App launched to make hiring and tracking crates easier
PHS Teacrate has developed a smartphone application designed to make hiring and tracking crates transparent for facilities managers, helping them avoid charges for late and lost crates.
The release follows PHS Teacrate’s introduction of PDAs in 2014, which provides real-time information on deliveries and collections. PHS Teacrate handles around 25 million crates every year.
The move is in response to demand for greater transparency and visibility of crates in general. The new app for tracking PHS Teacrate’s rented barcoded crates will be free to download.
Managers can use the barcode app to provide further traceability to complement their internal procedures and will be able to record crate movements and locate crates within their organisation at the touch of a screen through the use of handheld devices, smartphones and tablets.
They can have PHS Teacrate’s barcoded crates delivered onto site, scan and record the allocation for their buildings as well as attach an inventory list to any barcode. This means they will have visibility of where any crate is located and can therefore identify which departments or individuals are incurring charges due to losing or failing to return crates.
Once downloaded, the app can be tailored to suit a company’s specific requirements, especially useful for customers who need crate information if dealing with priceless or fragile items from organisations such as government, museums and universities. This is an addition to the paperless solution for providing delivery and collection information which can either be automatically emailed directly to the customer or accessed via Cratelink, PHS Teacrate’s portal login.
PHS Teacrate’s managing director, Gordon Philip, explains: “Our smartphone app is another 21st Century solution for the customer that will enhance our service on site. It is technology that will be available on Android and Apple smart devices. The user can also delegate authority to specific locations so it’s not just a case of one person being in complete control.
“One of the big obstacles that firms have to renting crates is the fear of losing them and then getting hit with a huge bill. The app is all about making crate rental more transparent by giving the user the tool to have more control so that they get more benefits from the barcodes.”
PHS Teacrate has rolled out barcode scanning for its lidded containers LC1, LC2, LC3, LC6 and computer crates IT1 and IT2 with barcodes added. In 2015 roll cages (SC1) which were added to the list of bar-coded items in response to customer demand.
This effectively gives the crate or cage a unique identity which is scanned to provide the important tracking information aimed at reducing stock losses, while highlighting potential bottlenecks. It also helps to overcome some of the perceived anonymity involving unmarked delivery crates.
