You have a standing fleet maintenance operation, fully equipped and fully staffed.

You have a major investment in that operation and it costs you money to run it.

So, let me ask you this:

When there’s a slowdown, do you lay off trained techs to reduce overhead?

Or, do you bring in for-hire business to increase profits?

I think I know the answer.

Asset Productivity Pays Off

A layoff can leave you short-handed when things pick up. Skilled workers are hard to find. And loyalty works two ways. Or, maybe you’re not a for-hire shop, so you don’t think you’re equipped to bring in for-hire business.

But you can with advanced asset maintenance management solutions from TMW.

Our TMW Asset Maintenance software increases in-shop productivity, so you can take on retail business. And, our Service Center software streamlines data management, so you can take on retail profitably.

Open Your Bay Doors to a Waiting Market

Many small delivery fleets don’t have a maintenance operation. If they even have a tech, he has more work than he can handle. So, small fleets depend on third-party service, often a truck dealer. Problem is, if the dealer has a backlog, guess who comes first? The big customer.

Small fleets often face wait times of three to five days. They need other service avenues.

So do large local fleets that can’t handle everything in-house. Then there are out-of-town trucks that need emergency service.

Together, it’s a business opportunity for which you’re already equipped to handle. It’s a revenue stream you’re not tapping now.

Everything a Dealer Does You Can Do Better

Service Center software from TMW is a more accurate, more robust, more competitive system. Advanced analytics generate more complete data and comprehensive reports in real time. And, it’s built into your existing infrastructure to allow:

• Seamless retail conversion for fleet operation
• Product repair identification
• Comprehensive data analysis and reporting
• Warranty tracking and cost recovery
• Accurate, detailed invoicing

Send preventive maintenance alerts, schedule maintenance, prep the work order, submit estimates and preview job costs before preparing the final invoice.

Advantages over conventional dealer systems include:

• Collects data and reports in customer’s preferred format
• Reports system cost by assets, guides purchasing decisions, tracks impact of changes, monitors lifecycle costs and more
• Generates internal reports in same data structure you use now
• Completes warranty tracking and claim filing
• Opens work order, updates repair history, brings data and reporting to decision-making process
• Interfaces with business-level systems

Manage retail customer assets the same way you manage your own. All retail profit passes directly to your fleet.

Step One: Answers to Key Questions

Our implementation group knows the retail service center environment. We help you answer the questions that determine retail success:

• How much excess capacity exists and is it consistent?
• What are my internal costs, so I can set a baseline labor rate?
• How will retail services impact my parts inventory?
• Will my existing fleet software run an efficient retail service business?
• Will additional technician training be required?
• What services will I market, and how?

Step Two: Up and Running In No Time

We convert your fleet system, walk through the conversion, restore your database of fleet-maintained assets, then push non-owned retail assets forward into the Service Center environment.

Every repair order shows actual costs. Then pull up an invoice preview to show margins and warranty credits. Last, review PO requirements and other queries before preparing the final invoice.

Step Three: Apply Your Marketing Tools

Service Center offers built-in marketing functionality to attract new and repeat customers.

You can customize job codes to help you market and package services. Effective built-in database marketing tools include couponing, new customer discounts, services specials and more.

A Win for Productivity. A Win for Profitability.

By supporting your technicians and facilities with a fleet maintenance system that offers powerful retail capabilities, you can transform your in-house service operation into a successful retail service center.

This allows you to leverage profits to reduce fleet expenses, invest in your people and facilities or reduce overall operating expense. All good choices.

Learn how TMW Asset Maintenance software solutions can increase traffic and revenue for your service operation click here.

(Dave Walters has been a Sales Support Engineer for TMW for nearly a decade. He has more than 35 years of experience in the field of fleet maintenance for the surface transportation industry.)