Mendrhub

Optimising Your POS Refrigeration Assets: Reduce Environmental Impact & Costs

by
Optimising-Your-POS-Refrigeration-Assets-Reduce-Environmental-Impact-Costs

Businesses that rely on refrigerators as their primary Point of Sale (POS) tools of trade or for storage purposes can have a disproportionately high environmental impact and can be exposed to significant risks affecting both costs and revenue streams. Thankfully there are multiple ways you can mitigate these risks and negative impacts, from ensuring you meet legislative requirements around refrigerant discarding, to building towards ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) best practices. 

  1. Prioritise efficient and high quality refrigerators

Your refrigeration fleet should prioritise up-to-date models with high energy efficiency and using the latest natural refrigerants, or if that is not possible those supporting less harmful HFC refrigerants. GEMS-certified equipment is ideal for cutting back on energy consumption and ultimately saving on costs in the long run. Investing in higher quality equipment is essential to minimise whole-of-life costs and boost uptime while saving on energy use and costs to boot. Not to mention the flow-on effects to your customers, who will engage better with your brand and products if they are presented at their best.

You can also ensure your refrigeration units are set up correctly, with thermostats and controllers configured to optimal temperatures for efficient cooling. Incorrect temperatures caused by incorrectly configured thermostats or non-critical faults will make the refrigeration unit work harder, expending more energy and increasing the likelihood of breakdowns.

Using fridge models with LED lighting consumes less energy and generates less heat than traditional fluorescent lighting. This can also increase product visibility and potentially sales as it creates a more aesthetically pleasing front. Just be wary of the potential for unwanted glare that could distract from the visual branding of your products. 

Digital technology can also play a key role here – tracking live energy use through built-in or third party Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices allows you to identify the lowest efficiency refrigerators to prioritise for replacement. Likewise, asset management software can use energy ratings coupled with analytics and real-time uptime data to give a close estimate of energy use and empower future procurement and replacement decisions. This data forms an essential foundation for effective ESG reporting.

  1. Schedule regular maintenance & cleaning

Scheduling regular maintenance and keeping your refrigeration equipment clean is the best way to prolong its life and keep costs down. It is also the best way to maximise uptime and ensure your customers are buying products that are fresh and appealing. Asset management systems like mendrhub give you total visibility over units in the field, allowing you to schedule preventive maintenance, see full service history, and predict issues before they occur. 

Early detection and regular maintenance will also ensure your technicians pick up on small malfunctions long before they turn into major issues, reducing the number of major repairs. Staying attentive to your refrigeration units and ensuring they’re always in good working order will also help in building trust with your retailers – they’ll know you have them covered and become more committed to your brand.

  1. Ensure proper placement & ventilation

The placement and ventilation of your refrigeration equipment can significantly impact how efficient it is. Making sure the equipment is placed in well-ventilated areas away from heat sources and direct sunlight avoids heating up your equipment and the products contained inside. 

Through the mendrhub app, you can have your sales team include pictures of best placement for assets to help with the correct installation location. You can also require your team to take photos of the asset placement on future site visits to verify that the refrigerators are where they should be.

  1. Decommission and discard refrigerators safely

There are legal requirements for the safe decommissioning and discarding of refrigeration units at their end-of-life. Service providers need to have appropriate and up-to-date accreditations to be able to decommission refrigerators and discard refrigerants safely. For this purpose it is critical to have robust supplier management systems in place. 

It is also essential to properly track where your refrigeration assets are at all times. This will allow for the safe decommissioning of refrigerators and avoid potential mishaps and their associated costs when misplaced units aren’t being actively maintained. Asset management software that provides logistics capabilities can accurately track all equipment movements, ensuring the location of all assets are known. Cutting edge systems such as mendrhub can also provide your sales team with a dedicated app that allows them to quickly conduct asset audits across customer sites in their respective territories, verifying the details saved in your system. 

By implementing these steps, FMCG companies can significantly reduce their POS trade assets’ impact on the environment – while also minimising the risk of future costs and lost product sales. 

Mendrhub incorporates asset management capabilities that can optimise refrigeration fleets in a variety of ways. From field service to logistics and powerful data analytics, we have you covered. Contact us today for a discussion on how we can help transform your business to boost your margins and improve efficiency.

