Mention the word “theft,” and at least nine out of ten of us will envision a high-buck piece of equipment heading off to parts unknown where some other contractor will likely become more competitive for his participation in the process. At the very least, it’s a frustrating experience that will involve reports and paperwork along with time and effort spent replacing the item. Even if your insurance picks up the majority of the replacement cost, you’re bound to come up short in the process, but that can be a minor expense relative to the impact of the loss on your schedules.
Armed with the vision that construction equipment and rolling stock are targets for some of the most skillful thieves on the planet, we’re seeing a growing reliance of telematics systems that let you know not only where your assets are, but also what they are (or are not) doing. But as you’re aware, we’re involved in a war against not only opportunists but professional, technologically savvy thieves who, like their drug-running counterparts, continue to raise the ante.
But the big or expensive stuff may not be the only areas where you are at risk. While working for an equipment overhaul and repair company many years ago, I was reviewing cost figures to see where we might squeeze some more profit for the operation. Among the areas that caught my attention were consumables such as specialized nuts, bolts, fittings, and tools. It was not that these costs were huge compared with such categories as payroll, power, and machinery; it was just that they seemed wrong. So I decided to look more deeply into the situation.
Well, you know where this is leading don’t you? Right out the gate every evening. There wasn’t much that could be done about the hardware without creating a bottleneck in production, but the tools—many of which were expensive and special-purposed—were another matter. By the simple expedient of attaching RFID tags, we effectively eliminated tool pilferage in the day it took for the word to get around. While the modest reduction in tool replacement costs was nice, the impact it had in machinery downtime was where the real payoff came.
The point I’m making here is that sometimes the little things can make a lot more difference than we think…often in unsuspected ways.
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Upcoming Forester University Webinars
March 15th, 2012
BMP Management
for Surface Water Quality
Constantly influenced by natural eutrophication, direct human impact, and a changing climate, surface water is a scarce natural resource needing effective protection. Join Shahram (Shane) Missaghi to explore the function and benefits of BMPs in protecting surface water, and examine three key criteria to insure their successful implementation: water, soil, and climate Read more...
March 22nd, 2012
5 Proven Social Media Tactics to Engage Your Audience
Extend your outreach and campaign effectiveness with social media. Join Erica Hooper, Strategic Director at S. Groner Associates, to explore social media's (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) opportunities, myths, and real-world tested and proven social media tactics designed to engage your audience. Read more…
April 5th, 2012
BMP Management
for Surface Water Quality (new date added)
Constantly influenced by natural eutrophication, direct human impact, and a changing climate, surface water is a scarce natural resource needing effective protection. Join Shahram (Shane) Missaghi to explore the function and benefits of BMPs in protecting surface water, and examine three key criteria to insure their successful implementation: water, soil, and climate Read more...
April 18th, - May 25th, 2012
Sediment and Erosion Control
Master Class Series
Join industry expert and bestselling author Jerald S. Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC, CPESC and Tina R. Evans, PE, CISEC for a comprehensive 6-part online master class and workshop series (0.9 CEUs / 9 PDHs) exploring the ins and outs of effective sediment and erosion control plan design and review based on Fifield’s recently released 3rd edition of the bestselling manual Designing and Reviewing Effective Sediment and Erosion Control Plans (included in your Master Class Series package).
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