives for service. Having an electronic system also can ensure fleets have better records of the completion of each repair. Data Dis' recent integration with People- Net captures electronic DVIRs and fault code information from vehicles. Data Dis offers the MIR-RT (Maintenance Inspection Reporting in Real Time) fleet maintenance system for scheduling, managing, analyzing and reporting on all aspects of maintenance. Inspection faults are recorded and driver message repair notes automatically sent to MIR-RT so that repairs can be scheduled quickly by shop management. Engine codes also are sent via PeopleNet and recorded in MIR as a fault note; notes then are viewed in Continued on page 46