4 Best Practices for Asset and Inventory Management

by
Checklist of assets and inventory

Whether you’re working in the equipment manufacturing, distributing, or field service sectors, managing your assets and inventory effectively is critical for maximising profit margins. Proper management can also save on costly mistakes, improve overall productivity, and ensure everything is tracked and valued in real-time. Having worked with clients across these industries, we’ve identified several best practices for asset and inventory management that have fuelled their growth. 

Conduct Regular Audits 

Auditing may be a standard operation in most (if not all) businesses, but it can easily be overlooked when other priorities arise. Unfortunately, it’s when audits get skipped that problems occur. Regular auditing of your equipment and part inventory will help identify any discrepancies, faults, maintenance issues, or mix-ups, so you can address obstacles before they become larger, more costly problems. Regular audits will also help you determine the actual value of your assets and usage frequency of parts, helping you forward plan, and effectively manage capacity.

Label All Assets 

Another best practice businesses should consider adopting is labelling their assets using unique identification numbers. Scannable, unique QR codes are perfect for quickly identifying assets, verifying their location, and determining their status. In addition, for manufacturers and distributors, placing QR codes on either your assets or asset packaging can provide your end users with a seamless way to register their new purchase for warranty and book after-sales servicing. Asset and facility management software like mendrhub stores all QR codes linked to equipment details, along with supporting integrated customer registration and after-sales servicing, making the addition of these labels an affordable way to add significant value.

Implement a Just-In-Time (JIT) System

The Just-In-Time system is a type of inventory management where you work closely with your suppliers to ensure raw materials arrive precisely when production begins, not any sooner. The goal here is to have the absolute minimum amount of inventory on hand to meet current demand. Adopting JIT practices has been shown to reduce excess inventory and the associated holding costs. It also helps you maintain a strong relationship with each supplier, which is required to ensure inventory is delivered as needed.

Use a Centralised Asset Management System 

Using a centralised asset management system to track all assets and parts from factory to warehouse to end user can transform the operational efficiency and overall experience of your procurement, warehouse, and service facilitator teams. A system like mendrhub will provide detailed reports of asset service and logistics history and whole-of-life costs to help you determine economic viability and proactively manage your assets. 

You can even monitor and move spare parts between locations and technician’s van stock, or create purchase orders to refresh inventory shortages. Workflow automation and technician scheduling also help to ensure your assets are managed efficiently and effectively. 

Running a successful business means having a full view of company operations – especially your assets. By following these best practices, you’re setting yourself up for success. Are you interested in how an asset and facility management system like mendrhub could work for your business? Get in touch today to have a chat.

5 Ways To Simplify Asset Logistics With mendrhub

by
Asset Logistics

Navigating the intricacies of logistics demands a solution that can seamlessly move and track your assets with ease. Making asset management simpler is a core tenet of mendrhub so we have ensured that our platform provides robust logistics capabilities.

Aside from supporting the shipment of assets through purchase order management, we support five different types of movements in our platform: 

  • Deliveries from warehouses to outlets
  • Pickups from outlets to warehouses
  • Site-to-site movements between two outlets
  • Warehouse transfers between two warehouses
  • Admin moves for correcting asset locations 

Each of these movements ensure that the system maintains an unbroken chain where all assets are accounted for at every moment. As an offshoot of a leading asset management company, we understand the pain points associated with asset logistics and mendrhub was designed as an ideal solution to them.

Here are just five of the ways mendrhub can simplify your logistics management. 

1. Track and move assets from your phone

Through the mendrhub client app, you can track and move your assets right from your phone. With pinpoint accuracy you have full visibility and control over your assets, ensuring a seamless and efficient operation. Our app also provides visibility of the availability of assets at your warehouses and customers locations giving you total transparency no matter where you are.

2. Complete audit oversight

Within our platform, rationally chained movements prevent inaccuracies in location updates. This unbroken chain not only enhances accuracy but also provides a complete audit log, letting you quickly identify and correct discrepancies and follow up with logistics providers or locations.

