Martin Evans, Managing Director of Jaama, spoke to CVW about how the company’s Key2 system can streamline a workshop’s operating processes.
Achieving optimum workshop efficiency is critical to maximising customers’ vehicle uptime as they seek to plan scheduled deliveries, or work with very small margins for error. With numerous commercial supply chain delivery fleets operating on either a ‘just-in-time’ or ‘time-slot’ basis, it means that a failure by workshops to ensure that service, maintenance, and repair work is completed on time can prove to be catastrophic for their customers.
That is because delays in vehicles returning to the road can result in operators delivering poor service to their clients and, therefore, a failure to meet their contractual obligations with their customers.
Furthermore, the compliance burden on commercial vehicle workshops to provide, for example, MOT certifications, commercial vehicle inspection sheets, servicing, and routine maintenance documents to operators on time can be a significant overhead.
Many workshops not embracing technology have a ‘time lag’ for supplying documentation due to a mountain of administration backlog. This can delay when a vehicle can be utilised and when they get paid. That is why Jaama has developed its Key2 Workshop Management module and recently launched Maintenance
Exchange. Its maintenance and compliance platforms revolutionise the exchange of information between maintenance providers, fleet management companies, and owner/operator fleets.
“Tightly controlled cost management and vehicle operational compliance are fundamental requirements for all commercial vehicle fleets, so it is imperative that they partner with forward-thinking workshops that have a robust and efficient software system in place,” comments Martin Evans.
“Consequently, commercial vehicle workshops that fail to recognise the demands and requirements of their customers, notably keeping vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum, may find they struggle to compete in an increasingly technological age.”
Key2 Workshop Management digitalises workshops, whether managing a single outlet, multi-workshop and stores, or mobile technicians. Key2 provides powerful operational control of all aspects of internal workshops, in-depth performance monitoring, and transparency over all workshop repair and servicing work – from a high level consolidated operational level, to a detailed view on a job-by-job basis.
Features include real-time control over local and remote workshops, job booking, workshop loading, work-in-progress control, productivity analysis (including actual versus expected time performance), invoicing, automatic bookings, and KPI dashboards. Also, Key2’s Workshop Touchscreen goes towards creating a paperless environment by removing the need for job cards and inspection sheets to be printed or handwritten.
Using the Workshop Touchscreen enables jobs to be allocated, started, paused, and completed to ensure accurate job time measurement. Additionally, supervisors can receive reports or see on screen the actual versus expected labour times, which can highlight potential technician performance issues.
The touchscreen enables technicians to view, add, and issue parts for each job within the job sheet, as well as display the maintenance history for the vehicle to check for any potential warranty items.
Additionally, barcode functionality enables quick and accurate part allocation and stock management. Key2 can also produce suggested replenishment quantities against the preferred supplier for parts. Suggested quantities can then be tweaked if necessary, and orders produced with minimum manual intervention.
Meanwhile, Maintenance Exchange connects with Key2 Workshop Management, or can interface with other third party fleet systems. The comprehensive system allows:
- Seamless maintenance booking
- Authorisation of work
- Invoicing and auditing of vehicle maintenance work
The recently launched platform connects maintenance suppliers/workshops to enduser fleets and fleet management companies, thereby significantly reducing the administrative burden of manual processes – another step towards paperless asset management.
Vehicle maintenance work is authorised through the platform, and built-in rule sets mean that invoices for jobs carried out can be paid in a timely manner, once all required documentation is present.
Critically, for commercial vehicle fleets, Maintenance Exchange also enables them to collect information for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) Earned Recognition Scheme that monitors fleet compliance data. The incentive for fleets to use the scheme is to reduce the number of vehicle roadside stops and checks by enforcement officers. Key performance indicator information can be sent to the DVSA every four weeks, including data captured from servicing and MOTs.
Martin continues: “Maintenance Exchange enables fleets to implement service level agreements with their vehicle maintenance providers and further improve document delivery, without manual intervention. All businesses, including workshops, are recognising the benefits of digitalising their documentation.
“The technology reduces the time consuming administrative burden of many manual processes, inputting data and documents multiple times, thus reducing administrative overheads. Vehicle maintenance work, from booking via job sheet creation to electronic work authorisation, flows through the Maintenance Exchange platform, saving valuable time.
“On completion of work, all required documentation – including MOT certifications, vehicle inspection sheets, servicing, and routine maintenance documents – can be seamlessly shared between service and repair centres, vehicle owners/operators, and the DVSA.”
He concludes: “Jaama not only continues to invest some £2.6 million a year in the continuing development of Key2 but, critically, many product developments, including Maintenance Exchange, exist as a result of working with our customers, who are all focused on seeking mechanisms to reduce manual intervention”
