Without access to the right replacement parts, at the right time, your technicians will struggle to achieve optimal productivity.
Here’s 5 ways that your team can better support parts replenishment, to reduce stock-outs and rework that impact your customers and the bottom line.
1. Standard Truck Stock Program
Have a program to continuously evaluate and adjust the SKUs and quantity on each service vehicle. Make it standard so that vehicles can be used by any technician. Replenish truck stock on a regular basis. This will reduce stock-outs, improve first time fix rates and technician productivity.
2. Direct to Customer Delivery
When a part is unavailable, order it directly to the customer’s location. When the part arrives, return to the site to complete the repair. This allows the original technician to quickly move on to the next call and the following technician to complete the install. Overall, this improves productivity.
3. Offer Easy Access to the Warehouse
When you replenish a technician’s stock at the warehouse, make it a seamless, efficient process. Pick the parts in advance and have them ready to be stocked in the vehicle. Have warehouse staff restock vehicles while technicians are in team meetings. When the meeting is over, the team hits the road, reducing unproductive time.
Remember, it can be easy while still maintaining full control over your parts inventory.
4. Open Forward Stocking Locations
For more expensive parts, consider stocking a few units at an unstaffed location that technicians can access themselves. There are sophisticated drop box systems that will track inventory, but a well-trained and executed process combined with great communication can make this a very powerful solution.
5. Restock Service Vehicles Overnight
For high volume technicians, it may be cost-effective to have another team member restock your vehicle overnight while you are not using it. That could include a visit to your home or restocking in the yard if the vehicles are left overnight.
While some of these ideas may seem costly on the surface, the cost of poor productivity is far greater. Understand the true cost per call and do the math before you implement these suggestions to improve productivity and first-time fix rate. Your clients will thank you with their future business.
How have you made it easy for your technicians to have access to the right parts at the right time?
Share your experiences online and learn more about field service transformation with Chapman Management Solutions at www.chapmansolutions.ca.
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