Today, computers are everywhere and in virtually everything. For those of us who have been exposed to the computing industry for many years the term “garbage in – garbage out” holds real meaning. Do you remember the days when tune-up tools consisted of a matchbook cover, screwdriver, and a keen sense of hearing? Well those days have long since passed, and mostly for the better. Computers have now been injected into every aspect of vehicle maintenance, from fuel/fleet management systems to vehicle diagnostics, and even in the phones we carry. Yet even with all that technology some fleet managers still are not able to grasp the most basic principles of computer data entry, extraction, and interpretation.
For many it’s like magic, just put in the numbers and “poof” out comes the data! Yet what many fail to understand is that it is not only what you put into the computer program that matters, but also what you instruct software to do once the data is entered.
I personally started my journey into computer automation during the early days of Fortran 4, Cobalt, DOS, and punch cards. Through the years I have been fortunate enough to keep up with advancements in computer technology by purchasing (and even building) most of my machines. I’ve owned at least one of every new generation of personal computer starting with the infamous 8086 processor. I’ve taken the time to read and understand how a computer works, and most importantly, how computer software processes and manipulates data. Remember, without the software, the computer is nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
This brings me to my main point. In order for you to properly query the database and analyze the data that is given, you need to understand how your software works. Most software packages seem rather simple to operate with a convenient GUI (graphic user interface) to help you navigate along the way. However, it is the internal controls, switches, and setup data ranges that can get you into trouble. The defaults that you program into the system during the initial setup directly impact the reliability and accuracy of your data. Now I can’t comment on all the setup variables available to your specific software package because there are so many different software solutions on the market. However, you need to do the research and determine what are your optional setup parameters and do you have them set correctly. You can be as detailed as want to be with your data. You can even export your data to Excel and manipulate it even further, but remember this, the more variables you throw into your equations the more likely the resulting data will be inaccurate.
The next thing to do is get educated! When your software manufacturer conducts training do you get actively involved or do you just send your IT representative, or shop supervisor. If you don’t fully understand how your software works, how can you expect others to know it as well? You may wish to further educate yourself by taking some classes in database management. A class in Crystal Reports will also help fleet managers with large databases sort and create custom reports that provide more detailed analysis than the usual “canned” reports found in the manufacturer’s software. Additionally, and just as important, make sure the people entering the data into the system know what they are doing. In other words, make sure they start and stop the repair/PM times when appropriate, and apply the correct parts to the appropriate maintenance task. If you have not done so already, you need to clearly define (in writing) what constitutes a PM versus a repair (time, parts, and process). Without those basic definitions clearly defined and understood by all, you are lost in the woods with data resembling the brown piles of droppings left by the bears!
One last point, if you are not backing up you data at least once a day you are setting yourself up for failure. Remember Murphy’s Law, because it is not if a data loss or hard drive crash will occur, but when. The backup should be performed on a remote computer that is not located in the same room are your primary server. If all your data is kept on separate drives in your server room, and that room catches on fire, you will lose everything! Dedicate a separate computer (preferably located in another building) to be your backup database. This will virtually eliminate the need to recreate your historical maintenance and parts data (if that is even possible) after a loss of your main server.
