Squarerigger, a provider of fleet maintenance information systems, has released version 7.0 of its SQ.7 software. “Customers are excited about the productivity gains they see from our new PocketPC handhelds,” says Ed Cooper, chief executive officer of Silverdale, Wash.-based Squarerigger. “With our other enhancements, version 7.0 is our most significant new version yet.”
The new PocketPC devices are Squarerigger’s fifth-generation handheld computers and are a significant step forward for mechanics on the move, Cooper says. “With older-technology batch-oriented devices, mechanics had to plug into a hotsync cradle in the morning to download work orders, then hotsync again in the evening to upload,” he says. “Our new handhelds remain in constant contact with the server via wireless networking, so the fleet manager knows at a glance exactly what is going on in the shop.” Even when out of range, the new handhelds keep working and automatically resynchronize when they rejoin the network, Cooper says.
An enhanced KwikBuy system (Squarerigger’s term for a hotshot parts order) is designed to allow a mechanic either to request specific parts from the warehouse or simply type a description of the parts needed, with parts personnel combining all requests into purchase orders that can updated throughout the workday as new requests are received. “This results in fewer purchase orders for the A/P department to have to deal with, and more flexible ordering for the parts desk,” says Karl Perry, manager of sales and marketing. “As parts are received, parts desk personnel send messages back to the shop floor informing the mechanics that their orders are ready for pickup or delivery to the mechanic.”
“Our clients tell us that every time the mechanic goes to the parts room, a minimum of six minutes of productivity is lost,” says Cooper. “That translates into thousands of dollars per year of lost productivity. By giving the mechanic a tool for requesting parts from his workstation, this keeps the mechanic doing what is most important — turning a wrench.”
Other new features, according to Squarerigger, include Equipment Families, which groups associated equipment for efficient repair management while maintaining separate records on repair histories; Multiple Meters, for assigning an unlimited number of user-definable meter types per vehicle; greatly enhanced support for VMRS; and a new browser-based problem reporting tool that works within an organization’s intranet.
For more information, go to www.squarerigger.com.
