Our client is a US-based leasing and logistics company in the trucking industry that was looking to overhaul their maintenance operations. HCLTech implemented a digital platform for predictive maintenance with telematics data monetization. We created and deployed an in-house AI-based Virtual Private Assistant (VPA) that automated operations for high accuracy in order processing. Additionally, with the introduction of a new platform, we digitized the rental process to significantly cut down processing times.
The Challenge
Inefficient processes hampering customer experience
The client anticipated disruption to core business with the advent of electric and autonomous trucks of competitors. They were looking to improve customer experience through streamlined processes, especially in the maintenance and truck rental areas. Their truck maintenance operations suffered inefficiencies and billing inconsistencies. These resulted from incorrect ledger mappings for repair orders, deletion of invalid repair orders blocking inventory, repair order modifications and handling of incomplete tasks, forms and worksheets.
Their rental processing was time-consuming and was not in line with industry benchmarks. The disparate systems led to unavailability of historical data, and business was adversely affected by non-streamlined processes.
Overall, employee productivity was down due to these persistent problems.
The Objective
Spruce up internal systems for faster and more efficient operations
The customer had access to OBD telematics data that was vital for preventive maintenance. Additionally, such data was valuable to our client from business planning perspective and for our customer this represented a monetizable asset.
They also wanted to implement a digital platform that would optimize maintenance operations for an enhanced customer experience. By leveraging available asset data and offering it over a unified platform maintenance operations were better managed and for the customer represented higher levels of asset uptime and better predictability leading to higher levels of satisfaction.
The Solution
Redesigned systems for better decision-making across the board using automation
HCLTech designed and provisioned a Connected Fleet Platform for our client which at scale linked near real-time telematics data for a combined fleet of over 1 million vehicles across most major truck OEMs, telematics service providers and IoT service providers to drive all enterprise level decision-making. This platform provided:
- Real-time visibility of vehicle condition, predictive maintenance status and emergency driver assistance
- Real-time optimization of routes based on traffic conditions, operational costs
- Monetize telematic information across industry ecosystem (future state)
We modernized the purchase order process in the maintenance shops to a cloud-based BPM platform. We also deployed a proprietary conversational UI solution, Medha®, an AI-based, Virtual Private Assistant (VPA) that automates tasks/identifies intent through human-like conversations in all 800 locations across US and Canada. Implementing the VPA led to the following benefits for our client:
- VPA interacted with the shop floor employees to resolve known service requests
- VPA had been trained to identify the intent of the user and programmed appropriate process for resolution
- The virtual agent was integrated with the general ledger system and shop management online application
- The virtual agent was integrated with the ITSM tool, Service Now, to track and trace the conversation
Finally, we implemented a new platform that digitalized the rental process and drastically reduced the time required to process a rental.
- The digital platform also helped streamline and automate the walkthrough, inspection and signature processes, as well as the damage and truck walkthrough processes further reducing the rental processing time
- Transformed the shop maintenance process by implementing a new BPM platform that streamlined and digitized manual activities in the purchasing and repair process
The Impact
Reduced costs, faster turnaround times and improved customer satisfaction
With the introduction of Connected Fleet, our client achieved:
- Reduction of maintenance cost through predictive maintenance
- Improved DOT (eDVIR) compliance
- Improvement in customer satisfaction through value-added services (monetization)
Maintenance transformation and automation implemented by HCLTech led to the client benefitting:
- Turnaround time for ticket resolution improved by over 50%
- Automated 30%+ of incident ticket handling
- Increased customer satisfaction
Digitization and transformation of the rental process has our client witnessing:
- Reduced rental time by 50%
- Volume of rentals taking more than 20 minutes was reduced by 28%
- 10x increase in rental experience CSAT scores
