OEM parts are one thing, but aftermarket parts are another can of worms, so to speak, when it comes to successful warranty claims. Since the part number of the replacement may not be the same as the part that failed, this process requires even more detailed tracking.

For example, if you buy aftermarket parts in bulk, you may buy several of them one day but they aren’t installed onto the truck until much later. If something goes wrong, it’s technically past the warranty period in terms of the date it was bought, but it hasn’t lasted the full 30 or 45 or 90 days. What then?

“We can track when a part was put on a truck or an asset and when that repair happened,” says Jeff Sweet, solutions engineer for Decisiv. “Our data would show that a certain part went on this asset on this date, and it was put on by this person at this time of day. And you could barcode scan it onto an event, so you know which individual part it was that you added, potentially.”

You can also rely on VMRS codes. Renaldo Adler, industry principal for asset maintenance with the Trimble Transportation Enterprise, calls VMRS “the key” to being able to track aftermarket warranty, “along with good repair data from both internal repairs and vendor repairs.”

A quick refresher: VMRS stands for Vehicle Maintenance Report Standards, and is developed by the ATA. The system consists of a series of unchanging codes used to describe virtually every facet of the maintenance operation, from parts to manufacturers to technician work to vehicle location. It was essentially developed to make sure that the same “language” is being used by everyone involved in the service process.

Check out the video below for more VMRS info.