3 Reasons Your Warehouse Automation Needs Service Management Software

Warehouse production targets are high, meaning small margins can make a difference. So, what happens when a piece of equipment breaks down? And what processes do you have in place to get it back up and running as quickly as possible? Unexpected downtime for your warehouse machinery reduces productivity. However it can put you in a difficult position with your customers due to missed service level agreements (SLAs).

To help with this issue, warehouses are looking for additional software to complement their existing warehouse management software (WMS). Resulting in many turning to service management software to fill this gap. Warehouse service management software offers a valuable integration. This enhances the functionality of WMS by automating back office administration and maintenance scheduling. This integration keeps everything unified across the business and staff training to a minimum.

Our experts at Service Geeni wanted to break down the three reason you should explore service management software.

1. Maintenance, Maintenance, Maintenance

Maintenance can be perceived as a pain, but having equipment out of action can impact your production output. Even worse, your customers and profitability. This is amplified if your warehouse operates 24/7.

The best way to reduce unplanned downtime is a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedule. This often means your machinery can continue running while you protect any potential future issues. Being able to spot maintenance needs early on helps prevent big problems down the road. Also saving you from unexpected breakdowns and costly repairs. Neglecting PPM will likely result in machinery deteriorating over time, and you having to replace it earlier than expected, resulting in large additional costs to your company.

Service management software is renowned for improving maintenance operations throughout a company. With the ability to see previous maintenance history to identify if this is a common fault, you can also schedule the right engineer for the right job. Whether it’s preventative maintenance to catch potential issues or routine upkeep to ensure optimal performance, the software can contribute to significantly reducing downtime. Minimising downtime significantly improves warehouses’ chances of meeting their deadlines and customer SLAs. This will reinforce your company’s reliability and reputation with your clients.

2. Boost Engineer Productivity

Service management software goes beyond just maintenance. It actively enhances employee efficiency by improving communication channels. With this, employees stay connected in real-time, receiving instant updates on tasks and job assignments. This eliminates unnecessary delays and ensures that each team member is clear of their responsibilities.

It can automate routine tasks to save time, freeing up resources around your business. A great example of this is the ability to minimise delays in work orders through automatic notification and assignment. The service management software seamlessly creates, assigns, and tracks work orders, guaranteeing that every task is accounted for and completed punctually. This streamlines the workflow but also allows employees to focus on value-added activities, ultimately boosting overall productivity within the warehouse.

Parts and stock come with their own set of challenges. Whether it’s lack of parts visibility, poor first time fix rates or just a lack of visibility as a whole, it can reduce your productivity. With the right software, you can have a comprehensive stock control system to boost your efficiency. With real-time inventory, your engineers can see which parts are in stock and order ASAP. Additionally, it enables them to stay on track by automatically deducting all inventory used, thus ensuring that everything remains up-to-date.

3. Data is King

Service management software has the opportunity to collect more data, offering more insights and better reporting.

Reporting on your machinery can also aid in your maintenance schedule. Allowing assets to receive servicing based on their actual usage time and overall performance. This allows you to identify patterns, and foresee potential issues before they escalate.

Service management software, like Service Geeni integrates with your warehouse management software. Meaning you can maintain and manage your machinery whilst delivering to your customers. It streamlines workflows, provides data-driven insights and facilitates efficient maintenance schedules.

If you’d like to know more about how Service Management Software can help efficiency in your Warehouse, take a look at how KNAPP use Service Geeni: Case Study: Service Geeni CMMS for KNAPP