Photo courtesy of Penske
Technicians and other maintenance personnel at Penske utilize ruggedized Windows-based Dell tablets in the shop for a number of tasks. “With the introduction of the tablets to the shop floor, we see less and less need for techs to utilize a smart phone to look for information,” say experts at Penske.
Specific examples for how these devices are used at Penske locations include:
Shop supervisor tasks
- Verify jobs at the time of completion with the technician
- Ability to take pictures and attach them to a job
- Ability to scan parts to a job
- View job-related information when aiding technicians to diagnose problems
Technician tasks
- View work orders
- Input job information
- Take pictures related to the job they are working on
- Scan parts to the job
- Search for job-related content including items like bulletins and work instructions
- Utilize diagnostic-related programs and reference materials
- Connect with the vehicle to gather fault codes and vehicle health reports
- Validate repairs or conduct tests on a unit while it is not in the shop
“The items noted [above] are all being performed at the unit while the repairs are taking place. Eliminating the need to walk over to a centralized computer station,” advise experts at Penske.