Government Fleet, November 2020

On some shop floors desktop computers are getting the boot in favor of more portable tablets Technicians are using these new tools for work order management punching in and out of jobs ordering parts accessing vehicle information and manuals viewing preventive maintenance checklists looking up wiring diagrams or vehicle specifications and more all of which can be done right in their bay With so many applications are tablets the new must have technician tool Three fleets share their experiences Three fleets weigh in on how this digital asset can help operations run smoother BY SHELLEY ERNST ARE TABLETS THE NEW MUST HAVE TECHNICIAN TOOL CITY OF MADISON WIS The City of Madison Wis decided to employ tablets after hearing a 2019 GFX Conference presenter encourage attendees to do anything you can to keep mechanics working in their bays to increase direct time on mechanical work Inspired and already equipped with WiFi in the shop the fleet found 45000 in its budget and began issuing tablets to technicians I began to review our own processes and realized mechanics often had to interrupt their mechanical work to leave their bays to punch in and out of work orders or to communicate with the parts room supervision or other personnel said Mahanth Joishy fleet superintendent Diagnostic information and other web research also required using a shared workstation away from the bay or going to the upstairs library Using shared workstations wasted time making trips to the computer but it also required technicians to log in and out to use email and the FASTER work order system With other technicians waiting in line to use the computer mechanics might have rushed through work order notes and skipped signing in to view emails often missing important messages Today mechanics are using tablets instead of shared work stations and for the first time all technicians have access to email right in their bays Giving devices assigned to individuals puts computing power at their fingertips right where they are Joishy said They never have to wait to use the computing power they need As a result of tablet use combined with other changes the fleet has seen increased technician productivity lowered vehicle out of service time drastically reduced its overdue preventive maintenance list reduced time spent at the parts counter ordering parts and increased direct labor time on work orders With the sudden onset of the COVID 19 pandemic tablets had some unanticipated benefits as well using their own tablets instead of sharing keyboards mice and screens potentially helped the city reduce the spread of the virus Important COVID 19 messages were shared by video conference on Zoom town halls with all fleet staff in five locations and two shifts And by enabling technicians to stay in their bays tablets helped reinforce social distancing As of today our department has had no downtime due to COVID 19 illness and we hope to keep it that way Joishy said Although tablets are a relatively new tool Joishy has no doubt tablets are invaluable Must have 110 no brainer for any fleet he said In this modern day and age our previous practice of asking technicians to walk short or long distances to use shared workstations or order simple parts by walking to the parts room and talking over the counter and waiting now seems woefully arcane Katie Cutler fleet technician at work with her tablet 16 GOVERNMENT FLEET COM NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2020