Packing essential parts for irrigation work requires organization and planning, and well-stocked maintenance trucks have a jumpstart over contractors who rely on poorly planned toolboxes to service an irrigation call.
There isn't time to rummage through a messy truck to find a nozzle, and customers have little patience for technicians who spend more time playing gopher to fetch parts than installing components to fix the problem, noted Thomas Farley, vice president, Farley & Son Landscaping, Rockport, Maine. The parts necessary to handle irrigation jobs are compact, and the tools for system maintenance are basic, so the storage space required on the vehicle is minimal. Easy access is a key consideration, he stressed.
"You get killed by a client that says you should've done it in 'x' amount of time and it took too long," he explained. "That's why the biggest thing is staying organized, I think. Each truck is equipped with all the hand tools they need to do 90 percent of their work, and we have a delivery crew that we use all the time."
Six employees serve on this crew-a standby operation, where technicians short of key parts can call in, request the missing piece to complete the job and have the necessity delivered. Farley's large staff makes this system possible, and it saves the company time and the hassle of rescheduling a job, which satisfies his customers, he said.
Sprinkler heads, filters, screens, fuses, nozzles and fittings comprise the basics Farley packs in containers to store on his trucks, stocked daily depending a job's service requirements. Referring to a work schedule that supplies the client's name and a description of the project allows his workers to add to initial inventory when needed, he noted.
General hand tools, including wrenches and pliers, and a voltmeter accompany fundamental irrigation components on trucks at B. Johnson Turf and Irrigation, Corvallis, Ore., added Jeff Johnson, operations manager.
"You start with the products that you typically use," he recommended, explaining how he built an inventory checklist to maximize efficiency en route. "And then you kind of know what other people are using, so you throw those into the works, and then, as you just do the repair itself, with the experience, you start noticing that something in particular goes wrong a lot, so you start stocking those parts."
KEEPING IT CONTAINED. If necessities come in a small package, how should technicians organize containers so they aren't fumbling with miniscule parts to locate what they need? Johnson stores fittings ranging from ½ to 2 inches along with different brands of various sprinkler heads. Separating the mix is a must, he said.
"We put shelves in our van with bin boxes," he described. "A box in the middle of the van has drawers and carries additional parts. Having the right part in the right spot at the right time is essential, so good organization in a van is definitely needed.
"If you go, 'gosh, I think I have one of those,' but you're not sure where it is, you spend a half hour trying to find it and you might not have it," he continued. "You should be able to walk right to the part."
An orderly system goes beyond arranging gadgets, widgets and doodads into compartments. What's in the toolbox determines whether or not a technician will be able to complete a job, so selecting the basics and some "emergency parts" to keep on hand is equally important.
A generous inventory is particularly important for Greg Gillespie, owner, Gillespie Landscape & Irrigation, Inc., Oxford, Miss. Based in an area without distribution centers, his company can't acquire additional parts last minute.
"Everything is done by UPS and Roadway," he noted. "This delivery make it more difficult, which is why we have to have everything on the trucks and have an inventory, because it takes two to three days to get parts sometimes."
Johnson learned that stocking a variety of brands eases on-the-job headaches triggered by the realization that a client's system would be better served with another manufacturer's part. "You start mixing and matching and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense," he pointed out. "When we carried only the brand that we install, that didn't seem to be enough."
Preparing a truck with the proper parts starts with customer communication, Johnson advised. When a client calls to request service, technicians should ask detailed questions and interpret the responses for clues before packing the truck. Gathering information is just as important as carrying parts, he said.
"You have to ask the right questions to get the right answer," he reasoned. "A client might not know what a part is called, but if you ask them to describe a leak, that will narrow it down."
In addition, customer records provide useful background information for determining critical equipment needs, noted Curt Winter, owner, Badgerland Irrigation, LLC, Middleton, Wis. All service vehicles hold basic components, like rotors, sprays, valves, poly fittings and pipe, but more specific needs can be identified from information such as type of clock and number of zones-details kept on these reports, he said.
"This is referenced when a service request comes in to provide direction on what replacement components might be necessary," Winter explained. "Although not foolproof, this helps greatly in addressing the request in one stop. Because quality service is on of the best ways to set your company apart, rapid resolution to a service request is key."
BASICS ON BOARD. "It is extremely difficult to prepare for all eventualities," Winter admitted. "But we do try." To achieve this, permanent staff carries cell phones and directories to locate parts not on the truck, and the company issues credit cards so technicians can pick up additional parts at a nearby hardware store if necessary, he said.
Employees who perform daily irrigation work are familiar with job essentials. Consequently, most companies hold staff accountable for stocking maintenance trucks. At the end of a route, technicians replace parts used throughout the day to avoid a dwindling supply that can leave workers empty-handed on a service call.
However, the most indispensable tools can't be planned, organized or replaced, and must not be neglected. Knowledge and experience surpass hardware in value, Johnson noted. Without these qualities, a technician is unprepared. Each customer call offers learning opportunity-mistakes and successes spark awareness for complications they might confront.
"When you're on a job, it might take you while to decide what's wrong with it when you're first getting your foot into irrigation," Johnson noted. "Nothing can replace experience."
