Mack and Volvo say their Internet-based communications system has saved many hours of service write-up time and aggravation for customers and dealers since its introduction in 2008 and that all its dealers will be using it by year's end.

MVASIST, for Mack Volvo automated service information system, was introduced in May 2008 and is now used by 243 Mack and Volvo dealers. A Preferred version coming out this fall will address many fleet manager complaints about how dealers communicate with customers.

MVASIST combines all information and communication about a truck service event into one online folder, and automatically sends e-mails to everyone involved in deciding how a truck is repaired and how much is charged for the service. This eliminates multiple phone calls, faxes and e-mails, and much of the waiting time as one party waits for another to respond. The system gets the truck repaired quickly and back on the road, executives said during a press conference Monday at the annual meeting of the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations in Tampa, Fla.

HOW IT WORKS

The system centers on a truck's vehicle identification number and is pre-loaded with all information about its specificications, warranties, service bulletins, recalls and standard repair times, said Volvo Group's Bill Dawson, senior vice president for customer satisfaction, and Dwight McAlexander, director for dealer systems and processes. The on-line electronic folder also includes all services and repairs done by dealers on the truck. Customers can access the system to retrieve information and incorporate data into their own maintenance records.

MVASIST (pronounced "M-V assist") shows all pertinent information to the dealer's service writer and to a truck's owner, whether fleet or individual, and generates email messages - "pings," Dawson and McAlexander called them - seeking approvals for work and authorizations for goodwill coverage. Negotiations on charges are also handled by e-mail. They said experience with the system in recent months shows that the builders' representatives respond quickly and that most delays are due to customers being slow in responding to pings.

The system all but eliminates phone calls and hold-time during them, they said. Studies show that waiting on hold typically consumes about an hour and a half during a service event as parties try to reach each other, often leaving messages and playing telephone tag, and meanwhile the truck and its driver waits. Dealers say each hour costs them $60, so MVASIST can save them and customers considerable money.

USING VIN INFO

The service provider uses VIN-based information to generate a consistent and accurate estimate. Each service procedure produces a parts list based on the specific vehicle's build record, along with a list of related operations -- for example, including the cost of engine coolant in a cooling system repair estimate. That info is sent to a fleet's authorized manager, who then reviews and approves or questions the repair online.

All communications regarding a specific estimate and service event are stored in the online folder. This enhances accuracy of service, and ensures customers and service providers are working from the same understanding.

Consistency is one of the system's features, as all dealer shops use the same procedures and information about standard charges. It suggests related repairs, like installing a new drive belt if an alternator is changed, and records the customer's instructions regarding that suggestion. Thus the truck's service record is built up over time and in a standardized format. Records are kept in multiple on-line servers to ensure reliability during power or computer-system outages in one region or another.

BEYOND MACK AND VOLVO

While designed for Mack and Volvo trucks, the system can also handle other brands owned by a customer, the executives said. Not as much information about other brands is stored in the system, but included are service and warranty information about common components, like Cummins engines and Eaton transmissions.

A Preferred version of MVASIST coming this fall will incorporate fleet-specific information, like preventive maintenance intervals, inspection procedures and work campaigns, that can be done by dealers during repair visits. All this addresses concerns and complaints voiced by fleet managers about typical industry-wide truck service experiences in a study released by TMC in 2009, Dawson said. Use of the system smooths repairs, increases truck uptime and improves their experiences with Mack and Volvo service shops.