A key to minimizing downtime when something goes wrong with your automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) equipment and processes is to have an actionable checklist or action plan. The action plan is a proposed strategy of the steps that should be taken to resolve a situation when something goes wrong.
In business, it’s never a matter of if something might happen. It’s a matter of when something will happen. And when that something happens, it can negatively impact profits and overall productivity. Why risk your barcode labeling assets being the cause of stress and downtime? Do you have a plan in place for when your company’s AIDC equipment and processes interrupt operations?
Stop waiting for something to break before deciding what you need to do. Being proactive by having comprehensive action plans is a better business practice in a world of growing e-commerce demands and regulation requirements. Build action plans that work, using a certified AIDC product and solution company you can trust.
Preparation is Key
Some businesses are more successful than others at overcoming and minimizing downtime caused by their AIDC equipment and processes. What do successful businesses have that others don’t? They have planning, a budget, and a reputable AIDC product and solution company to help them with asset management and repair. They are prepared for the inevitable, and Imprint Enterprises helps them along the way.
Imprint’s solution is to help their clients be more successful by helping them create and assess plans before their barcode management devices interrupt processes and cause downtime by helping them understand how to perform an assessment of critical equipment, software, and processes.
Review the Assessment of Your AIDC Equipment and Processes
The information collected while assessing your AIDC equipment and processes, as discussed in this blog, creates a foundation for creating an action plan. Your equipment and processes assessment should have included the following items:
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- Detailing your processes and assets in use
- Creating or reviewing SOPs
- Checking AIDC equipment and software
- Risk identification
- Asset Inventory and Management
Create an Actionable Checklist
For each process and equipment in your assessment, develop a plan for what needs to be done if something goes wrong, such as a process that stops working or a piece of equipment that breaks or goes missing. This turns into a checklist of actionable steps to take before calling a product and solution company.
A checklist should always cover the W’s: who, what, when, where.
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- What will I do first? What will I do second? Etc.
- Where else should I check? What are the other parts or backups?
- Who will assist (department, manager, employee)?
- When will I determine I need to call an expert?
- When do I notify my superiors?
- Who is the best certified AIDC product and solution company for this problem?
Remember that all these questions and answers build to the ‘how’. HOW will I get this machine, device, or process back up and running as quickly as possible?
After creating an action plan for each process and asset, have someone else review them to get a second perspective. The action plans need to be comprehensive and understandable regardless of who is reading them. Once finalized, determine where the plans will be kept and how everyone involved will know where they are.
Cross Reference Your Maintenance Agreements
While creating your action plans, refer to your AIDC equipment’s or company’s maintenance agreements. Highlight the key items that may be relevant to include in the action plans. For example, there may be some parts that are not covered in a maintenance agreement. Do you have additional parts in stock? If not, can you get stock?
The idea is to be as prepared as possible to minimize downtime. Trying to get in contact with a certified AIDC product and solution company to cover a part that your maintenance agreement doesn’t cover wastes time that could have been spent replacing the part yourself.
Take the time to review all maintenance agreements and incorporate information into your checklists. This saves time in the long run and helps your business be more prepared. Using the example from above, if you need a spare part on hand because the maintenance agreement isn’t going to cover it in a pinch, get the part before the pinch happens.
If you have questions about what a maintenance agreement covers, always refer to the provider. They may have other information that could be added to your action checklist that you weren’t aware of.
Imprint is Your AIDC Product and Solution Support
At Imprint Enterprises, business is about the relationship, not the sale. Most other companies are just looking for a big sale without any forethought of the future of your company or barcode labeling equipment and software. Our specialists care about you and your business, minimizing downtime caused by AIDC equipment, which can help minimize emergency expenses and stress.
Stop waiting for something to break before deciding what you need to do. Being proactive is a better business practice in a world of growing e-commerce demands and regulation requirements. Build a plan that works, using a certified AIDC product and solution company you can trust.
Imprint Enterprises is a company that grows with you. We provide your business with a total, competitively priced solution, including premium hardware, software, printing media and supplies, break-fix repairs, and consulting. Our partnership doesn’t end after a single purchase. It is a relationship based on quality and trust that grows with you.
Ensuring the long-term use of your entire barcode labeling system is what makes Imprint Enterprises a Premiere Solution Partner with Zebra and a Platinum Performance Partner with Honeywell. The servicing and proper management of your AIDC equipment helps maintain the integrity of your productivity.
If your business exclusively uses Zebra Genuine Supplies, Zebra Technologies offers unique promotions, such as replacing old, worn-out printheads at no charge when enrolled in the Zebra Printhead Protection Program. From minimizing downtime and printhead costs to upgrading outdated technology, Imprint can help you learn more and make the most of those opportunities.
Contact Imprint Enterprises today to discuss how we can help you minimize downtime.
