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DO YOU HAVE A SPARES PROBLEM?

6th March 1970, Page 64
6th March 1970
Page 64
Page 65
Page 64, 6th March 1970 — DO YOU HAVE A SPARES PROBLEM?
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Perhaps it's not always the other man's fault

by lain Sherriff, M ITA

THE FINEST maintenance system ever devised would prove quite inoperable without an adequate supply of spares. Shortage of spares has always been a bone of contention with operators and it seems that in recent months the problem has become more acute than ever before.

How serious is the problem—is there really a grave shortage or are there some other factors which appear to create a shortage? We have been seeking answers from manufacturers, distributors and operators.

Most goods vehicle manufacturers claim that distributors should be able to supply from stock up to 93 per cent of orders, which sounds pretty good, but to those who are in the other seven per cent it is quite unacceptable.

Make the figure 100 per cent, they say—anything less is poor service. I wonder how many operators give a 100 per cent service to their customers—never a vehicle short and never one hour late? Two wrongs do not make a right, but it is as well to remember that in all things the human element plays a big part.

First, then, let us take a look at the manufacturer's situation. His reputation depends largely on the after-sales service provided. When he cannot meet a 'spares order he knows that he has another dissatisfied customer who may never again buy a new vehicle from his stable.

Drawbacks

In this kind of atmosphere, then, manufacturers have an incentive to meet every demand. But to provide a 100 per cent immediate replacement service would mean producing and carrying items of stock which might never move. This costs money and 'someone would have to pay, and I am afraid that that someone would be the operator.

I found during my investigations that manufacturers i.re not entirely satisfied with their service. They acknowledge the fact that the seven per cent shortfall could take up to 36 hours to supply. They accept the fact that operators cannot be expected to condition themselves to spares shortage. Some spares are bought in by manufacturers and it is here that the biggest problem lies. But on occasions it is the distributor who is to blame, and the networks are therefore under constant manufacturer surveillance.

In a large number of instances it is the operator who is to blame and here again the manufacturer is doing a great deal to educate his customer; this is a delicate situation.

Many of the problems which can be traced to the distributor are really centred on the employee. The man behind the parts counter is the link which must be strong in the chain.

He can fail to identify the urgency of the customer's need—on occasions he does not show too much enthusiasm for his task—or he may even display a complete lack of knowledge of the subject. Happily, such cases are in my experience few and far between. Generally speaking these men are well . trained, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

If the distributor fails to carry adequate spares or carries the wrong type of spares, then no matter how good the parts man is he will fail to satisfy the customer. Again, I did not find one distributor who would claim to meet every order ex stock. They did, however, state that if the operators would do more to help themselves then they would be faced with less of a spares shortage problem.

As I see it, this is where the real problem lies—with the operator. What follows will be unpalatable only to those who are not properly organized.

The essence of efficiency in all things is planning. It is true, I think, to say that there is more in planning the job than there is in doing it.

The blood pressure only begins to rise when an operator finds his vehicle standing in the workshop at the end of the day still without a vital spare. The prospect of another day off the road is enough to cause a coronary.

If the case is investigated it is likely to reveal that the wanted part is worn, not broken—and wear is progressive. The.

workshop staff should have detected the wear at the previous service, raised a job card and ordered the part. Even in the unlikely eventuality that the vehicle had been through the workshop one week earlier, this would have afforded ample time for the spare part to have been obtained. Normally there is much more time.

I appreciate that mechanical failure is not always progressive and in many cases a replacement requirement cannot be foreseen or planned for, and a rush order to the distributor does not always bear fruit.

was repeatedly told by distributors that in a large number of cases this was because the customer had failed to identify the part correctly. Every part has a part number and usually operators are in possession of a parts book.

Nevertheless, mistakes can occur when relaying the information to the dealer, especially by telephone. One digit wrong in a part number and the customer either gets the wrong part or none at all.

But in every case a distributor can identify a part, even without the individual

part number, if he is provided with the details contained on the identity plate on the vehicle. This will convey the model, year and what, if any, special customer requirements are fitted. For example, it will show if the vehicle has been fitted with a two-speed axle, or a non-standard set of wheels.

The routine

The routine is simple: identify the part, quote accurate vehicle details, and leave it to the parts man.

