The one thing that I hope everyone understands is that people have a tendency to "paint" their emotions, thoughts and concerns on the people they are around, expecting others to have the same thoughts, So a scam artist thinks everyone else is trying to scam them, and a theif thinks everyone else is trying to thief from them, a lazy person expects everyone else to be lazy, and a honest person expects everyone else to be honest, a person that likes gravy expects everyone else to like gravy, and someone who is thinking of ways to get out of doing hard work expects everyone else to be thinking of ways to avoid hard work.
I can well understand how a gps tracking service could be a valuable tool to improve dispatch, especially with a lot of techs to keep track of, but like any complicated and very new tool, the proper use of that tool requires some learning curve and correct usage to avoid getting hurt. Can you imagine just being given a tig welder, and being told to use it, with no one to ask what is the correct way to use it? Either someone gets burned, or the thing does not get used, even if it is left "turned on".
That is pretty much what we have done with GPS tracking. we have hired someone we call "dispatcher" because they could not be a field tech due to lack of understanding the job the field tech is doing, given them a rather expensive new tool, and then found out we don't even know of any "experts" in how to use it, much less have some training plan set up, on how to use it without getting anyone burnt.
To answer that last 2 questions of batman, gps is here to stay, just like the fact we work for computers and not people anymore, get used to it. And yes Management does alway need either "continuous improvement" or an overhaul to allow continuous improvement.
Stagnation does not get you to the front of the line..

First, thanks everyone for all the reply's to my post.

My company went full blown GPS on every service van, probably about 200 total and here is what I have to say so far.

Supposedly, the system paid for itself in less than 3 weeks. I think that is management trying to make sure they cover their as**s because of what the system costs. Numbers are easy to fudge.

I was in the service office just the other day and asked one of the dispatchers how the whole GPS thing was working. We have guys idling their vans for over an hour in the morning, some techs out, with the vans, until 11:30PM, not at a customer and others driving over 85 MPH. I asked her what was being done about that and she promptly responded: NOTHING! In fact we have techs only away from their house for about 5 hours and charging 8 and 9 hours. HELLO!

So, this goes right back to my original post: If you have competent management your company does not need GPS. Nothing has been said to these "bad" techs since GPS has been implemented. This does nothing but lower the moral of all the good techs who see this. In my eyes, if your company s**ks it is completely due to management. It is management's job to run the company.

One question: If GM puts out a terrible product, pays their workers too much money, gives in to union demands too easily, and eventually goes bankrupt, is that the fault of the line worker or the management who left it get to that ridiculous point? Is GPS necessary or does management need an overhaul?

If you think you need GPS than you need to fire your untrustworthy technician or two. Don't handcuff your entire work crew because of a few bad seeds. Its too tempting to use this tool as way to pester your technicians, leading to instant resentment of your team. So go ahead implement the GPS units and watch your moral tank faster than our stock market.

i,m the same ,don,t cheat the system. but i,m the only engineer in this area so i get all the jobs in this area anyway. unless i,m on holiday that is

I think the general point should be, if a tech bills his time and then some or simply "covers his time then that's great.

However, don't come to work everyday billing 8 or 9 hours somewhere but go home in 6. Thats not fair to the company, the customer or the other employees in the organization.

Great topic, cant beleive i missed this one.I have a tracker on my van and never have any bother from my manager, but then again i dont get customer complaints,not many comebacks,and never fiddle the time so he doesent need to bother me.

i drove 2 1/2 hrs to a customer to find one of uor guys already there and this is when we had gps.Like I said with or with out not much changed here.Gps still didnt weed out bad servicemen.

Response to Batman: Not to sound "Sarcastic" but as for questions #1 and #2, I think you answered your own questions and No, you are not full of yourself. I have always believed that it is managements responsibility monitor employees and there productivity as well as profitability, but if they have no clue, how can they determine what is and what "aint"?
As for #3, a good dispatcher and GPS could save $$$ by routing Techs in a cost effective manner eliminating back tracking and criss-crossing, keeping mileage down. Again, we go back to "competent" people monitoring the system.
If it is used as a "Tool" and not as a "weapon", GPS will work. It will not take long to see who is doing it right, and who is not, but we need to keep in mind, A good dispatcher is the key to making it work, some of the excess fuel usage and high mileage and low productivity could be caused from poor dispatching. I have had them run me "the long way around the barn", Rush you through a job so you can drive a hundred miles to put a battery in a truck, when there was a tech 3 miles up the road doing PM's that could have taken the call. I have passed other Techs out on the road that drove by the place I was headed for that could have taken the call, any of you out there seen this?
I realize there are some bad apples in every bunch, but I have seen Techs get chewed out because of a lousy dispatcher.
Just my 2 cents!

Response to Easy M: It would work if used "correctly" and monitored by "Competent" personnel.

I guess there is no argument there EasyM...

well?

I'm still waiting on a reply to my post above.

If GPS is a tool that we sell to our customers so that they can increase productivity and reduce costs, why would it not do the same for forklift dealerships?

Do we not practice what we preach?

Many of you technicians work for dealerships that promote the use of GPS systems on forklifts. These systems are used for many things but one of the benefits is for the customer to find out who are their most productive operators. I have seen documented proof that that these sytems save customers at least 10% of their total cost of operation. The bad forklift operators are easily weeded out over time. The good operators then become highly valued employees. If GPS systems are good for our customers, why would they NOT be good for dealers?

I would say that if the dispatchers use GPS to know where the techs are without calling and asking, but never are allowed to harass the tech about what they are doing in a particular spot for a particular amount of time (if it's that important, call the tech in and let the Service mangler ask him behind closed doors.
I have gone from no GPS to a company that has all techs on GPS for years. it makes my life better to not have to update the dispatcher as to where I am and where I am going every time I move the van. the management has gotten over the idea of bugging every tech every time they stop at a grocery store or bank on the way home.

Well, GPS has a good point and a bad point but anywhere you put it its just put you on the spot whether you are working or just passing time. There are many ways to justify work but electronics cannot change the actual check whether or not a mechanic does his job or not. To me, GPS users are persons not trusting or does not have proper control on their operation. Service is about connecting to people and building relationships and I don't think that GPS can improve that. In the end it is what we can do for our company that matters. If the company treats us well then there is no need for GPS, only proper monitoring based on loyalty.