Laptops in Service?

[jcomstock]

Has anyone had success with Laptops in service tech area? Keep hearing a rumor that GM is going to require laptops in coming years.
Remodeling service and want to stream line pc foot print!

[helpers1]

We are a multi-franchise, multi-location dealer with 40+ techs. Most of our techs have laptops in service. We purchase a bulk of them for a discounted price, then offer them for sale to the techs, payroll deducted over a period of time. They are their personal property. If the tech leaves our employment before the laptop is paid off, he has the option of leaving the laptop here, or having the balance taken out of his last check and keeping it. We have been doing this for a couple years, and it's strictly on a volunteer basis at this point.

[lifeisgood]

Our techs buy their own laptops and we have a wireless system for the shop - no cables to run! and they can take them to the car if needed. They have to agree to keep McAfee virus scan (we provide) updated. Works great and techs really like it. Ford dealership - system started 5 years ago. (We put it to them like they were buying another tool for their toolbox!)

[daponik]

We have one laptop for each team of 4 Techs. Minimum requirement from Nissan for the Toughbook laptops that come preloaded with the CONSULT III diag software.

They work great, but you guys don't foresee problems with techs using "personal" machines on your wireless networks eating up your precious bandwidth downloading music and wasting time checking their MySpace pages?

[helpers1]

Every employee signs a waiver stating company equipment (including wireless accesses) will be used for company business only, and violators could be terminated. The techs usage is monitored by their team leaders, but most of these types of problems don't come from our techs: they are here to make money and get home. Our problems with the internet come from late night salespeople/managers/receptionists. Once they knew we meant business by terminating 2 offenders who didn't know their usage was being monitored, the abuse was greatly minimized. I'm sure there are a few who still find ways to get away with it though...got to inspect what you expect.

[jcomstock]

Thanks for the good info.
If Unauthorized surfing is a problem.
Check out Barracuda Networks 310 webfilter!
Filters content and spyware!
You can allow different levels of access based on need.
Here it is a incentive benefit to have full internet access!

[lifeisgood]

Has not been a problem to have a personal machine. Did have to have one tech change his background - to risque - but other than that, tracking productivity keeps them on their toes. I'm sure there is surfing and myspace but it happens everywhere in the dealership. The important thing is the work is done well and the customers are taken care of.

[GMFXDOPSMGR]

GM is looking to come out with a laptop specifically designed to intergrate with DealerWorld. It will have an XP OS and will be capable of surfing the net. We have installed one to see if the wireless will allow us to do the needed downloads and updates that the PC perform. So far, so good. We may build a new Service facility in the next year and we are considering going completely mobile.

[KevvyG]

When Ford intorduced the IDS, we went wireless right off the hop with 2 of the Panasonic ToughBooks. Worked out great. The techs can sit in the car and view TSB's or download updates. A year later when we went to Electronic Dispatch, we just added 6 more laptops to the existing wireless. Now they all can search out whatever they need without leaving their bay.

[capsgs]

I find laptops to be too slow. We have pcs for all the techs set up on our network. They are able to access GM's MDI thru a wireless point on our network. When GM goes full MDI support we may invest in 1 or 2 laptops for snapshots. However I don't plan on abandonning pcs.