How app-based MRO management improves efficiency in Manufacturing Operations

A B2C-inspired mobile phone app for managing MRO saves time and money

“We’re bringing a consumer-style application to maintenance, repair and operations,” says Robert Kline, Chief Technology Officer at RS Integrated Supply. He’s talking about a new app designed for the management of MRO on the go: RS SYNC™ Mobile.

RS SYNC™ Mobile replaces traditional ERP desktop systems with a mobile format better suited to how engineers and maintenance staff work. No need for special devices. No need to go back to an office or find pen and paper: they have almost the equivalent of desktop software on their smartphone.

Here we explore the app’s features and benefits as well as the value this technology offers to RS Integrated Supply customers.

B2C style design

Sinan Satır, Product Manager at RS Integrated Supply, describes the new app in similar terms to Kline. “RS SYNC™ Mobile provides B2B services, but we’ve focused on the user experience (UX) so that it’s on par with consumer platforms,” he says. “This means it’s intuitive and easy to use, without the need for extensive training.”

“The app provides instant functionality,” adds Simon Hilton, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at RS Integrated Supply. “Our primary users are engineers and maintenance professionals. They are not desk-based, therefore having access to the system wherever they are makes their work so much easier. All our capabilities are now in the palm of their hand.”

Reserve and order

One of the main features of RS SYNC™ Mobile is the Marketplace, where users can search for items by keyword, manufacturer part number, or SKU, and filter the results according to criteria such as vendor, category, or storeroom.

The latter is particularly crucial. RS SYNC™ Mobile makes inventory visible by allowing users to see when and where items are already in stock and available. When an engineer or maintenance technician orders an item from inventory, the Marketplace reserves it on their behalf instead of raising a new purchase order (PO). The result? No more unnecessary orders, fewer POs, better inventory optimization.

If an item isn’t readily available, the user’s request in the app automatically converts into a standard purchase order. Ordering the same products regularly? Users can, just like on consumer e-commerce platforms, create favorites lists to save time. They can also easily view past orders for quick reordering.

These functions help to reduce walk-and-wait times, says Patrick Crump, General Manager of Client Services NA at RS Integrated Supply: “Users don’t have to come all the way to the storeroom to make a request. They can also check the status of orders and set up notifications in the app, meaning they don’t have to spend time following up with the buying team.”

Configure to your requirements

Once an order is placed, RS SYNC™ Mobile notifies those responsible for approval – and the structure of this approval process can be configured according to the customer’s requirements. “We can tailor the functions to the scenarios you have in your facilities,” says Satır. “We can configure a multi-level approval hierarchy based on factors such as budget according to the client’s needs. We are flexible and can implement different settings.” 

Customers can tailor other features to their specific requirements without extensive code customization. Product categories, for example, can be configured so some users only see certain items, such as safety equipment, in their marketplace.

“Spare parts are another example of configuration,” adds Satır. “We can upload assets and their bills of materials, so when a user selects an asset, RS SYNC™ Mobile will show all the related spare parts. If you’re repairing some equipment, you don’t have to spend time figuring out which exact bearing you’re looking at. You can easily find out via the app.”

Improve accuracy, improve efficiency

Other RS SYNC™ Mobile features make inventory management tasks such as issues, returns, and transfers easier for storeroom staff – and customers benefit too. Picking, for instance, is quicker thanks to real-time tracking that provides accurate, up-to-date data including the exact location of an item down to the bin number.

The app also allows storeroom staff to complete cycle counts without having to use traditional methods that rely on paper or spreadsheets completed manually. This makes the process quicker, more accurate, and more efficient, says Crump. “A big benefit from an efficiency standpoint is that our people can do the cycle counting in real time while walking around the stockroom rather than having to take a sheet back to a computer and do data entry, which is slower and can potentially lead to errors,” he explains.

Improving efficiency by improving inventory accuracy makes a significant difference. “Engineers are under pressure to keep the plant running so above all else, they want product availability and access,” says Hilton. “As we’re hosting clean data, they can search for and find what they want more easily. It speeds up their job and reduces downtime.”

Visibility saves time – and money

Better visibility of inventory can be particularly helpful on sites where there are shifts running outside of hours when staff are in the storeroom. “Even a facility that doesn’t have a huge storeroom may have 50 cabinets with 10 drawers in each, plus racks,” says Richard Walter, Account Director at RS Integrated Supply. “It saves the engineer a huge amount of time knowing right where to go and look for a part because it has a location on the app.

“The same is true for our people. We don’t have to run back and forth to the computer. We have visibility of parts right there. We don’t have to tote around laptops or anything like that. It’s a convenience tool for both us and the technicians.”

“All the convenience is there,” agrees Kline. “These features are powerful. They are the tools that enable operations to run efficiently and drive savings.”

The benefits don’t stop here, continues Kline: “RS SYNC™ Mobile is a strong, flexible platform that we can build upon and use to innovate further. We’re already working closely with customers to understand their needs at site level and how they want to use the app.

“Once we’ve developed a feature, we can make it available to all app users, allowing us to solve for more customer use cases more quickly. Over time, this will make RS SYNC™ Mobile even more feature rich, configurable, and well placed to solve the MRO challenges that customers have.”