Top Tips for Manufacturing Productivity
| IN THE NEWS |
world productivity day
Conker celebrates World Productivity Day and offers its tips on making your production plant smarter and more productive
Productivity is defined as “the efficiency and quality of production of goods or services”. Some barriers to productivity include distraction and interruptions, lack of information, ineffective communication, insufficient training, inadequate tools and equipment, stress and too much to do.
Conker, which provides a range of rugged, wearable and scannable devices for mobile workforces, offers its top tips on productivity for production managers.
Tenneil Olivier, manufacturing business development executive at Conker, comments: “An efficient manufacturing operation is critical for customer satisfaction because it helps to ensure quick and accurate delivery of orders, increasing brand loyalty.”
Invest in maintenance
Maintaining an operation’s assets such as equipment, plant and facilities reduces costly downtime and helps improve quality and efficiency. Having a planned program around production schedules can help to further minimise disruption to outputs. Smaller mobile device hardware needs to be tough for the work environment for knocks, bangs, extremes of temperature and dust protection.
Review workflow
Reviewing workflow as an ongoing exercise becomes continuous improvement (known as Kaizen1 in lean manufacturing), which can reduce defects, eliminate waste, boost productivity, promote innovation and have a positive impact on staff.
Create operational efficiencies
Streamlining different processes, information streams and the entire workforce helps to better manage delayed production, waste and poor planning. These operational efficiencies rely on quality-connected equipment, cost management, technology stack, internal communication, supply chain and order management, improved business processes. Linking mobile devices that collect operational data and link directly to back-end platforms removes data input errors and provides real-time visibility.
Wearables
Wearable scanners, designed to keep workers’ hands-free, can reduce each scanning action by a further five seconds – boosting efficiency and productivity even more and keep staff safe. They’ll be collecting data, in real-time that will help in accurate management decision making.
When introducing wearables (or any device), it is vital to ensure that it neatly fits to the IT architecture stack for the business. The operator can then ensure items have been picked correctly by using a glove and PDA combination, and that back-end systems can monitor stock control in real-time through the smooth flow of data.
Going rugged
Devices that are “just tough” no longer meet the needs of many fast-paced hard-working environments. Buyers expect rugged device manufacturers to have considered operating systems, types of viewing screens, battery life, data security devices’ communications capabilities and ease of use.
But how do you know how tough, tough is? Rugged devices are a type of hardware designed specifically to tolerate the harshest environments. From extreme temperatures to dusty environments, wet conditions and then back into the office. They can tolerate a range of hazards including exposure to fluids and extreme vibrations. Touch screens can be operated with gloves on and as the battery life is designed to last an entire shift – rugged devices are built to last. These attributes can positively impact costs in downtime and time and cost to replace devices that are not durable enough. All Conker devices are drop tested typically to 1.2m and for peace of mind have the durability rating of IP65.
Compared to traditional scanners and other mobile devices wearable devices are less likely to get damaged or dropped, resulting in lower equipment replacement costs over time. The ergonomic design of wearable scanners makes them feel natural to use in day-to-day operations. When a backhand scanner is used in conjunction with a glove, workers benefit from having a full range of hand and digit movement.
The new era of smarter operations
James Summers, CEO at Conker, added: “The products surfacing during this new era of industry 4.0 are further supported by automation and real-time connectivity with other departments. The results include increased productivity, reduced resources, and speed of response to customers’ orders resulting in improved bottom lines.
“It is vital that production managers ensure good usability testing on all tablets, handheld and wearable devices, because good usability will help to support a happy workforce. They also they shouldn’t be afraid to demand upfront user testing before committing to new devices in the IT stack.”
All Conker products come with a free one-year ‘Relax’ accidental damage warranty, which means customers are covered on all their devices, whatever happens, no quibbles. Three- and five-year accidental damage warranties are also available with no small print and no exclusions. For further information, please visit weareconker.com.
