Johannesburg, 10 Nov 2016
Keeping track of fast moving mobile assets that are issued to employees on a daily or weekly basis can be very challenging. Examples of mobile assets include mobile computers, automated identification equipment, safety equipment, specialised testing equipment and vehicle handling equipment, to name few.
According to Andrew Fosbrook, Director at MakeMeMobile, the number of mobile devices in organisations has expanded exponentially over the past few years as companies deploy mobile assets to automate and improve business processes both within their premises and also within field operations.
It's key to ensure that an accurate record is kept of all fast moving mobile assets, as well as the status of their condition and their availability, as this real-time information can not only increase productivity, but can also reduce costs. To meet customers' needs in the enterprise mobility industry, MakeMeMobile has developed a cloud-based Asset Control Solution (ACS).
"The lack of efficient mobile asset control has resulted in clients losing revenue," adds Fosbrook. "The functionality of our solution differs from a fixed asset solution, as we need to accurately track the whereabouts of mobile assets and the condition they are in on a daily basis as and when these assets are issued to and returned by employees."
Business benefits
With the deployment of ACS, businesses can maximise the usage of their mobile assets and maintain an updated real-time asset register of all devices. Fosbrook says that this allows an operation to keep abreast of what devices need to be repaired, changed or upgraded in order for employees to do their jobs efficiently.
ACS also monitors personnel usage of all assets, as well as tracks standby equipment in use or on standby, and tracks stock levels of consumables. "The handy dashboards give management an overview of all assets, which prevents over-investing due to lack of visibility," he adds.
Key features
According to Fosbrook, ACS has powerful features that distinguish it from an inventory tracking system. The Asset and User Take On feature captures assets into the system, and users can mark each asset with an asset tracking barcode label, including associated accessories such as batteries and straps. The system stores an extensive amount of information, such as full description and categorisation, company asset register information, purchase history and warranty and service details.
"Personnel using the mobile assets are registered into the system, and single or multiple shift patterns can be run, allowing workers to be allocated to the relevant shift," explains Fosbrook.
All assets issued and returned are scanned at the point of issue using the Asset Issuing and Returns feature. This allows supervisors to track the return of all assets at the end of a shift and also quickly identify missing assets before a shift is closed. "Failures and breakages during a shift are noted and consumables related to the assets are also tracked. Operators are notified when stock levels run low," says Fosbrook.
The Warranties and Service Contracts feature allows for all related warranties, maintenance contracts, Service Level Agreements and support information to be added onto the system. With this feature, an automated notification to the relevant personnel or help desk in the event of a failure or problem will be dispatched.
According to Fosbrook, ACS can either be deployed on a company's server or it can be deployed through M3 Cloud. "This provides a business with a scalable solution with increased efficiencies, reduced deployment time and capital expenditure on IT infrastructure," he adds.
In conclusion, Fosbrook highlighted that ACS has so far been successfully implemented at enterprise customers within the FMCG, retail, and transport and logistics' markets. "These implementations include customers who have deployed ACS on a national basis, and results are showing that there is an excellent return on investment as enterprises control and manage their valuable mobile assets."
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