FLEET management software provider r2c Online has a major upgrade to its Stock Management module, with a number of innovations launched to help to streamline workshop repairs, speed up the supply of parts and optimise fleet usage during the on-going shortages.
Managing Director Tim Meadows said: “We’ve been working on this upgrade, and speaking to customers about what they need from it, for some time. At the moment, and for the foreseeable future, supply chain management is everything and so we have built this new functionality based on the feedback we have had from our customers around this pressing issue. With these enhancements, we’re helping to solve problems they are encountering on a daily basis.”
One of the new innovations is a function where workshops can see live online comparisons of multiple suppliers’ stock availability, prices and delivery times. It means that they can make fast, informed decisions on where to source parts from, speeding up the time it takes to get vehicles back on the road.
Meadows said: “An issue the industry has with the shortage of parts and the issue with supply chains is not being able to make strategic, fully informed decisions about how to repair each vehicle. The wrong choice of supplier can leave that vehicle stranded off-road while the workshop waits for parts.
“Our enhanced, live online comparison tool shifts that picture entirely: it gives the workshop a complete view of the situation, and allows managers to make decisions based on price, time and availability.
“As a result, the workshop can fundamentally change its business proposition from one of reactive repairer to strategic SMR partner, which is able to help fleets plan downtime, understand and then avoid regular issues they are encountering, as well as manage stock for its customers.”
The r2c stock ecosystem links workshop, supplier and technicians in a number of different ways. Users can create their own parts catalogues for their technicians to use based on available supplier stock, as well as offer fast digital purchasing and online work sheets that show the real time status of every job.
Everything can then be logged, from when the order was placed, its associated costs, when parts were supplied and fitted, and then digital invoices created too. It means that workshops, fleets and suppliers can see how everything is working at any time, and allows them to review processes, jobs and decisions in order to learn, and crucially, adapt to suit operating conditions and supply.
Meadows added: “One of the most important elements of vehicle maintenance and repair is planning: understanding exactly what can be done and when, and our new upgrades allow workshops to do this. If you know exactly what parts are available and in what timescale, businesses can act far more strategically around vehicle use and optimise fleet operation.”
The new Stock Management module seamlessly integrates into all other r2c Online products, which means workshop capacity can be managed more effectively, cashflow and profitability maximised, as well as driver and vehicle reports created.
Stock Management module enhancements include:
- Stock management for repair agents – the stock management module has been improved to work for repair agents and their linked workshops.
- User created parts suppliers – users now have the ability to create their own supplier catalogues and add parts to them which can then be managed in the stock management module.
- Improved stock movement visibility on the jobsheet – users now have better visibility of stock movements on the jobsheet.
- Reserved stock – users can now managed stock reserved for jobs and have complete visibility of this via the jobsheet and the stock management module.
- Stock and supplier catalogue imports – users can now import their own stock and supplier catalogues.
- Discontinued stock – users can now mark stock items as ‘discontinued’ which means they can no longer purchase these from suppliers.
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