Operator rounds are only as good as the experience and knowledge of the technician performing them.
A new, younger generation of technicians lacking the experience of veteran employees make these rounds — which play a key role in identifying potential issues and escalating them before they turn into unexpected downtime, loss of production and safety incidents — potentially less efficient.
Mobile, technology-based solutions address this challenge by allowing operators to capture data accurately with handheld devices and communicate with back-end ERP systems in real time. Mobile operator rounds solutions get integrated with work instructions and work order management software to empower young technicians with visual guidance to perform rounds in a safer, better and faster way.
Leveraging technology is a good idea. However, decision-makers demand solutions that yield a positive return on investment (ROI). Gauging ROI for mobile operator rounds solutions helps maintenance teams justify their investment and get the go-ahead for deployment.
The Rigors of ROI Measurement for a Mobile Operator Rounds Solution
Measuring ROI for a mobile operator rounds solution is challenging. Companies need to look beyond the obvious, tangible benefits of using the solution, including reduced operational costs. Any miscalculations of the possible ROI might lead to wrong decisions and missed opportunities.
Companies need to carefully consider indirect benefits like time saved, improved regulatory compliance and improved occupational safety. They should establish cross-team collaboration to evaluate the impact of deploying the mobile solution on different business aspects.
Regulatory compliance is one area a mobile operator rounds solution can have an impact, helping companies avoid hefty penalties by regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others. Operators can use the mobile solution to escalate critical issues and quickly fix them through proper guidance from the back office, preventing potential breakdowns. This increases asset uptime and boosts productivity, adding to the company’s bottom line. A streamlined production process enhances customer satisfaction and the company’s goodwill.
Innovapptive’s ROI Calculator for Mobile Operator Rounds
Innovapptive developed an ROI calculator based on our experience working with several global organizations. The calculator considers the costs and benefits of deploying our mobile operator rounds solution to help companies make better decisions.
The calculator simplifies ROI measurement by evaluating:
- The total cost over the full life of the contract, including vendor costs, mobile solution licences, deployment, maintenance and IT infrastructure costs.
- Direct and indirect benefits from the deployment. This is the area that most companies find difficult to assess. Innovapptive has a database of industry standards based on our extensive experience of mobile deployments. The benefits derived from the solution are compared against industry standards to quantify and measure ROI.
- “What-if” scenarios and their impact on overall savings. For example, what happens if we could reduce the time spent on operator rounds from two hours per day to one hour per day?
Want to learn more about Innovapptive’s Mobile Operator Rounds solution and the ROI calculator?
Click here to schedule a free live demo or call 1-844-464-6668 to talk to our experts.
