VMRS Can Help Fleets Understand Their Parts Needs

A universal language that everyone can understand makes communication easier. That is the goal of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards, known better as VMRS. According to a TMC brochure, these standards “create a single, concise method to manage fleet assets and analyze maintenance operations and costs.” This structured approach is a primary example of how data-driven analyses increase productivity while simultaneously reducing long-term parts expenses for modern carriers.

The brochure outlines how VMRS creates a single process to:

• Document when, why, and how maintenance is performed,
• Improve equipment and parts inventory control,
• Identify where the money is spent,
• Help control costs and create greater efficiency, and 
• Manage a wide variety of equipment.

If you are not familiar with VMRS, it is a series of codes that define the type of equipment being worked on, the labor tasks used to complete the repair, parts descriptions, and manufacturer/supplier/brand codes. There are more than 34,000 codes describing individual parts. According to TMC, “These codes do not replace the manufacturer’s part numbers, but rather provide one standard item number to describe the part regardless of manufacturer.” For example, code 043-001-053 is a diesel particulate filter. There are also more than 11,000 listings used to identify manufacturers, suppliers, and brands.

By analyzing VMRS-coded maintenance and repair data, fleets gain insights into the parts they are replacing or repairing and their corresponding frequency. They can see failure patterns by part type and/or by brand. They can use this information to evaluate spec’ing decisions as well as to evaluate parts' durability by manufacturer and brand. Many companies achieve these goals by integrating fleet management and supplier systems to ensure data flows seamlessly between the shop and the parts provider.

The data can also help fleets determine optimal stocking levels and enable them to collaborate with their parts suppliers to ensure they have sufficient parts on hand to meet the fleet’s needs. Identifying the signs of poor inventory management early on enables managers to utilize VMRS data to correct stock imbalances before they result in vehicle downtime. Furthermore, the combination of a perfect match VMI and e-commerce parts program allows for automated replenishment based on these standardized codes.

During this time of supply chain shortages, any intelligence fleet can gather on its parts usage and turn it into a competitive advantage. Recent market data indicate that fleets are moving outside traditional channels to find parts, making standardized coding even more critical for tracking components from diverse sources. VMRS is one way to help fleets better manage their parts needs and their maintenance and repair operations.