3. Efficient management of deliveries and pickups

Mendrhub allows users to request preferred times for deliveries and pickups and have logistics providers attach proof of delivery to verify that movements have been completed. Movement orders can also be placed for both single assets, multiple assets, parts or a combination of parts and assets. If the warehouse needs to skin an asset prior to delivery, this can be specified as well, creating a warehouse activity that will need to be completed before the delivery can take place.

This simplified process enhances overall operational efficiency and will leave you with happy customers.

4. Real-time notifications

Stay informed throughout the logistics journey with instant notifications delivered via SMS and email. All parties, from facilities to logistics providers, warehouse staff and location managers will receive useful updates and real-time information as the logistics status of a movement order update, making sure that all involved parties stay up-to-date and in the loop throughout every step of the logistics process.

5. Flexible supplier choices

Decouple and de-risk your logistics operations by setting up more than one logistics provider. This flexibility not only expands your reach but also allows for more convenient delivery times and effective cost control. You can more easily adapt to changing market dynamics and evolving needs, ensuring your logistics operations remain competitive and continue to attract clients.

From logistics to warehousing and service, mendrhub makes asset management simple and gives you your time back. Your customers will be glad you made the switch too. 

 

5 Reasons Why Asset Management Software Is Essential for Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers

by
Asset Management Software

In the highly competitive world of foodservice equipment manufacturing, staying ahead of the curve is crucial to your success. Asset management software is a niche solution that has managed to completely revolutionise the industry, and we have first-hand experience of just how potent it can be when implemented for equipment manufacturers serving the fast-paced foodservice and beverage industries.

These are the key reasons why.

1. Continuous product improvement

When visualised through interactive dashboards, the detailed data and insights provided by an asset management platform allow you to identify critical business and product trends. This helps you close the loop when tracking equipment performance, empowering you to make decisions that can ultimately save your business money and keep your customers happy.

With a clear picture of equipment performance, you can understand the types of faults that occur, feeding this back to the factory and creating a virtuous cycle of product improvement and quality control. This data can also be used to implement optimised preventative maintenance schedules and digital self-help troubleshooting, extending the lifespan of your customers equipment and minimising downtime.

Ensuring your platform of choice works seamlessly with IoT (Internet of Things) devices allows your after-sales servicing to become truly proactive. With data flowing in real-time, your decision making power can improve exponentially while service requests can be set to auto-trigger before a breakdown occurs.

2. Complete control over your supply chain

One of the great benefits of asset management software is the complete visibility it provides over everything from product shipments to warehousing, part inventory, order fulfilment and servicing. This kind of visibility means you can quickly identify areas to reduce waste, cut operational costs, and improve your overall production planning. The result is a leaner and more cost-effective production process.

By tracking not just the detailed activities taking place across the supply chain, but also the costs incurred, asset management platforms become a critical tool for managing your suppliers and taking control of costs across the supply chain. By allowing you to set up supplier rates you can create powerful opportunities for automating service and billing.

Other handy features that enhance your control include the ability to track service providers performance against SLA’s (Service Level Agreements), cost and attendance efficiency, as well as managing parts and part suppliers and setting up automated stock reorder points to ensure key parts are always on hand.

3. Business risk mitigation

If you sell equipment to the foodservice industry, you’ll know just how important compliance with industry regulations and standards is. You’ll likely also know how much time it takes to manage compliance week in and week out. Asset management software simplifies compliance by providing accurate records of all service activities that have taken place. You can specify mandatory insurances and accreditations that your contractors will be auto-notified to keep updated.

When a new request comes through, the system will ensure that jobs will only be assigned to compliant contractors. This system capability provides the documentation you need for audits and regulatory inspections, reducing the risk of penalties and legal issues.

Software like mendrhub can further help manage business risk with other standout features including:

  • Compulsory sign-in and sign-off digital checklists for your contractors to complete, mitigating OH&S risks.
  • Digital on-site sign off from client contacts to confirm work has been completed.
  • Real-time tracking of time on site
  • Detailed tech specs and explosion diagrams arming your service providers with all the info they need to complete their job successfully.
  • Capturing proof of purchase for you end user warranty registration to minimise the risk of false claims.
  • Photographic evidence captured during warranty service to support or refute warranty claims.

