When you’re talking about data, the idea of data “resolution” can pop into the conversation. This is the depth or clarity of what the data can tell you. Think about it in terms of video. Thirty years ago we had VHS tapes, which were great for boxy CRT TVs. Then there were even bigger, boxier wide-screen TVs and DVD players and the home theater was born. Then we all upgraded to high-definition flat screens with Blu-ray players and we stopped going to the movie theater. And today we’re on the path to streaming incredibly crisp 4k content.

The point is: with every generational leap forward in resolution, the experience becomes better. You saw things in old favorite movies you didn’t see before, heard things you never heard. That same type of improved experience is coming to heavy-duty service software because the depth of data that is available is providing a clearer picture into the health of the trucks you’re responsible for fixing and getting back on the road.

Need an example? Trimble recently announced that it is now connected to a network of more than 4,500 service locations via the new TMT ServiceConnect module within its TMT Fleet Maintenance software, thanks to a partnership with Decisiv.

Let that sink in for a minute: 4,500 service locations. 

Okay, that’s a lot, but what does it mean?

With TMT ServiceConnect, fleet operations managers are able to see the status of all equipment being worked on across service locations within the new module. TMT ServiceConnect also enables fleet maintenance shops to communicate directly with all service providers across their networks to schedule and approve repair work to be completed.

Let’s slow down for a minute. The foundation behind this ability is the TMT Fleet Maintenance software that has enabled fleets to take their service process paperless, which means fleets are creating a huge database of service information. Add Decisiv Service Relationship Management technology to the mix and the new module provides more seamless collaboration between fleets and heavy-duty repair shops to schedule repair and maintenance activities; track service status; record service, parts replaced and labor; and create invoices for the service performed.

For the heavy-duty service manager, the development of this type of software presents an interesting question, and one that hearkens back to the home video analogy:

Are you going to upgrade? 

“The richer the truck information, the better planning and better communication we’ll have with service locations.”

—Scott Vanselous, EVP,
Trimble’s fleet maintenance solutions

If you’re still working on paper ROs, you’re still watching VHS tapes. It’s probably time to upgrade to a digital work process. If you’re already there, you need to consider in what resolution you want to see your data. Maybe that means upgrading or transition to a new service platform. Because you can be sure that this is just the first announcement in a long line of data resolution upgrades. 

The next step? Integrating even more data from the trucks. 

“Pretty much every truck has an ELD, so you’re getting some kind of data from it. But the new trucks coming down the line have built-in telematics that aren’t the age-old onboard computers,” said Scott Vanselous, executive vice president for Trimble’s fleet maintenance solutions. “Engine manufacturers, for example, are forwarding engine information to the fleet and the driver. We’re working on predictive maintenance algorithms that will take fault code information and make it more actionable.

“The richer the truck information,” he said, “the better planning and better communication we’ll have with service locations.”