Location: Norfolk, VA
Industry: Electrical Systems Contractor
From their humble beginnings in 1992 with a single 50-ft bucket truck and a van, ILP has grown to become the leading sports lighting provider in New England with 54 vehicles in its fleet. Located in the relatively small city of Norfolk, Massachusetts, ILP serves the New England area with both small and large lighting projects.
These projects notably include well-known sports stadiums such as the Gillette Stadium for the New England Patriots, as well as university and college sports stadiums at Harvard, Yale, Wheaton, MIT, and more. Other than sports stadiums, ILP has completed lighting projects for renewable energy companies such as Kingston Wind and Marshfield Solar, as well as for other sporting venues like the New England Dragway.
Here are the expanded services ILP provides:
– Sports Lighting
– Renewable Energy
– High Voltage
– Parking Lot Lighting
– Electrical Construction
– Field Service Repair
– Underground Cable Installation
– Emergency Response Services
– Equipment Rentals (available with licensed operator)
ILP provides small and large clients throughout New England with hard to find specialized services, specifically, focusing on outdoor lighting and high-voltage underground and overhead electrical systems.
As can be imagined, ILP’s equipment and vehicle fleet play an integral role in their overall ability to deliver these specialty services to clients. The high value of this specialty equipment and vehicle fleet and their vital role in completing projects makes their efficient management essential for overall productivity.
Workflow Inefficiencies with Fleet Management Before Whip Around
The complexities of efficiently managing a 54-vehicle fleet that includes 30 trucks, a 40-ton crane, several bucket trucks, and other specialty equipment, can easily put a strain on paper-based DVIR processes. ILP found itself with this problem, as paper-based DVIR processes proved too difficult to efficiently manage on a daily basis.
Here are some of the main problems ILP was having before implementing Whip Around’s digital inspection software:
– lack of DVIR adherence (25% of drivers not regularly performing DVIRs)
– coordination issues with handing in paper-based DVIRs
– problems tracking vehicle maintenance, mileage, and usage
– vehicles not properly stocked with supplies and equipment
– lack of customization capabilities with inspection forms
– inability to share real-time faults with a mechanic
– inefficiencies with equipment maintenance
– lack of accountability with equipment failures
– the cumbersome process of completing paper-based inspections
– organizing data from disparate sources
In general, paper-based DVIR processes proved to be inefficient for the proper management of such a large and complex fleet. The negative results included improperly stocked vehicles, drivers finding out equipment was missing after driving to job sites, unaccountability for broken equipment, regular maintenance adherence failures, lack of coordination with paperwork turn in, bottlenecks with work order processes, and more.
Essentially, the inefficiencies of using paper-based DVIR processes was hindering ILP’s overall productivity. Mainly, their lack of visibility and effective management tools with inspection processes was causing preventable workflow issues that were negatively impacting service quality and the bottom-line.
After Implementing Whip Around’s Digital DVIR Solution
The common issues ILP was experiencing with paper-based DVIR processes eventually led to their online discovery of Whip Around’s digital DVIR solution. Making the transition from paper-based to digital DVIRs offered a viable way to resolve their general frustrations with paperwork, maintenance, and workflow issues stemming from inefficient paper-based DVIR processes.
Convinced of their need for an upgrade, ILP adopted Whip Around’s paperless fleet inspection cloud-based software. The remote cloud-based functionality coupled with its vertical design for fleet management worked to remedy ILP’s inspection pain-points and streamline operational efficiency.
Here are some of the key positive results:
– centralized management of holistic inspection processes consolidated data from disparate sources, saving time and effort
– real-time data syncing brought greater visibility and streamlined workflows
– improved visibility with inspection processes gave managers more ability to enforce adherence and ensure compliance
– optimized maintenance adherence improved fleet performance
– streamlined and automated work orders with mechanic brought quicker turn-around times
– improved inspection adherence reduced “stupid down time” from preventable mistakes
– improved inventory controls and management capabilities reduced workflow issues with improperly equipped vehicles and broken equipment accountability
Whip Around’s paperless fleet inspection software effectively resolved the inefficiencies ILP was having using paper-based DVIRs. With the help of remote cloud functionality and data centralization, ILP was able to optimize the management of their large and diverse fleet without spending extra time and resources.
Instead of relying on their 30 drivers to complete and turn in paper-based inspections on a daily basis, ILP can now have them complete DVIRs from their company-issued iPhone 7 and have the data synced to managers in real-time. This eliminates coordination bottlenecks and streamlines the inspection process for both drivers and managers.
Overall, Whip Around has made a significant difference with ILP’s fleet management efforts, saving them “…loads of time and money…” and resulting in “…better maintenance of the vehicles.” With Whip Around’s help, ILP now has the tools needed to streamline inspection processes, improve safety, ensure compliance, optimize maintenance and performance, and effectively manage equipment inventories.
Conclusion
Partnering with industry leaders such as Island Lighting & Power to help them realize the benefits of paperless fleet inspections is a very rewarding experience for us at Whip Around. This impressive case study shows how effective switching to digital inspections is for resolving common paper-based inspection pain-points and workflow inefficiencies.
We’re looking forward to working with ILP in the future as continual improvements and optimizations unfold with digital inspection technology. As their committed partner, it’ll remain our goal to build upon these initial positive results with continual process optimization and quality service. If interested in learning more about switching to digital DVIRs, please contact Whip Around today.
