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The Benefits of Time Tracking

A few words from Harold Maxwell

For the last 21 years, Harold Maxwell has been the General Manager at Booth Machinery, a CASE IH dealership in Yuma, Arizona. Harold has over 28 years of experience in the agricultural industry, and uses this experience to ensure that Booth’s customer service, delivered by the Parts and Service departments, is beyond expectation.

Service is a huge part of Booth’s focus, accounting for in excess of 10% of their total business. Booth Machinery implemented PFW IntelliTech soon after its release in 2004 and helped to beta-test PFW Mobile-Tech beginning in May, 2008.

Mr. Maxwell took some time to talk with us about how Booth Machinery has used MobileTech and IntelliTech to create efficiencies that save time and money.

PFW: How have MobileTech and IntelliTech helped Booth Machinery operate a profitable service department?

Harold Maxwell: The profitability and success of a service department relies on two things. First, you need to be able to efficiently capture every second of every day. Second, once that time is captured, you need to be able to accurately bill that time. IntelliTech and Mobile-Tech help us do just that.

PFW: What kind of challenges did Mobile-Tech and IntelliTech solve? What kind of challenges did Mobile-Tech and IntelliTech solve?

HM: Traditionally, time had been kept on a time card that the technician punched in and punched out on as needed. The best that could be said about this system was that it made certain that the technician was only paid for hours that he was on the premises. It did not account for how much time was actually spent on the job versus on break, getting coffee, waiting for the next job, or just visiting. A service technician’s time is perishable. Once a minute is gone, it’s gone forever, so accurate time records are crucial.

PFW: How did MobileTech and IntelliTech go about solving these challenges?

HM: The first step towards improving this situation was the IntelliTech browser-based time management system. IntelliTech has the ability to accurately measure how much of an eight-hour day is spent in non-revenue-producing activities.

This was a great start, but still left a gap, as the field techs were still on manual time cards that were usually filled out the next day after the work had been completed. MobileTech, a streamlined, wireless version of IntelliTech, lets us track how much time is spent on the job versus travelling, etc., when a technician is in the field.

The combination of IntelliTech and MobileTech gives us the most accurate measurement of tech time that we have ever had.

It also forced our service management team to do a better job of planning. Technicians can no longer stand around and wait for the next job if they want to get paid. They have to be logged on to a line in order to have time recorded.

PFW: How have MobileTech and IntelliTech helped Booth Machinery create efficiencies providing service to customers?

HM: Measuring tech performance is a vital part of managing a service department. The standard has been service efficiency, but in the past the lack of accurately-recorded time or ability to get timely reports made this a somewhat suspect number. What is great about the PFW system is that it can measure and factor in all non-revenue-producing time to get a true measurement of service efficiency.

From the technicians’ point of view, PFW IntelliDealer can help them understand how long a job is supposed to take and help keep them apprised of their progress and what is going on around them.

PFW IntelliDealer helps us define what repair costs are going to be and helps us avoid surprises.

PFW: What other features stand out in PFW IntelliDealer?

HM: Alongside MobileTech and IntelliTech, one of the best features that PFW IntelliDealer provides to our dealership is real-time reporting. Managers can be anywhere, any time and be able to quickly and easily see exactly what is going on in the dealership. It acts as a communications and planning tool… with that information on hand, we are able to more efficiently manage our operations.

PFW: How does PFW IntelliDealer help keep you competitive in today’s dealership environment?

HM: Overall, PFW IntelliDealer provides our managers and staff with transparency and openness of information. At Booth Machinery, we believe that the skills and talents of our employees are something that can’t be duplicated by our competitors. PFW IntelliDealer gives our frontline people the information they need to properly do their job without having to run to management for that information. This saves us a tremendous amount of time.