4. Improved customer experience

In the fast-paced world of foodservice equipment manufacturing, customer experience is the key to success and what will set you apart from competitors. The best asset management software will also provide your customers with the ability to register their equipment for warranty directly from an embedded page on your website or from your own custom branded app that your customers can be prompted to download onto their smartphone. These powerful tools extend to after-sales servicing where customers can lodge warranty and out-of-warranty requests directly from a custom branded app or via an embedded service request web page.

With these requests integrated directly into your asset management platform, such value-adding tools not only simplify things for your customers and save them time, but have the added benefit of saving your service team from such time consuming tasks as fielding calls and managing emails.

Asset management software allows for accurate warranty tracking plus automatic setting of warranty periods upon asset registration, which keeps things seamless for customers. On top of this, customers can also use these platforms for case management to lodge support tickets, receive real-time notifications on their service request progress, and utilise QR codes included on their assets for quick registration, troubleshooting and servicing.

5. Simplified billing

Asset management software takes the manual labour out of billing, and it’s easily able to invoice customers for product and part sales as well as out-of-warranty servicing. You can set up rules to ensure markups on customer invoicing are applied automatically, set up cost limits and service provider rates for straight through processing, and utilise OCR and automatic digitisation to simplify supplier invoicing.

Some platforms such as mendrhub will also instantly integrate with common accounting platforms like Xero and MYOB, meaning that once invoices are approved you don’t need to think about billing again.

In an industry as competitive as foodservice equipment manufacturing, investing in an asset management system is the best move you can make for long-term success. From live dashboards to inventory management, make sure you take the steps today to help you operate strategically, streamline your processes and free up your valuable time.

4 Hidden Costs of Multi-Site Restaurant Maintenance

by
he Hidden Cost of Multi Site Restaurant Maintenance

As an FMCG business owner, you’d definitely be aware of the direct costs associated with repairing and maintaining your expensive equipment and machinery. Those are costs you can plan for. Cost you can factor into your budget. But if you’ve been in the game for any length of time, you’ll know that there are a host of hidden costs associated with multi-site maintenance that can make a significant dent in your bottom line. Here are the four we see the most.

  • Different equipment and systems

One of the main challenges of managing multiple restaurant sites is the diverse range of equipment and systems in each location. From kitchen appliances to HVAC systems, each site may have different brands and models, and each needs unique expertise for maintenance. This complicates training for maintenance staff and increases the need for specialised technicians, driving up labour costs. Implementing standardised equipment across your sites is a good way to avoid this and streamline the maintenance process.

  • Reactive vs. proactive maintenance

In the constant hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant, equipment failure can disrupt operations and leave you with very unhappy customers. What we see a lot of is multi-site operators who find themselves stuck in a cycle of reactive maintenance, addressing issues only when they arise. This approach can result in higher repair costs, increased downtime, and a negative impact on the customer experience. Scheduling proactive maintenance and regular inspections can help identify potential issues before they escalate, reducing overall repair costs and minimising downtime.

  • Communication challenges

Coordinating maintenance activities across different locations, especially when they are geographically dispersed, can be a logistical nightmare. Miscommunication can lead to delays in repairs, duplication of efforts, and increased costs. Implementing an asset management system like mendrhub gives you total visibility over your assets, and with the ability to do reporting directly within the app, it makes for fewer inconsistencies and minimal miscommunication.

  • Compliance and regulation

Different locations may be subject to varying local regulations and compliance standards, adding another layer of complexity to multi-site restaurant maintenance. Ensuring that each site adheres to relevant codes and regulations can cost time and money. Investing in a management system that centralises all this information for each location takes a lot of the work out of monitoring and implementing the necessary measures to ensure compliance.

Understanding and managing these hidden costs is going to contribute to the long-term success of your multi-site restaurant operation, and ultimately save you money along the way. If you’re looking for a better way to manage your multi-site operation, we’d love to chat with you about how mendrhub can simplify your processes and make asset management that much easier. Give us a call at 1300 141 606 or email us at [email protected].

 

7 Ways Service Providers Can Benefit From An Asset-Centric Service Platform

by

With so much competition out there, service providers need a simple, effective solution to properly manage their customers’ assets and provide a new stream of value for their customers.

