Fleets often fall behind in maintaining records, making it difficult to manage maintenance and control expenses. To solve this recurring issue, many fleet managers are streamlining their vehicle maintenance reports with the help of fleet software.
Keeping Up with Vehicle Maintenance Reports
Analyzing vehicle data is the key to improving your fleet, but with the rigorous schedule of a fleet manager, there isn’t a lot of time to hunt down data throughout multiple spreadsheets. Further still, most paper-based work orders are unorganized and lack sufficient detail for analysis.
To alleviate these issues, many fleets are tracking maintenance electronically and using vehicle maintenance reports to stay organized, understand asset health and lower service costs. Maintaining a comprehensive record of services performed can provide fleet managers with crucial information to manage current and future operations.Â
Managing a fleet with fleet management software enables fleet managers to track maintenance from start to finish through mobile work orders, as well as instantly generate vehicle maintenance reports to monitor maintenance and manage expenses.
In addition to improving your fleet’s performance, vehicle maintenance reports can help keep your fleet compliant by making you aware of any upcoming services needed. Not only does this keep you in line with regulations, but keeping up with your maintenance schedules also guarantees vehicle warranty coverage.Â
##Creating and Tracking Work Orders
Fleets are constantly spread out and on the go, and it can be challenging to manage maintenance efficiently without an organized system in place. Fleet managers must have an easy way to track, manage and approve work orders to avoid downtime and control expenses.
Leveraging fleet management software to schedule and monitor work orders enables users to view service down to the line item and accurately analyze maintenance costs. Mobile work orders automate the maintenance process to maximize fleet efficiencies.
Work orders are created, assigned and managed digitally from start to finish, enabling an efficient workflow across your team to get vehicles back on the road. Completing work orders in software eliminates manual data entry, providing fleet managers with time to analyze vehicle maintenance reports thoroughly.
With robust reporting capabilities, fleet management software enables managers to analyze a variety of vehicle maintenance reports to refine processes. Tracking fleet maintenance through a centralized software gives you a comprehensive view of your assets to improve your fleet’s success.
Because each fleet is unique, it's important to use configurable software to track the metrics that matter to your fleet. Consider generating vehicle maintenance reports to view detailed parts and labor costs, track average service duration and monitor cost trends.Â
Leveraging Vehicle Maintenance Reports to Control Expenses
Maintenance is one of the largest ongoing costs for any fleet. Owners, fleet managers and stakeholders alike do their best to find ways to improve operational costs and maintenance expenses.
The best way to track, manage and predict your fleet’s financial health is by leveraging vehicle maintenance reports. Instead of making decisions based on trial and error, these reports ensure you make confident, data-driven decisions to improve your fleet’s bottom line.
Consider using vehicle maintenance reports to track asset utilization to ensure you get the most out of your assets. Tracking utilization provides you with insight that can aid both preventive maintenance scheduling and sustaining fleet size. You may find a better use for under-utilized vehicles, or sell them for a profit to further improve your budget.
Fleet management software also enables users to calculate maintenance cost per vehicle, as well as their fleet’s true total cost of ownership. Benchmarking maintenance costs across your fleet can ensure you aren’t overspending while helping you make the best decisions for your fleet’s future.Â
Configurable fleet maintenance reports are some of the most valuable tools you can leverage as a fleet manager. Generating reports to share with stakeholders provides a complete view of your fleet to help optimize financial allocation and improve your fleet.
Tracking Fleet Maintenance Trends Through Service History
You know what they say: the best way to predict the future is to study the past. When you have a clear record of your fleet’s service history, you can find patterns, monitor trends and make better decisions to improve the future of your fleet.
Vehicle maintenance reports can provide insight into any recurring issues your vehicles may have. Fleet software allows users to sort service history by task, which can provide insight into overarching issues with a certain part.
For example, say you have 20 of the same type of vehicle in your fleet, and you see in your vehicle maintenance report that a specific part needs to be replaced in these vehicles every 12 months. You may determine it would be less expensive to purchase a better quality part that lasts 24-36 months. Or perhaps consider a different vehicle manufacturer in the future.
Monitoring service history through vehicle maintenance reports also provides a checks and balances system for service, whether you manage maintenance in-house or outsource to a third party.
Users can access service history from anywhere, making it easy for in-house technicians to get a complete understanding of a vehicle’s history before starting repairs. Having comprehensive information about a vehicle’s past service can help your maintenance team not overlook any major issues in their repairs.
Keeping a detailed record of service history can also improve communication with any third-party maintenance providers. Seeing which providers are linked to work orders and tracking maintenance completed can help you monitor a shop’s productivity and ensure your vehicles are receiving the best service.
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