Use Equipment Management Software to Achieve New Year Goals

How does equipment management software make a difference?

The new year is a time for both reflection and new beginnings: what did we do right this past year and what did we miss out on? Most importantly, were we happy and did we accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves? Our personal and professional goals are not always that different, what with the ultimate objectives of success and happiness. Therefore, when businesses set financial and productivity goals for the new year they should also consider planning for a happier work environment. The importance of keeping our employees happy is further illustrated by Dee Hock, the founder and CEO of VISA Inc.:

“An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it.”

In a happy work environment, employees look forward to working and are subsequently more engaged, motivated and productive. Having an organized management process in place helps in creating such a stress-free and constructive work environment. Here is how an equipment management software allows professionals to smooth out their workflows and make equipment management easier in order to achieve a more favorable work environment.

Smoother workflows with dependable equipment

The beginning of a new year is a good time for organizations that are still using spreadsheets and paperwork for equipment management to re-evaluate their management strategy. Spreadsheets eat up management time and are plagued with outdated and faulty information. Professionals can easily be bogged down by this time-consuming and confusing task of looking up and editing data in spreadsheets. Employing an efficient and easy-to-use equipment management software ensures that professionals can look up equipment, check it in/out for usage and trust that the equipment they need is fully functional. By providing professionals with the ability to instantly look up and track assets, the software decreases the number of workflow interruptions caused by equipment.

Another neat and handy feature offered by equipment management software is the ability to track the maintenance of equipment. What this essentially means is that concerned professionals are periodically reminded about their equipment maintenance needs and can also easily follow up on equipment repairs. Thus ensuring that equipment is fully functional and unexpected equipment breakdowns do not cause undue stress or hamper workflows. Therefore, with equipment management software, professionals are able to focus on their job and stay motivated, without having to face logistical equipment delays and malfunctions.

The perfect blend of employee access and control

Steve Jobs said that “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” When it comes to equipment management, organizations often have to decide between giving employees complete control over equipment or restricting access. While a centralized system allows organizations to maintain checks on their equipment, it is most often inefficient and hinders collaboration related to equipment usage and maintenance. On the other hand, equipment management software allows organizations to set-up access control in such a way that employees of different teams and departments are able to access relevant equipment and edit it without interfering with equipment that is restricted or irrelevant to them.

Organizations can also set up arbitration on select equipment checkouts and reservations so that they have more checks on who gets to use their expensive equipment. On the other hand, employees can find equipment when they need, view availability calendars, check out and reserve equipment without encountering any equipment scheduling clashes with other employees. Therefore, the software empowers all employees with the ability to schedule their equipment usage and achieve a more collaborative and stress-free work environment.

Better insights for equipment usage and procurement

Professionals that do not have access to support documents for equipment often find themselves frustrated when they can’t get equipment to work or debug issues related to equipment malfunction. Many issues related to equipment malfunctions may just be caused by the fact that employees do not have access to usage manuals and best practice guides. What equipment management software does is that it allows professionals to upload support documents and images and makes it available alongside other equipment details. Therefore employees that check out equipment are able to access and view these support documents in order to ensure that they can properly use equipment and avoid being frustrated due to a lack of information.

Equipment management software also allows professionals to generate reports on equipment. This means that professionals are able to gain valuable insights regarding equipment usage, inventory levels, vendor’s, maintenance and costs. Having such insights on equipment can help professionals make timely and cost effective procurement and distribution decisions. This means that both employees and business owners remain happy as necessary equipment is procured on time and investments are made wisely.

Conclusion

This year, why not try something different and aim for a happier work environment in order to achieve greater productivity! Pay attention to all areas of your work set-up including your equipment management strategy using equipment management software. This offers a more inclusive and efficient way of tracking equipment in order to ensure smoother office workflows for a happier and stress-free work environment.