At Amerit Fleet Solutions, we utilize four different fleet maintenance programs: predictive, proactive, preventative and prescriptive maintenance. And each program is pivotal to the success of your fleet maintenance plan.
Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance (PdM) uses fleet maintenance data to predict, or indicate, when a maintenance issue is going to occur.
In addition to using data for predictions, an important piece of PdM is managing your fleet’s data. Although fleet data should be used to measure many different aspects of a fleet’s operation, it’s especially critical in fleet maintenance. Why? Because maintenance data can be used to develop cost and warranty controls, manage life cycles, improve preventative maintenance, maximize vehicle uptime and control repair quality, among many other things.
When it comes to collecting data for PdM, there are a number of ways to capture it. At Amerit, we believe the most useful and powerful fleet maintenance data is actually gathered by the technicians working on the vehicles.
Unlike some areas of fleet operation, collecting maintenance data is fundamentally a human-centered process. And while some fleets rely on administrative professionals, others rely on fleet personnel to input maintenance data into a database or a fleet management system (FMS). But the best way, and the most effective way, to capture data is having a technician to gather the data in real time, while the maintenance is being performed.
Why have technicians enter data over administrative professionals, or other fleet personnel? Because our technicians are experts in fleet maintenance. They are the best personnel to entrust with the task of entering data. Every technician can answer the three C’s: complaint, cause and correction for each failure and each subsequent repair. Technician-generated data creates a foundation for a maintenance data stream. And that steady flow of data allows fleets to manage uptime, rotate schedules and effectively measure total cost of ownership (TCO).
Proactive Maintenance
Proactive means, “serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or difficult one; anticipatory.” In the same way that predictive maintenance predicts a maintenance issue, proactive maintenance is preparing for a maintenance issue. Proactive fleet maintenance is best used to implement a solution for the diagnosed issue predictive maintenance uncovers.
Let’s say for example, an asset’s water pump is going bad. Predictive maintenance will take the following indicators: coolant leaking in the front-center of the vehicle, engine overheating and steam coming from the radiator and suggest that the water pump needs replacing.
While predictive maintenance says, “this is the issue,” proactive maintenance says, “even though the water pump will last a another month, we need to replace it now because the vehicle is not due for another PM for several months and it is likely to fail before that time.”
Proactive maintenance reduces unscheduled repairs and maintenance, which can save your fleet thousands of dollars in costly repairs and unscheduled downtime.
Preventative Maintenance
Although predictive and proactive maintenance are important to fleet maintenance plans, most fleet operations focus on preventative maintenance (PM). Regular preventative maintenance is key to keeping your fleet running at peak condition and keeping downtime low.
While industry professionals agree that PMs are important, at Amerit we believe that a PM includes far more than a standard oil change.
One misconception it that a 30-minute routine oil change and lube is the same as a PM program. Another is that an oil change is enough to keep a fleet running at peak performance.
The reason these beliefs are so popular is because they appear cheaper. However, at Amerit we truly believe – and our data supports – that a full PM program is fundamental and critical to your fleet’s performance.
It’s important to remember that not all vehicles are created equal. And when it comes to fleet maintenance, a PM schedule that works for half of your fleet may not guarantee success for the other half. At Amerit we partner with our customers to create individualized service plans that allow for differing vehicle composition, age, use patterns and long-term plans for your fleet.
Our programs focus on flexibility and transparency around your data. So not only do you control the schedule of your routine services, during downtimes, but you can take a comprehensive look at your vehicles. And draw a direct line between PM services and improved performance and lifespan.
At Amerit, our PM programs check, inspect, test and record every part of your vehicles. We then enter the complete data on your vehicle’s condition into a fleet management system (FMS). While this may appear costly and time consuming, it in fact saves your fleet from expensive demand repairs, unforeseen downtime and road calls. But the benefit doesn’t stop there. A full PM program can also mitigate safety risks, and avert time and dollars spent on major repairs down the line.
Prescriptive Maintenance
Prescriptive maintenance is the concept of prescribing PM plans based on the condition of your fleet, region by region.
Not all fleet vehicles are created equal. At Amerit we know that every asset serves a different purpose and all of your assets are important to the success of your operation.
Depending on where your individual assets are located or where they travel to, the weather and even the road conditions in different regions, can completely change the type of maintenance needed. We specialize in customizing maintenance plans at Amerit.
We’ll analyze your fleet’s data and usage and build a truly prescriptive plan. Our customized plans have been proven to net greater operational efficiency and ultimately, increase bottom-line savings.
Conclusion
At Amerit, our customized fleet maintenance solutions are designed to include predictive maintenance, proactive maintenance, preventative maintenance and prescriptive maintenance.
By implementing these four maintenance strategies, we are able to help your fleet increase uptime, productivity, reliability and decrease maintenance costs.
To speak with an expert today please call 855-832-9922, request a quote, or visit www.ameritfleetsolutions.com.
