Formbird improves preventative maintenance forecasting
Forbes Shire Council Swaps spreadsheets, a whiteboard and a diary for FLEET.
Forbes Shire Council in New South Wales is the first user to implement Formbird Fleet, and recently completed their first year of using the fleet management information system.
Forbes (located about 5 hours’ drive west of Sydney) has an estimated population of 9,900 and covers an area of 4,720 km². With just under 200 mobile fleet assets, Forbes has found the system ideally suited to helping them manage their fleet with modern technology.
Forbes Fleet Manager, Anthony Davies, who joined the Council in July 2018, said,
“We are encouraging the elimination of paper-based processes, and data migration off spreadsheet-based systems that require a lot of inefficient manual updating and manipulation for corporate reporting and planning.”
Anthony explained further, “We started with spreadsheets, a whiteboard and a diary, and are now well on our way to a paperless workshop. Formbird Fleet has helped us run the workshop more like we would do in a dealership business.” (Anthony has over 20 years’ experience in the private sector in motor dealerships.)
Forbes first installed the software in August 2019 and took the route of a staged implementation. They began with establishing an asset register, followed by implementing scheduled preventative maintenance scheduling and recording reactive repairs. “Our workshop staff have found the system easy to use – both the workshop foreman, Ed Burke, and apprentice mechanics, Martin Nash and Nathan Molloy, have quickly taken to the system. Now, all our service and repair history can be found in one place.”
As the first user of the Formbird Fleet system, Anthony has contributed to the enhancement of the software with valuable feedback. Forbes are now looking forward to using the improved preventative maintenance forecasting system, the upgrade process also enhanced by Anthony’s comments.
Anthony and his staff have also generously answered questions from prospective users. “We have had visits from neighbouring councils, who have been very impressed with what Forbes have achieved using this system,” said Anthony. “When visitors ask me what our journey was like, I refer them back to when I started at Forbes with a diary and a whiteboard. I start here with all of our visitors so that they understand how much we have progressed. Formbird has made it an easy transition from there to where we are now.”
Forbes Shire Council now has an asset register in Formbird Fleet, with comprehensive data underpinned by the IPWEA Fleet Asset Classifications. Formbird Fleet has enabled Forbes to progress to an electronic fleet maintenance system, with preventative maintenance and defect management tools based on the IPWEA Fleet Maintenance Codes.
Anthony currently produces a monthly fleet report for the Shire Council’s senior management. He says, “Formbird Fleet makes it easy to capture and record data, and easy to provide impressive reports for Council which have improved the visibility status of the fleet department.”
Forbes is planning next to arrange Formbird Fleet integration with Civica Authority to enhance the corporate data assimilation process.
