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Brink Farms was manually tracking work orders for its large fleet of trucks and was strained by the high volume of work. On top of that, inventory audits were coming back short because technicians would forget to log parts used for a repair. The inaccuracy made it difficult to forecast and track cost of assets.
The company knew it needed to improve inventory accuracy and maintenance expenses. It turned to Trimble’s web-based TMT Fleet Maintenance with its Parts Inventory Management tool for help.
“We were looking for something that was user-friendly and easy to operate that would give us an accurate picture of what our cost per unit was on each truck and trailer,” said Brian Brink, president of Brink Farms.
Since implementation, TMT and its Parts Inventory tool have helped Brink Farms better manage parts on hand, significantly reducing unnecessary waste.
The SaaS-based system also enables the company to access the TMT platform remotely, eliminating the need to be on-site to log in. In addition, updates can be made automatically offsite, without interruption to service or need for in-house IT support.
Sustainability isn't just about how vehicles perform on the road, but also how vehicles are maintained. Streamlining asset maintenance and parts inventory management can help ensure that vehicles are performing properly, enabling technicians to control preventable waste.
“We often had a lot of obsolete parts that we could no longer use,” Brink said.
With TMT, Brink Farms has reduced inventory by 14 percent and minimized excess overstock. Mechanics can scan parts more efficiently, improving the accuracy of the inventory. Brink Farms is also utilizing the solution’s robust reporting functions to monitor parts used each week to better forecast the next month’s cash flow.
“We’re catching shortages before we run out,” Brink said.
The TMT solution has helped the company run more effectively and increased sustainability, Brink added. “It has led us to better management practices by preventing unnecessary stock,” he said.