You need a way of getting to know the big picture while maintaining control over the small details and niche requirements of your business. This is what an asset-centric management platform does well, and the benefits to your own business, and the businesses of your clients, make investing in one a no-brainer.

  1. Optimal equipment performance

    Better asset management helps to ensure that every piece of equipment is performing at its peak. With a quality asset-centric service platform, you can track the condition, maintenance history, and usage patterns of your equipment with ease.

    This data means you can identify potential issues before they cause more serious problems, such as breakdowns, which can be solved by scheduling recurring preventive maintenance.

  2. Less downtime for customers

    If your customers make use of IoT-connected equipment, you can easily sync live data directly into your asset management system, alerting both you and your customer to any issues proactively. This means you can send a team out to the site before your customer’s operations are disrupted by equipment downtime.

    Our own platform has an inventory management feature, which can simplify providers’ means of managing van stock, helping to keep equipment running in peak condition and making for happier customers.

  3. Better team management

    Asset management platforms, like mendrhub, provide in-depth job details, equipment service and warranty history, a complete inventory of spare parts, and simple check-in/out processes. All this visibility means you can better allocate your resources, making sure the right tools and technicians are always being sent out to complete a service. This approach means less idle resources, full utilisation of your assets, and ultimately, happier customers.

    Some of these platforms will also come with a built-in scheduling and route optimisation feature that can give you a clear view of upcoming work and team member assignments, assisting you with running your operations efficiently.
    One of the unique things about mendrhub is that it allows user guides, technical specification, and exploded diagrams to be auto-attached to jobs to aid your team in the field, which improves their efficiency while on-site.

  4. Cost control and financial efficiency

    Servicing equipment can get expensive, but with an asset management platform, you get to be in control of your cost margins. You can set up specific service costs by equipment category and automatically apply mark-ups on client invoices that are based on rules set on client contracts. Invoicing can be further streamlined with direct integration to your accounting platform and options to capture credit card payments pre-attendance.

    By monitoring how equipment is performing, you can also identify cost-saving opportunities, like setting up maintenance schedules or predictive maintenance strategies, and identifying underutilised assets that can be sold or repurposed.

  5. Compliance and regulatory requirements

    Equipment service providers often work in industries with strict compliance and regulatory requirements. Asset management systems help you meet these standards, including safety, environmental and industry-specific mandates.
    By keeping records of equipment maintenance, inspections, and certifications with a system like mendrhub, you’ll avoid penalties and legal issues and improve your reputation as a reliable service provider. Alongside maintaining relevant accreditations and insurances, digital checklists can be created and used as a permanent record for procedural compliance on jobs.

  6. Data-driven decision making

    Managing assets effectively requires a deep understanding of the data being generated. Real-time analytics provided by an asset management platform can help you analyse equipment performance, maintenance history, and other relevant data, while also identifying trends so you can make data-backed decisions.

    Larger clients in particular will get a huge amount of value out of the detailed data you will be able to report to them, giving you an edge over competing service providers. Just make sure your platform of choice can support flexible contracts so your team can cater to the different service level agreements your larger customers may require.

  7. Improved customer experience

    The streamlined processes facilitated by an asset-centric approach lead to faster response times, quicker issue resolution, and an overall smoother service delivery. Not only will your customers be a lot happier, but they’ll also likely stick around for longer and spread the word about your business’s reliability.

    And, with all the details already in your system, auto-generated job reports will bring a level of transparency to your customers that will not only bring them peace of mind as to the necessity and quality of work undertaken, but will also help invoices pass through review quicker—ensuring your team get paid sooner rather than later!

There really is no downside to investing in an asset management platform for your service provider business. Cost savings, better equipment performance, and happy customers are just the beginning of what a platform like mendrhub can do for your business.

Talk to mendrhub’s experts to learn more.

Contact us

Additional resources

Privacy Policy >>
Terms and Conditions >>

About us

Mendrhub is a powerful asset management, field service and logistics platform bringing you next generation technology, real intelligence and unrivalled efficiency.

Go to Top

© 2023 mendrhub. All rights reserved.