Freightliner of San Antonio uses Lincoln’s fluid inventory management system to control how oil is dispensed — when, where, how much and by whom. According to Lincoln Product Manager Eric Krassinger, “it’s not unusual for 15 to 20 percent of oil changes to fall through the cracks in shops without this type of system. And if they don’t get recorded, they don’t get billed.” However, with Lincoln, the system requires that a tech use a unique PIN to select a hose reel and activate a pump to dispense a specific amount of fluid. The system then automatically records the data.
Last year, Procede worked with Lincoln to build an integration between the two systems that adds a validation function to the process. The validation function ensures fluid requests match an open labor item for that employee and that there’s also a corresponding open service order. The systems complete this reconciliation in real-time, so service records and inventory records are up-to-date and accurate. Since record keeping is now automated rather than manual, labor is reduced.
Freightliner of San Antonio recently tested the integration in their dealership, and they’re already seeing the benefits. According to their IT Support Manager, Isaac Mattson, “this integration helps close the loop. It helps management better monitor our fluids, it helps our techs handle their service responsibilities more independently, and it lets our parts guys at the counter stay focused on selling parts.”
Mattson says they’re getting ready to roll the updated system out to the guys in the shop. “We’ve tested it thoroughly and it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. We’re confident it’s going to be an efficient, simple-to-use solution for making sure everything is accounted for. Our technicians won’t have to rely on the parts guys to activate the pumps, management won’t have to worry about inconsistent billing, and we can trust the system to manage the correct parts and quantity.”
Lincoln Fluid Management Systems are offered by the SKF Lubrication Business Unit. If you’re interested in implementing the Excede / Lincoln Fluid Management Systems integration in your dealership, contact sales@procedesoftware.com.