January 13, 2022
Attach It
Many of us have done the following:
You enter a store and ask an employee if he carries a certain item. When they ask for details, you're not sure what it's called or exactly how to describe it.
"It's the thingamajig that goes on the piece that sticks out of the unit…"
Then you hold out your hands to approximate the size and shape of said item. "It's about so big, and shaped like one of those…"
What a consumption of time. You know what you want, but the employee is failing to understand your needs based on your limited description. More time is used seeking someone else who might have a better idea of how to help.
What if you end up having to order the part? If no one is certain of a description—shape, dimensions, etc.—you risk receiving the incorrect part.
You don't want that confusion in your everyday life, and you certainly can't afford that confusion at your plant's operation. Time wasted unsure of what part is needed means more money spent on labor and possibly more equipment downtime expense.
This holds true when creating purchase orders. Maybe the vendor isn't absolutely certain what you want. Think of the time and money that's lost.
What if you took a moment to snap an image of what you need before you visit the store? Better yet, what if you could attach an image to certain items in your plant's inventory? You'd have a picture for a worker to identify. You could have that image as part of a purchase order, so the vendor knows exactly what you want.
It's all about three goals you should have:
Increasing productivity
With better descriptions of parts with the additional benefits of images, you can better plan jobs, storage, and purchasing.
Maximizing efficiency
Your employee isn't confused as to which part is needed. Maybe the item is one that isn't often used but is important to the operation of a vital piece of equipment. You want that worker to get onto the job as quickly as possible.
Cost cutting
Simply put: the faster a part is found—or ordered—the faster the piece of equipment is once again performing.
Example of uploading a snapshot of a problem for an emergency work order.
Your work order software should give you the option of attaching:
Images - Pictures of the part or diagram of the item
Documents – Relevant information to the part including procedures and further descriptions
Weblinks – To a site to view something that in file form would be too large for the software's allowances.
Video – A short demonstration of how the part is used.
Mapcon Technologies incorporates the option of attachments. These can be applied to inventory lists, work orders, and even purchase orders. Be aware, the attachments won't appear if you print the orders. They can, however, be a great reminder to new employees unfamiliar with certain parts or a reminder to everyone of procedural matters.
The Mapcon Mobile app allows users to upload images, and what a powerful tool to use when you're on-the-go and away from your desk. No more downloading images from the phone only to attach them to the software.
Mapcon services of implementation and training will help you avoid confusion and loss of time and money.
For more information:
Call MAPCON Sales now: 1-800-922-4336 or Email us!