Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire & Rescue Authority

Performance Review & Scrutiny Committee Item 6

18th June 2008

Fleet Maintenance Centre Performance Summary for 2007/08

Report of Chief Officer

1

Summary

1.1

This report was requested by the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee as part of the recommendations from the Best Value Review of the HFRS Vehicle Workshops, renamed the Fleet Maintenance Centre (FMC) following its move to Eastleigh. The report summarises its performance and includes efficiency savings made between April 2007 and March 2008.

2

Recommendations

2.1

The Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee accept the findings of this report and acknowledge the improvement in the Fleet Maintenance Centre's performance during 2007/08.

2.2

The Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee request a similar report is produced for 2008/09.

3

Introduction

3.1

The following report looks at all aspects of the Fleet Maintenance Centre's operation and highlights performance in key areas of its operation and the efficiency savings made during 2007/08. It also includes the future direction the FMC Management Team intend to take to ensure continued performance improvements in 2008/9.

3.2

The Best Value Review of the Fleet Maintenance Centre recommended a range of Performance Indicators to measure improvement in its performance. These Performance Indicators now set the benchmark for measuring the Fleet Maintenance Centre's annual performance in key areas. (see Appendices)

4

Fleet Maintenance Centre Performance productivity

4.1

Productive hours increased by over 1,300 hours compared to 2006/07 (as seen in Appendix 1).

4.2

A reduction of over 1,500 hours in non productivity has been seen over the year with a fall in sickness absence being the main reason. This follows advice from the Service's Occupational Health and Human Resources departments, and the FMC Management team using the Service's Absence Management process to help personnel were possible.

4.3

General wellbeing of personnel has improved following actions to address issues highlighted in the GMB led stress survey. The FMC management team and personnel continue to work together to reduce stress levels in the workplace. The move to the new facility has also improved everyone's working environment.

4.4

An element of the non productive Performance Indicator in previous years has been union duties. It has been agreed to remove this element as the technician has a considerable workload with the many Service projects ongoing needing union consultation. The time spent on union duties will be taken off the number of productive hours available.

5

Overtime

5.1

The FMC exceeded the planned overtime budget by almost £21,000. The main reasons are as follows:

· Following the resignation of the engineering technician the FMC Management Team decided to change the position to that of an Auto-electrical / Engineering technician. This meant a change of job description etc. and took four months to recruit a replacement technician.

· The move from Winchester to the new FMC facility at Eastleigh required the vehicle servicing schedule had to be brought forward and the only way to achieve the additional workload was to use overtime.

It remains the FMC management team intention to only use overtime if there is a Service need.

6

Major Servicing

6.1

The Fleet Maintenance Centre completed the Fleet Manager's servicing schedule for 2007/08 on time.

6.2

The average time spent by FMC technicians servicing HFRS vehicles and associated equipment has significantly reduced for the second year in a row. However, some targets times have not been met and line managers will review performance with every technician at their PDR and identify ways to help them meet the targets in the future.

6.3

The target times for 17 service types have been reduced while the remaining 2 target times stay the same for 2008/9. (see Appendix 2 and LPI 83 Service times)

7

Defects

7.1

The overall number of defects for 2007/08 fell by 526 and continues the downward trend. More importantly those defects causing the vehicle or equipment to go "off the run" have fallen by almost 50%. This means frontline appliance availability is presently the highest it has ever been. (see appendix LPI 81 - Defects)

7.2

The performance against a challenging 100% target in respect of the attendance and completion of the three categories of defects is shown in the appendices (LPI 82 series)

Category 1 defects (2 hours to attend and complete repairs) remains the most demanding especially `out of hours'

8

Customer Satisfaction

8.1

The customer satisfaction forms that have been returned show the FMC is performing at good or satisfactory with only one returned with a poor mark. (see appendix LPI 84 series)

8.2

Some surveys were not sent to stations following their vehicles major service due to personnel absence. Procedures have been put in place so this does not occur again.

9

Non HFRS work

9.1

This area of the Workshops operation is an efficient way of utilising the FMC's spare capacity and reducing its annual cost to the HFRS in the process. The work carried out in 2007/08 generated an income of over £59,000. This is slightly less than previous years. However, non HFRS work could not be accommodated on occasions due to the heavier workload from the HFRS and the transition period when the Fleet Maintenance Centre's operation moved to Eastleigh.

9.2

The FMC continues to receive enquiries from potential non HFRS customers. The Isle of Wight Fire Service was added to our ever growing partnership organisations this year when they asked us to service and certificate their operational ladders.

10

Workshop annual budget

10.1

The Fleet Maintenance Centre's planned budget for 2007/8 had £27,000 unspent and continues the FMC's record of good financial management. However, this will be tested in the next financial year with the continually increasing cost of parts and services. This area of the FMC expenditure was £70,000 over estimate.

11

Future direction

11.1

The FMC Management Team will continue to look at ways to reduce it's expenditure and improve working practices. The move to our new facility offers the opportunity to build on its successes following the Best Value review.

11.2

FMC personnel are encouraged to share ideas and good working practice to improve performance and a number of ideas are being developed.

11.3

As recommended by the Best Value Review, producing an annual plan of the FMC's workload is a priority. A manual system has been put in place but can only give limited benefit and a new fleet maintenance system to replace TRACE is now a priority.

11.4

HFRS is to increase the number of new frontline appliances and ancillary vehicles over the next few years as a result of lease vehicles being returned. This, together with the knock-on refurbishments and re-issues will add considerably to the Fleet Maintenance Centre's workload.

11.5

Following delays with work specifications Service Delivery have agreed to look at their processes and provide, were possible, full specifications and equipment ahead of target start dates.

12

Personal Development Reviews

12.1

The FMC completed all PDR's on time and these have become an important mechanism for identifying good work practice and highlighting areas needing improvement.

13

Conclusion

13.1

The goals set in last year's report have been achieved with reductions in non-productivity, servicing times and the number of vehicle and equipment defects.

13.2

The FMC has seen significant improvement in all areas of its operation during 2007/8. The FMC's goal for 2008/9 is to continue building on the success of the previous two years.

14

Equality Impact Assessment

14.1

The proposals within this report are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

14

Background information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972)

14.1

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report:

Appendix 1 - Workshops Productivity

Appendix 2 - Servicing Target times for 2008/09

Appendix 3 - LPI 83 Service times

Appendix 4 - LPI 81 Defects

Appendix 5 - LPI 82ai series - the attendance and completion of defects 6 pages

Appendix 6 - LPI 84 Customer Satisfaction 6 pages

Note: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.