Top Tips for Transport and Logistics Productivity
| IN THE NEWS |
world productivity day
Conker celebrates World Productivity Day and offers its tips on making your operation smarter and more productive
Productivity is defined as “the efficiency and quality of production of goods or services” in transport and logistics this could mean ton-miles per vehicle or daily deliveries per driver. Some barriers to productivity include distraction and interruptions, lack of information, ineffective communication, insufficient training, inadequate tools and equipment, stress and too much to do.
Conker, which provides a range of rugged, wearable and scannable devices for mobile workforces, offers its top tips on productivity for transport and logistics managers.
Tash Sievwright, transport and logistics business development executive at Conker, comments: “An efficient operation is critical for client satisfaction because it helps to ensure quick and accurate delivery of orders, increasing brand loyalty.”
Investing in equipment
An obvious starting point, the quality and competence of service is reflected in the quality of the vehicle fleet. Investing in the latest technologies such as migrating fleets to cleaner and lower cost electric vehicles with mounts and belt holders for in-cab handheld devices and tablets can result in gaining competitive advantage as well as easing service requirements and may help to retain staff.
Automating processes
As transport and logistic companies rely heavily on fast turnarounds and quick-service delivery – automating the material handling, packaging and loading processes will help get the vehicle on the road faster. For example, rugged mobile devices which can scan and feed directly into the back-end stock management systems streamline and deliver efficiencies.
Adopting technology to improve productivity
Communication is a critical element of keeping transport and logistic businesses running smoothly. An inefficient, or disparate systems, can result in costly supply chain disruption.
The need for accuracy in identifying, handling, and processing packages is extremely important and one of the solutions to these issues is in wearables.
Adopting technology that can handle business demands and will ultimately help in improving productivity.
Using barcode or radio frequency identification (RFID) readers can improve the accuracy of transactions and reduce picking errors. Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) research conducted at the University of Arkansas shows that using RFID increased inventory accuracy by 27 per cent in just 13 weeks.
Wearables
Wearable scanners, designed to keep workers’ hands-free, can reduce each scanning action by a further five seconds – boosting efficiency and productivity even more.
When introducing wearables (or any device) it is vital to ensure that it neatly fits to the IT architecture stack for the business. The operator can then ensure items have been selected correctly by using a glove and PDA combination, and that back-end systems can monitor order fulfilment in real-time through the smooth flow of data.
Going rugged
Devices that are “just tough” no longer meet the needs of many fast-paced hard-working environments. Buyers expect rugged device manufacturers to have considered operating systems, types of viewing screens, battery life, data security devices’ communications capabilities and ease of use.
But how do you know how tough, tough is? Rugged devices are a type of hardware designed specifically to tolerate the harshest environments. From extreme temperatures to dusty environments, wet conditions and then back into the office. They can tolerate a range of hazards including exposure to fluids and extreme vibrations. Touch screens can be operated with gloves on and as the battery life is designed to last an entire shift – rugged devices are built to last. These attributes can positively impact costs in downtime and time and cost to replace devices that are not durable enough. All Conker devices are drop tested typically to 1.2m and for peace of mind have the durability rating of IP65.
Improving workflows and productivity
Increased speed and accuracy of working may be obvious. Other benefits of rugged wearables include the improvement of productivity as workers can scan items without interrupting workflow. Compared to traditional scanners and other mobile devices wearable devices are less likely to get damaged or dropped, resulting in lower equipment replacement costs over time. The ergonomic design of wearable scanners makes them feel natural to use in day-to-day operations. When a backhand scanner is used in conjunction with a glove, workers benefit from having a full range of hand and digit movement. Running on familiar operating systems (android and windows) to which familiar business apps can also be added helps with a reduction in the need for training and easier adoption.
The new era of smarter operations
James Summers, CEO at Conker, added: “The products surfacing during this new era of smarter operations are further supported by automation and real-time connectivity with other departments. The results include increased productivity, reduced resources, and speed of response to customers’ orders resulting in improved bottom lines.
“It is vital that transport and logistics managers ensure good usability testing on all tablets, handheld and wearable devices, because good usability will help to support a happy workforce. They also shouldn’t be afraid to demand upfront user testing before committing to new devices in the IT stack.”
