Following a fleet improvement project with Toyota’s Production System Support Center (TSSC), the Louisville Metro (Ky.) fleet has reduced its repair backlog by 37% within two months and repair time by 75%.

“The perception was it took too long to get vehicles serviced,” said Claude Jeffries, fleet supervisor, in a video about the project.

“Before Toyota came in, folks would drop their vehicles off; they would lay payerwork wherever. We didn’t have any idea how many vehicles we had standing on the lot,” said Cathy Duncan, director of facilities and fleet management.

Now vehicles are driven to a vehicle ready line or drop-off area. Technicians began logging what was in the shop and made a visual board for tracking purposes. They cleaned, marked, and labeled areas of the shop.

Repair time has decreased from one month to less than two weeks, Jeffries said.

The project was a result of a citywide goal for fleet improvement, and Duncan believes it should be expanded to other departments.

According to the Metro website, Metro’s fleet consists of 2,600 vehicles and 1,300 pieces of auxiliary equipment.

TSSC is a Kentucky-based non-profit resource for any organization interested in adopting the Toyota Production System to strengthen quality and efficiency. According to the Courier-Journal, the group donated its time and expertise for the three-month project.

The city gave Toyota a Partners in Government Performance and Innovation award for its assistance with the project.

To view a video of the project, click here.