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ZVTOOL: Manage machines and tools digitally
"Where's the hammer drill and welder again? Who knows where the range finder is lying around at the moment?” Which trades company does not know the tiresome and time-consuming search for tools and machines. Is machine X or tool Y in a company vehicle, on a construction site, under repair or still/already back in stock? Many HVAC companies try to use handwritten documentation or Excel lists to find out where each device is and who has it. Digital tracking systems, with the use of which machines and tools can be organised efficiently and in a time-saving manner, are significantly more convenient and reliable.
From idea to application
The constant search and the cumbersome proof of the location and whereabouts of tools and equipment, which involves a great deal of effort and is still never completely up to date, gave the Krefeld HVAC entrepreneur Jürgen Küppers the idea of going digital a few years ago to solve. together with dr Thomas Müller from Coeln Concept, he developed the "UnTouch" tracking application, which is suitable for all industries and is used to organize the issue and return of machines and tools electronically. Jürgen Küppers, member of the IT committee of the ZVSHK, successfully presented the solution to the central association in 2015. Since then, the industry solution from UnTouch has been offered inexpensively as ZVTOOL for SHK guild companies in the ZVSHK web shop (www.zvshk.de: Quicklink "QL42122621" ).
Mobile, clear and efficient
In practice, ZVTOOL can be called up quickly via an Internet browser: A small transponder (tag) is attached to each tool or transport case to be monitored. The NFC tag is protected against heat, cold, dust and moisture. Each transmitter has a preset, unique number. Each tool can be uniquely identified using NFC technology (Near Field Communication). The issuance and return of tools and machines is recorded without contact using the NFC tags/labels on the tools. The assignment to an employee takes place automatically, as he identifies himself with an NFC key fob. Information on the whereabouts of devices and tools no longer has to be collected by asking employees in a time-consuming manner, but is available with ZVTOOL on the PC, smartphone or tablet immediately after it has been recorded.
With the ZVTOOL device management, tradesmen always have an overview of the machines and tools they are using. The tools are issued and returned using a smartphone with NFC technology. From there, the information is transferred directly to the administration interface ZVTOOL Web and can be read there at any time.
In addition, maintenance intervals can be stored and reservations made for future construction sites. Extensive reports are also available for evaluation. The experience of HVAC entrepreneur Jürgen Küppers shows: “With ZVTOOL, the machine culture improves considerably. Not to forget the downtime and maintenance times, which are significantly reduced.”
ON IMPROVING MACHINE CULTURE – AN EXPERT INTERVIEW
meisterwerke questioned dr. Thomas Müller, Managing Director of Coeln Concept GmbH from Brühl near Cologne and advisory member
of the ZVSHK IT and GAEB committee, about machine and device management ZVTOOL.
meisterwerke: Dr. Müller, ZVTOOL and UnTouch have been around for a while. What makes the solution successful? How many licenses are issued and in use?
Dr. Thomas Müller: The system is used in many areas of trade. To date, around 70 ZVTOOL licenses and over 200 UnTouch licenses have been sold. For handicraft businesses with around ten employees or more, it is essentially this: As soon as the employee notices that the boss knows when he had which tool, the handling of it improves abruptly. We describe this phenomenon as "Improving machine culture". The same applies to the recording of consumables. As soon as it is clear that the issue of safety gloves, spatulas or screwdrivers is also counted, the "loss" no longer applies.
meisterwerke: Your tracking system has proven itself over the years, also because it is constantly being further developed and supplemented with useful components. What has been added since the previous year and which extensions and new features will licensees and new customers benefit from
Dr. Thomas Müller: Last year, we integrated tool sets into the application that make it much easier to use tools that belong together. The system distinguishes between fixed and variable sets as well as sets for picking. As a result, the work preparation can be significantly accelerated by the appropriate compilation of tools before they are issued. And with the app, entire sets with any number of tools can be booked with just one scan. For example, the press machine with the press jaws or the core drill with the associated drill bits. The tool issue/return is now also available as a multiple booking, i.e. for further preparation and for the purpose of booking via the web interface - instead of just using the app. After selecting the fitter and the location, the employee responsible can conveniently filter and compile the required tools from a list. A borrowing and return slip can be issued for this purpose. In addition, tools can now be reserved hourly via ZVTOOL and the information in the reservation can be transferred directly to a booking. This is an advantage, especially with the special tools, in order to keep an overview here as well.
meisterwerke: Which innovations and features of ZVTOOL and UnTouch can users and new customers from the trades companies look forward to in the coming months?
Dr. Thomas Müller: Over the course of the year, document handling (e.g. for operating instructions, purchase receipts, delivery notes, test reports, etc.) and the extended maintenance module will be optimized. With the maintenance module, it will then be possible to map the complete maintenance history of a tool in the system. All maintenance logs can be stored. In addition, the user interface has a "human design" that makes employees and tools recognizable at a glance. The integration of a skill database for employees and tools is planned for the future. On their basis, purposes and capabilities can be defined and checked when they are issued. For example, the forklift driver only receives the key for the forklift if he has a forklift driver's license. The expansion of the app also makes additional information about the tool available on the smartphone. We are also working on real-time location, which will be an important and popular feature in the future. The locations of the tools can already be displayed on a map via the assigned location address and the last booking made via smartphone.
meisterwerke: ZVTOOL is based on an annual fee model. How are the costs made up and how does the service package pay off for a craft business
Dr. Thomas Müller: For the annual fee, the user is provided with the application and storage space for his data. He also gets updates when there are changes in the operating systems on the browser side or in iOS or Android. And the innovations we are constantly developing, such as the skill database or the extended maintenance module, which are already covered by the annual fee, provide real additional added value. They are based on the valuable suggestions of many trade users and tool manufacturers from their practice, but also on our own ideas, which we continuously contribute to the further development of ZVTOOL.
This article appeared in the November issue of the IKZ-Haustechnik magazine.