That is another important point—leave it to the parts man. Invariably when an operators fails to get the part.he wants at the first call be begins to "shop around". Either he is running for miles searching

blindly or sitting with a telephone stuck to his ear—probably to no avail.

Most truck distributors have a man delegated to go trouble-shooting. Any part which cannot be supplied from stock they are commissioned to find. They know where and how long to search.

If the part cannot be obtained from other main agents within easy reach, the factory is contacted. This is done in good time to ensure next-day delivery—the order is accompanied by the code "VOR". Magic letters—they bring out all the stops automatically. Vehicle off the road means a potentially dissatisfied customer. This is a situation the manufacturers can do without.

Up to now I have been considering the case of the really small man. The man who cannot afford a maintenance vehicle or a supply of spares. I've said it before, I'll say it again—pre--plan, In any sizeable fleet, for every 10 vehicles it is advisable to have one vehicle which is used to replace vehicles which are out of service. This will mean that the customers' requirements are met. It will also take the super-urgency out of the maintenance programme.

Similarly, it is advisable to carry a supply of parts. The trade separates these into fast-moving and slow-moving spares. However, it is not sufficient to generalize. A fast-moving spare in the manufacturer's eyes could be in the operator's stores for years. When buying a new vehicle it is always advisable to liaise with the manufacturer through his fleet service engineer and also with the distrubutor. Their combined experience will prove invaluable in selecting the spares worth carrying. The type of work and conditions to which the vehicle will be exposed will dictate which parts may need early replacement. Again, if it is known that a particular component has been failing in service at 30,000 miles, the service engineer will know. Using this knowledge the operator can make provision to obtain the part in good time.

However, just as many operators shy away from keeping a maintenance vehicle, so many more are disinclined to lay in spares. There is a feeling that this is the distributor's duty. That may be so, but unless he is aware of the operator's likely requirement the distributor is unable to make provision.

Consultation It follows, then, that consultation between the manufacturer, distributor and customer is essential. The distributor may agree to keep a supply of spares in his store for the customer, although he would look for some guarantee from the manufacturer that the goods were being held on a sale-or-return basis.

This preplanning so early in a vehicle's life may seem premature but it is meant to be a preventive measure, and vehicle failure does not take place to a programme.

I suppose it is almost irreverent to suggest that large fleet users who experience shortage could possibly be tackling the job the wrong way. Nevertheless, it does happen.

Almost all the big undertakings are now buying vehicles by tender. Consequently, vehicles may be purchased at a point 400 miles from the area where they are to be based. An influx of vehicles can cause embarrassment to a local distributor whose stores are not geared to meet the extra demand. It is, I submit, very sensible for the distributor to ensure that he has sufficient stock to meet the needs of the customer who gives him his new vehicle business.

This is not to suggest that the local man will not service a vehicle bought from elsewhere—but he must be advised that the need may arise.

Lack of local service has driven the larger companies to purchase spares ex factory. In some cases this pays off, but not all of the time.

Operators who call at the factory, I believe, enjoy a large measure of success. Those who depend on post or telephone are not so fortunate.

The great cry is for a more personal approach. "Give us a direct link with the factory" is the plea. There is such a link through the distributor—provided the large operator plays his part it pays off.

One system which I found worked admirably was used by an operator with 250 vehicles.

Stock levels were agreed by the manufacturers (there were four), the distributors and the operator. The stores were carried by the operator "not on charge". The operator provided the paperwork in the form of a four-part document. This was raised by the workshop foreman. He completed the top copy, which was used as a stores requisition on his own stores. Simultaneously, he was raising an order on the supplier, completing the advice note and part-completing the invoice.

The last three parts were sent to the supplier, who returned the advice note with the goods, priced the invoice and rendered it at the end of the month. At the end of each year the three parties got together and reviewed the stock position. This system worked admirably.

Perhaps you have no spares problems, you are always one of the happy 93 per cent? But if you always seem to be in the seven per cent you may think I have over-simplified the position. I may not even have defined your problem. If there is a problem, then there is an answer and it can be found.

The keyword is identify.

Identify your distributor, your vehicle, your requirement and you're more than half-way to solving the problem.

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