
Four critical issues facing fire services today
Fire departments face continuing need to accomplish more with fewer resources. Here are four critical issues to consider.
RAM® Mounts, a division of National Products, Inc., noticed systemic process inefficiencies in their ways of doing business. As the company was expanding rapidly, they also recognized that outdated systems would be much more difficult to scale, creating speed bumps along the road to expansion. From human resources functionalities to customer relationship management, paper solutions were no longer working. “On the assembly line, we had a paper-based system where you could lose orders. The paper would get wet or dirty, or workers would run out of ink and it just was not a very elegant way of doing things,” said Jake Parker, Director of Business Development at RAM® Mounts. Management decided it was time to move away from paper-driven processes to eliminate inefficiencies across the board.
Samsung worked with RAM® Mounts to deliver a comprehensive overhaul of processes and move toward a smart factory. Employees use the ruggedized Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8-in. for various functions: to punch in and out of payroll, to work with a paperless order system, for warehouse management and to schedule meetings in conference rooms. Sales team members also work using Samsung phones to keep ahead of CRM interactions while at conferences and on the road. The switch to a paperless solution has been systematically addressed over the past few years and has been complemented by server upgrades and a proprietary UX/UI-driven app custom made for internal production processes.
The deployment of Samsung tablets and phones across the factory — from time clock punching to the manufacturing assembly line, warehouse management and CRM functions — has ushered RAM® Mounts firmly into lean manufacturing. Plant personnel now have greater transparency into the production process, and there is no unnecessary duplication of order transactions on paper at the end of the day. While specific measurements for productivity gains have not been conducted, the principals interviewed confirmed that the paperless solution using Samsung mobile technology has led to increased employee productivity.
National Products Inc. (NPI), located in Seattle, employs about 400 workers. The full-cycle manufacturing company serves a few different vertical markets anchored in its core product: a ball-and-socket mounting system that dampens vibration and isolates shock. NPI ruggedizes consumer-facing devices so they can survive harsh environments. The company has recently focused on eliminating waste and process inefficiencies by adopting lean manufacturing principles. The switch to a paperless solution, for which the OEM sought out Samsung as a reliable partner, was a first step in that direction.
For a while, management at NPI had been noticing systemic inefficiencies in many aspects of the manufacturing process, especially where products and manpower needed to be tracked. “We looked at our record of success in transportation, warehouses and other rugged environments and we thought we should be doing this too, we should be looking at places in our company where we could be more efficient,” said Parker. After an exhaustive internal review, a glaring need for paperless tracking especially came to light in the following areas:
Being mired in paperwork for these basic functions predictably led to decreased productivity.
RAM® Mounts soon saw that the most elegant way to meet these goals was staring them in the face. They had already been ruggedizing Samsung mobile devices for clients and had developed a strong mutual partnership in delivering comprehensive solutions. Management realized that Samsung was the world-class partner they were looking for. “Internally we see the value propositions for the Samsung tablet and mobile device ecosystem because they’re very easy to ruggedize, they have great features such as high IP ratings and are cost-effective,” said Andrew DeDonker, Director of Marketing at RAM® Mounts. Parker agreed that arriving at the Samsung solution was a no-brainer. “From a functionality, reliability and performance standpoint, the Samsung phone exceeds any other kind of phone,” he said.
They began the project by zeroing in on various departments and asking them to evaluate processes for improvement. “We really took a step back as a leadership team in our organization and looked at where we could implement technology and make things easier for our employees and more accurate for our customers,” DeDonker said. “We challenged different teams to find areas where we were being inefficient.” Once these were outlined, each received the Samsung mobile treatment. The solution was a series of tablets where employees could log in every day and punch in when starting their shifts, requesting time off and executing other functions with HR. The tablets are also now used along the assembly line to keep track of orders, customer requests and in-warehouse management. In addition, Samsung mobile devices keep track of conference room schedules and empower sales professionals to complete all CRM functions while on the road, so they don’t have to duplicate work done remotely. The tablet computers were just one aspect of a technology overhaul that also involved new server infrastructure to support scaling and improved wireless coverage to ensure strong connectivity throughout offices and production areas. They also developed proprietary in-house user interfaces that essentially replicated the paper design, so the transition to the new digital system was seamless. Here too, the Samsung solution made a big difference, Parker said, because the mobile device is agile and able to house proprietary apps such as this one.
A powerful business tool for improving mobile productivity and workflow efficiencies.
A rugged tablet with the tools to drive efficiency.
Switching to a Samsung paperless solution has delivered efficiencies and transparency in every aspect of the business process in which it has been tested at RAM® Mounts. Specific outcomes include the following: