Applications of Barcodes in Maintenance Management
The quality of the maintenance data is critical to the success of maintenance management. Human errors, on the other hand, lead to erroneous data being input into CMMS software, reducing the utility of the data it contains. Since correct data entry and lookup are important, organisations frequently utilise a barcode system. Barcodes in maintenance management have a wide variety of uses.
Using Barcodes for Maintenance Management
You may use barcoding to help with a wide range of everyday maintenance management tasks. Here are some examples of barcodes being used in maintenance situations.
Asset Tagging
In order to keep track of physical assets, barcode labels "asset tags" are put directly on the assets' exteriors. In an ideal situation, asset tags enable maintenance employees to go up to an asset, scan the barcode, and conduct some action using their CMMS (computerised maintenance management system). For example, the asset management system might help users look for information about asset details, stocktaking, look at maintenance records, or raise a work request or work order.
If your company manages numerous assets, asset tags might be an advantage to you. By scanning barcodes, technicians may obtain and record correct maintenance data for a specific asset, which decreases human error.
Object tags are attached to the asset and must survive severe temperatures, moisture, dirt, and vibrations without being degraded or lost. Barcode labels must meet these requirements. The barcodes' value is tainted if any data is omitted or incomplete. Organizations must choose barcode printers and labeling materials based on what they need to do.
Tool Tracking
Barcodes are also used to monitor long-lasting goods like tools. To put it another way, unlike equipment assets like automobiles, tools are movable, shared among employees, and often relocated. The maintenance department can keep track of precisely which tools have been checked out, where they are now, and how many are still in stock by using barcodes on the items.
Check-in/Check-out
Barcodes are used in a check-in/check-out procedure similar to that of a library to keep track of the movement of tools. In order to reserve a tool for usage, technicians scan the barcode on the tool itself. When the tool is returned, it is scanned into its storage spot and put back where it belongs.
Inventory Management
Many organisations hold stock items for ongoing repairs and maintenance in stockrooms. Due to the large number of unique inventory items, it is important not to mix up the names of items when filling work orders or restocking the stockroom.
Barcode labels, when placed on storeroom racks, shelves, and containers, make it possible to quickly and easily locate certain goods. This may be used for inspecting maintenance components, altering the quantity of parts in kits, and doing physical inventory counts, among other things. Instead of typing numbers into the CMMS by hand in the stockroom, barcodes can be scanned instead. This saves time.
It is also possible that a master binder containing barcodes for all inventory items already has barcodes for each item. Employees may scan a barcode to locate the position of an inventory item if they don't know where it is in the CMMS. Finally, the method enables you to locate the item in a certain aisle (as well as racks, shelves, and bins).
Purchasing and Receiving
CMMS's buying and receiving functions may benefit from the use of barcodes. Employees scan a barcode on a physical PO form to search for the purchase order data when new inventory items are delivered and need to be received. Incoming purchase order goods are then tracked by personnel, who make adjustments to the status and quantity as needed. Even when a lot of things come in at once, barcodes make this process much faster and easier.
A CMMS may be used to match barcode labels on arriving products to inventory data by tracking vendor item numbers. Barcode labels may then be generated for tracking and stocking purposes according to the organization's internal numbering system.
Barcoded Documents
Paper records, like purchase orders and work orders, may be barcoded using CMMS software with barcode functionality. All users have to do to look up and update these records in the CMMS is scan the barcode with a search box. Many things may be received simultaneously, or a large quantity of work orders can be closed, and this is a major time saving.
CMMS Ease of Use
Barcodes may enable quick access to important data, based on the CMMS. For example, scanning a barcode is far faster than navigating through many screens. Once the asset (or document) has been identified, the system may either lead the user directly to the record's data or provide a choice of alternatives for what to do next.
In the long run, if scanning a barcode saves a user one click, the cumulative effect is significant. A technician's time spent in the CMMS is time that may be better spent on real maintenance work.
Barcoding Technology's Advantages in Maintenance Management
Barcodes have a wide range of uses in the field of maintenance management. Thanks to barcode technology integrated into many CMMS systems, automating your maintenance process has never been easier. There are several benefits to barcoding, as this article explains:
Improved Accuracy: Barcode scanning reduces human error by allowing maintenance data to be input into the system by scanning the barcode instead of manually entering it.
Enhanced Efficiency: As soon as the barcode system is completely established, maintenance staff may use the CMMS to easily access information or take extra action. Allowing workers to remain productive is made possible by wireless scanning and portable barcode scanning.
Making Better Decisions: Maintenance companies can make better choices regarding asset management, asset maintenance, asset tracking, inventory purchases, maintenance plans, and more when they have access to correct data. This results in enhanced operations and lower maintenance expenses.
Improved Return on Investment (ROI): Progressively more sophisticated capabilities of a CMMS may be implemented by an organization. When sophisticated CMMS software and a barcode system are combined, the firm gains extra long-term results, boosting CMMS ROI.
Increased number of users: An easy-to-use solution has a higher chance of being adopted by employees. By scanning barcodes, people with different levels of computer skills can quickly and easily enter data.
Get the most out of your Maintenance Operations using Pinnacle Asset Easy eAM.
The barcode feature of our cloud CMMS and mobile app enables full asset tracking, work order management, inventory management and pre start check etc. Please get in touch with us as soon as possible for further information on our Asset Tracking and Maintenance software.
