Does your staff spend unproductive minutes (or hours) manually recording transactions? Manpower that goes into manual recording and recordkeeping does nothing to increase revenue or control costs. Technology can provide the integrated systems control over asset use, capacity, maintenance, location - and do it 24 x 7.

You don't have to be one of the "big guys" to afford technology. Today, systems are available for a reasonable price that can help avoid many of the costs consumed by inefficiencies in operations and can be purchased as stand-alone systems focused on one aspect of the business. The decision where to start depends on what areas you find are losing you the most money.

Time and Attendance: A Time and Attendance software package will tell you who is working when on what job for how long, and produce reports for payroll. It can be set to automatically account for start and end times, breaks, lunch, etc. to reduce the time your employees spend recording their time.

Job Costing: The Job Costing software adds the ability to track inventory costs plus the labor hours consumed against the job while the job is in progress.

Inventory Control: An Inventory Control software package will account for your stock parts and tell you when you need to reorder. It can issue parts to a work order or job and confirm that the correct items have been put on the truck. Barcoded inventory makes it quick and easy to take an inventory count.

Barcode: Barcode technology has been actively used for over 20 years in manufacturing, distribution and retail to track inventory and jobs. The barcode terminals are similar to PDA's, and provide immediate and accurate information. There are barcode labels designed for harsh environments that are durable enough to withstand the dirt, grease and rough use that many tools experience.