North East England based automotive cleantech firm Avid Technology has launched a new system for the fleet maintenance industry to help bus operators solve the ongoing quest for efficiency.
Avid says its three new fleet service products – Smart Speed, Smart Shield and Smart Spanner – are designed to reduce costs, boost productivity and improve service delivery and safety.
The entire system is based on the principles of what the company calls “Total Preventative Maintenance”, which it says is used widely to improve the effectiveness of manufacturing operations across the world.
Avid is bringing this methodology to the UK fleet maintenance industry for the first time through its expert consultancy and training packages to provide bespoke solutions for bus operators.
Avid managing director, Ryan Maughan, says: “Improving the operational performance of fleet maintenance teams can be a daunting challenge. We’ve spent 18 months developing a new approach using the principles of TPM to produce a straightforward system and methodology to bring a number of practical ideas together that will improve overall operational performance within fleet maintenance departments.
“It’s widely accepted that fleet maintenance is riddled with unknowns and scenarios that operators can’t plan for, but there are also lots of things that are in their control and can be put in place which will enable businesses to respond quickly and efficiently to the unknowns.
“Our new system is proven in reducing maintenance programme cost and time. By using TPM methodology, Avid Smart Speed Consultants have delivered improvements including an 80 per cent increase in workshop throughput and a 62.5% reduction in lead time from 4 weeks to 1.5 weeks for a large maintenance project.
“Achieving savings per vehicle can make a major contribution to a company’s bottom line. Likewise failure to address recurring issues across a large fleet can be hugely expensive, which is why we have developed a solution which enables operators to improve maintenance team efficiency and service delivery and significantly reduce maintenance programme costs and lost time.”
Avid says its TPM fleet maintenance system focuses on three key areas to improve operational performance for transport operators:
- management;
- materials; and
- people.
Avid says it is already a “recognised leader in the field of systems electrification and heavy duty vehicle hybridisation”, working with major bus operators Arriva and Go Ahead.
The company’s core business is the electrification and intelligent control of engine ancillaries, thermal management systems and hybrid systems.
Through on-going investment the company is seeking to grow its presence in the bus industry using pioneering research and development to provide effective, innovative aftermarket solutions for its customer base of leading vehicle manufacturers and operators in the UK and Europe.
