Tips on how to evaluate and understand software program acronyms

When working with the latest information technology solutions available, one challenge many commercial vehicle maintenance operations face is deciphering the acronyms and buzzwords that make it hard to uncover the true value of any information management technology.

First, there are commonly used traditional acronyms used to describe information technology such as SaaS (Software as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service). Similarly, asset maintenance management systems have one of the most complex “alphabet soups,” with a dizzying array of acronyms such as FSM, DMS, FMS, EAM, VMRS, etc.

Today, shops have a need to exchange and share data to ensure successful service events, and to do so across a number of service value chain participants with their own collection of acronyms and jargon. Separating necessary keywords from jargon is a key first step in effectively using the numerous cloud-related technologies offered across a service supply chain network.

There are programs available to assist shops with this, such as the Service Relationship Management, or SRM, platform from Decisiv.

SRM organizes information between multiple separate systems of information to bring actionable data to all parties in the service supply chain. SRM enables communication and collaboration capabilities to provide access to information needed by each participant in the service process.

The pressure to digitize

The financial and competitive pressures to digitize value propositions from data management technologies used in shop operations are increasing. Without the latest cloud and IT technologies, however, the lack of digitalization raises total cost of ownership by reducing asset uptime as well as employee and financial performance.

Commercial vehicle shop operations are in critical need of digital transformation, but with new technology comes additional acronym-packed jargon. If you’re a fleet executive who wants to drive change and create more value, how do you keep from drowning in a sea of alphabet soup?

While the service value chain for commercial assets is complex, it is possible to implement a solution that begins paying off quickly by understanding the acronyms that matter for your business, and which are distractions.

Tech jargon may seem complicated, but ensuring all service value chain participants are speaking the same language and looking at the same data is the path to one or more of these goals:

•  Stronger relationships: Maximize service provider and manufacturer relationships by communicating and sharing actionable information. Improve transparency and eliminate conflicts that can lead to service delays, higher costs and higher levels of downtime.
• Better collaboration: Maximize asset utilization by enabling in-context access to information, including integrated diagnostics. Providing service value chain participants with role-based capabilities leads to lower costs and improved asset uptime.
• Smarter decision making: Maximize profitability by reducing operating costs through the digitalization of processes and information, and by enabling the more effective use of business intelligence tools.

Programs such as SRM do not replace existing shop operations and data management systems. Instead, they can quickly and cost-effectively integrate legacy applications to enhance their value. This program is a proven concept that’s critical for any fleet that wants to improve decision-making, reduce costs, ensure service event consistency and maximize asset availability.