Ease, Accelerate and Bring Accuracy

Oct. 9, 2006
The October issue of RER magazine features a cover story on developments in rental software and telematics systems and how they have enhanced efficiencies in the service departments. In the first of a series, RER Reports

The October issue of RER magazine features a cover story on developments in rental software and telematics systems and how they have enhanced efficiencies in the service departments. In the first of a series, RER Reports will publish interviews it conducted for this article. The first is with Andre Gilbert, CEO of Montreal-based Orion Software.

RER: Can you provide an overview on how your software facilitates shop management?

Gilbert: Sirius Pro’s primary function is to ease, accelerate, and bring accuracy within the operational management of a rental corporation. This is true for rental operations, as well as for sales and service activities.

Sirius manages parts, links with manufacturer product lists, generates automatic orders based on minimums and maximums, calculates selling prices, tracks outstanding purchase orders, and follows equipment repairs, both internally and for customer’s equipment. The shop’s inventory, purchases, and activities can then be monitored, managed, and maintained in history.

How does Sirius Pro facilitate the scheduling of maintenance?

Sirius Pro offers a complete, integrated maintenance module. It starts with preventive maintenance, which will warn users that maintenance is required on equipment immediately or at a future date, based on a counter that tracks hours and mileage, or a certain period — for example every 3 months. A task list with parts (oil filter, spark plugs, etc.) will be proposed and the equipment flagged as not available. Achieved tasks are archived for future reference or to produce maintenance reports on [specific categories such as aerial equipment, for example.]

Does your software play a role in training of service technicians? There are internal notes and electronic files linked to each item. These can be maintenance tasks and procedures, technical documents such as diagrams and plans or links to a manufacturer’s website. The idea is to put all the relevant information at the technician’s hand to properly and efficiently maintain their own and their customer’s equipment.

Can Sirius Pro help organize warranty information? Sirius Pro keeps a complete history, from time of purchase (vendor, invoice number, date of purchase), all maintenance and repair tasks while it was in inventory (for rental or sale), and a complete log of customer’s equipment repairs — whether bought at your store or from other sources — for each item. It is similar to going to your car dealership, and they call your car on screen and receive a complete history of services performed.

How does your software keep track of service history on an individual machine? A complete and detailed log is maintained for both internal equipment and for customer equipment also. This history includes parts, labor, notes, meter level, and charges for all service calls or work orders.

What about parts organization and acquisition of parts electronically? Sirius Pro will maintain parts lists and link with manufacturers’ or distributors’ files for direct import. Selling prices can use the suggested retail price or can be calculated based on pre-defined profit margins for each line of products. Sirius can maintain up to five different selling prices per item depending on the customer status.

How does your software facilitate the organization of the shop in regard to prioritizing jobs or separating rental fleet repair from the repair of customer-owned equipment? Customer and internal work orders are separated on two different screens and reports. Entry screens also reflect the nature of the service and will only require the necessary information (internal ones will only demand a very small amount of data entry for fast and efficient management). Both types of repairs can be sorted by date or customer, and management reports will insure proper management of these services.

Can Sirius Pro help the user keep track of the profitability of a particular piece of equipment by helping shop managers analyze maintenance and service costs? Sirius Pro allows the creation and management of as many cost centers as desired by the rental center. This also applies to parts sale. Income and expenses (cost of goods sold) can then be tracked on the financial statements by line of product, and insure a precise follow-up of the profitability of each line of products (for example Case parts sales, abrasive sales, gas. Cost of goods sold could then all be found in the general ledger). As far as equipment profitability, a complete history is maintained and a running total is included in a ROI calculation. Users can even select capitalized repairs so that Sirius Pro will include this new amount (changing the motor, as an example), in future depreciation calculations.

Does your software help the field service technician? Can he access information using a wireless device, laptop or other means? Thanks to the network technology we use, site technicians can be live via a laptop with head office system. Using 1x-EVDO communication devices, a laptop and a printer can be installed in the service truck to inquire about parts, consult a plan, order a part online to a distributor, and emit a service ticket or an invoice to the customer.

Does your software provide the technician with a checklist of items to be performed at various intervals or items to check before a returned piece of equipment can go to the “ready” line? Yes. This is part of our Preventive Maintenance module. The list of tasks to achieve is defined, proposed parts and supplies can be attached, and schedule choices are: at return, every number of pre-defined months, or after a certain number of hours of use.

Does your software in some way track hours of a machine that’s in the field and therefore aid in scheduling in-field maintenance? Sirius Pro will manage the scheduling and operations linked to hour usage. We recommend to our customer to use specialized systems that read hour usage over satellite or cellular links for equipment on customers’ sites.

Are you finding that your rental company customers are increasingly interested in using software to help organize their shop and service capability? Rental operations are definitely the main focus, but as time goes on, our customers do implement more and more advanced features such as parts management, purchases, depreciation, and maintenance and repair management.

Does your system automatically update inventory availability after shop uses system to report on completion of service tasks? Yes. When an internal work order is completed, the equipment becomes automatically available, and this is achieved within only a few keystrokes!