All Conker products come with a free one-year ‘Relax’ accidental damage warranty, which means customers are covered on all their devices, whatever happens, no quibbles. Three- and five-year accidental damage warranties are also available with no small print and no exclusions. For further information, please visit weareconker.com.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
About Conker
Conker was founded in 2008 and offers a wide range of rugged devices for mobile workforces built on both Android and Windows platforms. The company is committed to improving productivity and workflows
UK-based, Conker devices are shipped from and serviced in the UK. Customers go directly through to a UK-based team person at Conker not to a switchboard or IVR.
The company was recognised as one of the FT 1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies (2018) and is a Winner Deloitte Technology Fast 500 (2017).
Further information:
Katrina Suppiah/Laura Cooke
Publicite Ltd, 020 8543 6582; [email protected]
Top Tips for Hospitality & Leisure Productivity
| IN THE NEWS |
world productivity day
Conker celebrates World Productivity Day and offers its tips on making hospitality and leisure more productive
Productivity is defined as “the efficiency and quality of production of goods or services”. Some barriers to productivity include distraction and interruptions, lack of information, ineffective communication, insufficient training, inadequate tools and equipment, stress and too much to do.
Conker, which provides a range of rugged, wearable and scannable devices for mobile workforces, offers its top tips on productivity for hospitality and leisure managers.
Tenneil Olivier, hospitality business development executive at Conker, comments: “An efficient hospitality operation is critical for customer satisfaction because it helps to ensure quick and accurate delivery of service, increasing brand loyalty.”
Attracting and retaining employees
The hospitality sector is known for high employee attrition, according to Marsh Commercial1 42 per cent of employees leave their jobs within 90 days and with an attrition rate of 30 per cent the hospitality sector is double the UK average. Keeping up with the latest trends and utilising technology that is familiar, easy to train or just intuitive means investment and time in training employees can be reduced whilst helping to retain staff for longer.
Reputation management and loyalty
Online platforms and reviews and ratings are becoming commonplace. For new hospitality businesses that don’t have any or many ratings, build these up before you set your chosen review partner live – better to wait 6 months to have a bank of reviews than jeopardise bookings with few or no reviews. Tie this strategy into a loyalty programme and the reviews will build faster – successful loyalty programmes are ones that are simple to understand and represent real value to the customer.
Adopting technology to improve productivity
Adopt technology that can handle business demands and will ultimately help in improving productivity.
Using tablets will help staff provide informed and accurate table service. Taking orders directly on a rugged device saves waiting staff from having to remember what shorthand they used for a dish (and putting the wrong order through to the kitchen) and time, as the order is not only accurate, but delivered to the kitchen in an instant. The hospitality environment can be demanding with spills and devices being dopped – regular devices will struggle to perform over a prolonged period. To get the best value from investing in IT hardware look for fit-for-purpose devices that are rugged.
Going rugged
Devices that are “just tough” no longer meet the needs of many fast-paced hard-working environments. Buyers expect rugged device manufacturers to have considered operating systems, types of viewing screens, battery life, data security devices’ communications capabilities and ease of use.
But how do you know how tough, tough is? Rugged devices are a type of hardware designed specifically to tolerate hard-working environments. From fluctuating temperatures to wet countertops then back into the restaurant. They can tolerate a range of hazards including exposure to fluids and drops. Touch screens can be operated inside and out in bright light and the battery life is designed to last an entire shift – rugged devices are built to last. These attributes can positively impact costs in downtime and time and cost to replace devices that are not durable enough. All Conker devices are drop tested typically to 1.2m and for peace of mind have the durability rating of IP65.
The new era of smarter hospitality providers
The new era of smarter hospitality providers
James Summers, CEO at Conker, added: “The products surfacing during this new era of hospitality are further supported by automation and real-time connectivity with other service areas. The results include increased productivity, supported resources, and speed and accuracy to fulfil customers’ orders resulting in improved bottom lines.
“It is vital that hospitality managers ensure good usability testing on all tablets, handheld and wearable devices, because good usability will help to support a happy workforce. They also shouldn’t be afraid to demand upfront user testing before committing to new devices in the IT stack. And many should be addressing the advantages of rugged devices to support their needs.”
