Denton County Transportation Authority brought maintenance, inspections, inventory, and fleet data together in Spare EAM, giving its team a clearer view of its fleet and a more connected way to manage maintenance.

Located in Denton County in the northern Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, DCTA provides bus, commuter rail, on demand, paratransit, and university transportation services across a varied region.

As DCTA’s maintenance operation evolved, different tools and processes supported everything from vehicle inspections and maintenance records to inventory. The opportunity was to connect those workflows so mechanics, dispatchers, and agency staff could work from the same information.

With Spare EAM, DCTA brought maintenance operations for more than 60 vehicles into one system and consolidated roughly 5,000 parts SKUs into a single catalog.

Bringing maintenance information together

Before Spare EAM, getting a complete picture of a vehicle could mean looking across different records and workflows. Maintenance history, vehicle status, inspections, and parts information weren’t always connected, making it harder for teams to quickly answer questions about what had been done, what needed attention, and whether a vehicle was ready for service.

“Before Spare EAM, we were running in five different systems and still missing the full picture. Now everything is in one place. Our mechanics know exactly what's been done to a vehicle, our dispatch team can see maintenance status in real time, and we finally have an inventory we can trust.” - Bobby Yard, Fleet Manager, DCTA

With Spare EAM, existing work order and asset history carried over into the new system, giving each vehicle a continuous maintenance record rather than requiring DCTA to start over.

The platform was also configured around DCTA’s fleet. Cutaways, diesel buses, and non-revenue vehicles can be managed according to their individual requirements, with preventive maintenance schedules based on the appropriate time and mileage intervals for each vehicle type.
‍

Making 5,000 parts traceable

Inventory was one of the clearest opportunities for change.

DCTA wanted a more reliable connection between the parts in its inventory and the vehicles those parts ultimately went into. With Spare EAM, roughly 5,000 parts SKUs were consolidated into one catalog, including approximately 2,300 active parts. Barcode scanning helps align physical inventory with system records, while parts used during maintenance can be linked directly to the vehicle where they were installed.

That gives DCTA more than an inventory count. It creates a traceable record of where parts are going and contributes to a more complete maintenance history for each vehicle.
‍

Connecting inspections directly to maintenance

DCTA also connected driver inspections more closely with what happens in the garage.

Pre-trip and post-trip DVIRs are completed within the same system used for maintenance. When an inspection identifies an issue, such as low tire tread depth, a work order can be created automatically so the issue moves directly into the maintenance workflow.

The change has already reduced administrative work. DCTA estimates it saves approximately two hours every day on pre-trip inspection and fuel data entry.
‍

Giving mechanics tools built for the garage

For mechanics, the system needs to work where the work actually happens.

Through the Spare EAM app, DCTA’s team can manage work orders and record the parts used on a job. Voice-enabled work orders allow mechanics to log time and notes by voice from a tablet, reducing the amount of manual typing required while working in the garage.

Instead of reconstructing maintenance records after the fact, information can be captured as the work happens.
‍

A clearer view across the agency

Bringing maintenance information together has also made it easier for DCTA to use that information outside the garage.

Dispatchers have real-time visibility into vehicle maintenance status, while custom PM compliance and work order reporting helps the team understand what’s happening across the fleet. Role-based permissions allow different teams to access the information relevant to them without requiring everyone to have the same level of system access.

For Tori Dickens, Asset Management Coordinator at DCTA, that broader view has made it easier to plan ahead and communicate across the agency.

“Having everything in one place gives us a much better view of what’s happening across the operation and it’s made it easier.” - Tori Dickens, Asset Management Coordinator, DCTA

Building on the foundation

DCTA’s work with Spare EAM is continuing to evolve. More than 60 vehicles are now tracked in the platform, approximately 5,000 parts SKUs have been consolidated, inspections connect directly with maintenance workflows, and teams across the agency have greater visibility into fleet status.

For Tori, an important part of that progress has been the relationship behind the technology.

“I really appreciate the Spare team because we feel listened to. There are still things we’re working through, but no one has ever said, ‘We can’t do that,’ and we always get support from the Spare team.” - Tori Dickens, Asset Management Coordinator, DCTA

That collaboration gives DCTA room to keep refining its workflows while building on a more connected foundation for its maintenance operation.