Operations management is controlling the systems and processes used to manufacture products or, in the case of a maintenance and repair facility, provide services.
Dr. Ray R. Venkataraman, a professor of project and supply chain management at Penn State Behrend, provides insights on how improving operations management can aid in running a more efficient shop.
“The techniques of operations management and “lean” can be applied to design efficient layouts and efficient scheduling to optimize a fleet maintenance repair facility,” Venkataraman says.
Shops can review a number of any, and all areas, of their operation in order to become more efficient. Some examples include:
- Establish/create vehicle maintenance and repair standards
- Hire properly certified technicians and provide ongoing training
- Redesign shop layout for improving efficiency (use lean principles eliminate waste)
- Automate the process where possible and leverage data
- Buy necessary equipment such as vehicle lifts, etc.
Venkataraman notes it’s important to address common pitfalls when adopting new processes. To do this, shops must address and eliminate any concerns about the change, utilize data and technology available to evaluate and implement more effective processes, and be sure to acquire the needed resources to implement change successfully.
About the Author
Erica Schueller
Media Relations Manager | Navistar
Erica Schueller is the Media Relations Manager for Navistar.
Before joining Navistar, Schueller served as Editorial Director of the Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group. The commercial vehicle group includes the following brands: American Trucker, Bulk Transporter, Fleet Maintenance, FleetOwner, Refrigerated Transporter, and Trailer/Body Builders brands.
An award-winning journalist, Schueller has reported and written about the vehicle maintenance and repair industry her entire career. She has received accolades for her reporting and editing in the commercial and automotive vehicle fields by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA), the International Automotive Media Competition (IAMC), the Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards.
Schueller has received recognition among her publishing industry peers as a recipient of the 2014 Folio Top Women in Media Rising Stars award, acknowledging her accomplishments of digital content management and assistance with improving the print and digital products in the Vehicle Repair Group. She was also named one Women in Trucking’s 2018 Top Women in Transportation to Watch.
She is an active member of a number of industry groups, including the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), the Auto Care Association's Young Auto Care Networking Group, GenNext, and Women in Trucking.
In December 2018, Schueller graduated at the top of her class from the Waukesha County Technical College's 10-week professional truck driving program, earning her Class A commercial driver's license (CDL).
She has worked in the vehicle repair and maintenance industry since 2008.