Jan/Feb 2005

A wireless handheld computer-based software solution called FD Inspect has been developed by IT and commercial vehicle fleet specialist FDTEK to help fleet managers enhance the efficiency of their vehicle inspection activities.

The company says it has been told by the Vehicle and Operators Services Agency (VOSA) that the system conforms to operator licensing requirements. The company quotes a comment from VOSA saying that it "complies with the requirements described in the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness."

FD Inspect can be used with any PDA (2002 or above) running Windows CE. It is said to be particularly useful for people wanting to standardise and improve the quality of inspections, as well as centrally controlling and monitoring vehicles operating from a number of different sites.

One of its key features is its ability to ensure compliance by instituting standard reporting procedures. The wireless element adds immediacy, allowing capture of the information (from the roadside if necessary) via Wi-Fi or GPRS connection.

 

According to FDTEK Director Nick Walls: "Paper-based inspection systems still dominate the industry, and provide ample opportunities for compliance breaches to take place.

"Paperwork held in different locations makes data difficult to audit; mislaid or misfiled documents leave holes in information; and the repeated manual processes required to collect and collate information leave plenty of room for error, as well as being inherently expensive to operate and manage."

FD Inspect is said to have been based on industry best practice workflows, and in addition to digitising the inspection and defect reporting processes, it automates a number of manual back office processes such as repair authorisation and estimation.