The chances of Flat Rate Plumbing technicians heading for a job without the right parts are about as good as people failing to notice the bright, bold logo on Flat Rate trucks. That’s because the company, in New Berlin, Wis., uses plumbing and drain-cleaning service trucks that work seamlessly with sophisticated inventory software.
It all starts inside the company’s 12 Hino and Isuzu/Chevrolet trucks, outfitted with 12-foot aluminum bodies made by HI-V-CO (one body was made by Hackney USA). Each truck has the same custom-made HI-V-CO storage system, composed of aluminum shelves and 80 plastic bins (40 on each side wall).
Highly systematic
Each bin is assigned a number, as is each slot inside the bin. The slots also carry a quantity number and a brief description of the part stored. Part numbers correspond with the specific bin and slot in which they should be stored; the numbers start with either an L or an R to tell the technicians on which side of the truck the part is stored.
“So, for example, part number L1206 goes on the left side of the truck, bin 12, slot 6,” says general manager A.J. Jonathan. When technicians submit invoices, they also fill out a restocking slip that tells parts stockers how many of the parts were used, the part descriptions, and the part numbers. All parts are restocked in no more than 48 hours.
The aisles in the parts department are laid out exactly like the insides of the trucks, making it easy for part stockers to find parts. The company manages its parts inventory with software made by Maio Success Systems Inc.
The idea for the numbering/restocking system came from an industry seminar. “It helps because most of the time, the guys are driving fully stocked trucks,” Jonathan says. “If they need a fitting, for example, they don’t have to make a supply house run. That saves us hundreds of dollars a day in lost production and wages.
“When we hire new technicians, they’re blown away by both the quality and efficiency of these trucks. A lot of them are used to vans that you can’t even walk through because they’re so messy and disorganized. These vehicles are first class.”
Lots of space
Parts manager John Oberhofer observes, “The trucks are like miniature hardware stores. They save each technician a couple of hours a day, especially if you consider that when they go to a supply house, they could easily sit for 20 minutes before they even get waited on. Over a year, they save us unbelievable amounts of time and money.”
Flat Rate also found the trucks inviting because they carry more inventory than the previous trucks. Each truck can hold a 90-gallon water heater, tools, drain-cleaning equipment (RIDGID K-1500 and K-50 sectional drain cleaners), two toilets, and 10-foot lengths of various kinds of pipe. The trucks also have a rear pullout ramp, 6 1/2-foot-high ceilings, and skylights. On the exterior, the trucks trumpet the company’s name and phone number in red and blue on a white background.
Where would Flat Rate be without these trucks and the restocking system? “We’d be very disorganized,” Jonathan says.