Notes to editors:
About Conker
Conker was founded in 2008 and offers a wide range of rugged devices for mobile workforces built on both Android and Windows platforms. The company is committed to improving productivity and workflows
UK-based, Conker devices are shipped from and serviced in the UK. Customers go directly through to a UK-based team person at Conker not to a switchboard or IVR.
The company was recognised as one of the FT 1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies (2018) and is a Winner Deloitte Technology Fast 500 (2017).
Further information:
Katrina Suppiah/Laura Cooke
Publicite Ltd
020 8543 6582
[email protected]
Top Tips for Warehouse Productivity
| IN THE NEWS |
world productivity day
Conker celebrates World Productivity Day and offers its tips on making your warehouse smarter and more productive
Productivity is defined as “the efficiency and quality of production of goods or services”. Some barriers to productivity include distraction and interruptions, lack of information, ineffective communication, insufficient training, inadequate tools and equipment, stress and too much to do.
Conker, which provides a range of rugged, wearable and scannable devices for mobile workforces, offers its top tips on productivity for warehouse managers.
Tenneil Olivier, manufacturing business development executive at Conker, comments: “An efficient warehouse is critical for customer satisfaction because it helps to ensure quick and accurate delivery of orders, increasing brand loyalty.”
Streamlining processes
A typical warehouse has a considerable amount of activity going on at any point in time. Streamlining processes to improve efficiencies can be achieved by considering warehouse layout, improving storage – based on the Six Sigma principle from lean manufacturing, warehouse replenishment processes and streamlining picking and packing.
Adopting technology to improve productivity
Adopting technology that can handle business demands and will ultimately help in improving productivity.
Using barcode or radio frequency identification (RFID) readers can improve the accuracy of transactions and reduce picking errors. Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) research conducted at the University of Arkansas shows that using RFID increased inventory accuracy by 27 per cent in just 13 weeks.
Wearables
Wearable scanners, designed to keep workers’ hands-free, can reduce each scanning action by a further five seconds – boosting efficiency and productivity even more.
When introducing wearables (or any device) it is vital to ensure that it neatly fits to the IT architecture stack for the business. The operator can then ensure items have been picked correctly by using a glove and PDA combination, and that back-end systems can monitor stock control in real-time through the smooth flow of data.
Going rugged
Devices that are “just tough” no longer meet the needs of many fast-paced hard-working environments. Buyers expect rugged device manufacturers to have considered operating systems, types of viewing screens, battery life, data security devices’ communications capabilities and ease of use.
But how do you know how tough, tough is? Rugged devices are a type of hardware designed specifically to tolerate the harshest environments. From extreme temperatures to dusty environments, wet conditions and then back into the office. They can tolerate a range of hazards including exposure to fluids and extreme vibrations. Touch screens can be operated with gloves on and as the battery life is designed to last an entire shift – rugged devices are built to last. These attributes can positively impact costs in downtime and time and cost to replace devices that are not durable enough. All Conker devices are drop tested typically to 1.2m and for peace of mind have the durability rating of IP65.
Improving workflows and productivity
Increased speed and accuracy of working may be obvious. Other benefits of rugged wearables include the improvement of productivity as workers can scan items without interrupting workflow. Compared to traditional scanners and other mobile devices wearable devices are less likely to get damaged or dropped, resulting in lower equipment replacement costs over time. The ergonomic design of wearable scanners makes them feel natural to use in day-to-day operations. When a backhand scanner is used in conjunction with a glove, workers benefit from having a full range of hand and digit movement. Running on familiar operating systems also helps with a reduction in the need for training and easier adoption.
The new era of smarter operations
James Summers, CEO at Conker, added: “The products surfacing during this new era of smarter warehouses are further supported by automation and real-time connectivity with other departments. The results include increased productivity, reduced resources, and speed of response to customers’ orders resulting in improved bottom lines.
“It is vital that warehouse managers ensure good usability testing on all tablets, handheld and wearable devices, because good usability will help to support a happy workforce. And, they shouldn’t be afraid to demand upfront user testing before committing to new devices in the IT stack.”
