Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/187662
Photo courtesy of Pat Ryan consulting firm helped Gorman implement TPR, studied the operation and provided recommendations to focus the company on fleet efficiency, increaseing vehicle uptime and lowering maintenance costs. Ingalls recommended Gorman consolidate three maintenance facilities into one, as well as purchase a computer software system to track equipment failures and maintenance – which began a complete overhaul of its approach to maintenance. Fleet equipment generally is the largest single asset for construction companies, Ingalls says, making fleet efficiency a prime target for improvement. Gorman has more than 300 vehicles, from pickup trucks to paving machines. "As a structured improvement process, TPR showed us we needed discipline and accountability," says Joe Farone, chief financial officer of Gorman. He also says TPR benefited Gorman through documentation and giving them consistency. "Plus, employees now know what is expected from them," he says. Five years ago, Gorman did not have a preventive maintenance program, says Patrick Ryan, the company's continuous improvement coordinator. The company started with two approaches – using the new computer software to track equipment maintenance and failures and creating a preventive maintenance program with responsibilities for both shop mechanics and equipment operators. The operator portion is called Operator Care, a process to build stewardship in the equipment. A key component of TPR is holding the equipment operators accountable for upkeep. "Operators carry parts with them to do simple repairs on the jobsite and monitor their own equipment daily following a checklist and written standards," Ryan says. "The results start to show because the equipment runs much better, and we are starting to see longer, more productive days on the job." Time is of the essence for Gorman because New England's cold weather makes for a short season for road repairs, essentially from April to October. Equipment manager Dan Corbett says he always tells the shop technicians to carefully examine the equipment, and a trends or patterns are noted. Now that preventive maintenance is "ingrained in the company," Corbett says he is focusing on making maintenance plans more detailed and specific to each vehicle. For example, by tracking the repair history for Gorman's Midland mix pavers (train pavers), Corbett saw the engines were lasting a little more than 24 months. Now the company replaces all train paver engines at 24 months, he says. Corbett attributes the $500,000 savings in maintenance this Cut Emergencies–Cut Costs How Does Your Emergency Maintenance Rate Compare to Gorman Group's 1 .6 %? Our consultants offer almost 100 years of combined experience in maintenance and reliability. We can put our expertise to work and help you begin your journey to become Best in Class. The consultants of TBR Strategies can partner with your company to increase equipment uptime and streamline operations. If you would like to reduce your maintenance costs 25 to 30 percent, call TBR Strategies today. 919.341 .1387 www.TBR-Strategies.com Text INFO to 205-289-3789 or visit www.betterroads.com/info Better Roads October 2013 15 Gorman_BR1013.indd 15 9/30/13 1:57 PM