Old Trapper uses images to communicate more effectively about issues, problems and repairs

Challenge

Old Trapper faced three main challenges with its antiquated software: it was cumbersome and difficult to understand, it did not have image-capturing capabilities, and it lacked a mobile interface. The head systems administrator did not want to bring on new employees and invest the training time in this difficult-to-use system.

Solution

The meat manufacturer started its search online and looked for an easy-to-use interface right off the bat. 

“We quickly eliminated any solutions that had super-crowded screen shots,” said James Cuevas, junior systems administrator at Old Trapper. “Those would remind us too much of our older software that we wanted to replace. We really needed to make sure that the new solution had the work order features we wanted, could take pictures, and allowed mobile integration.”

After a free 30-day trial, Old Trapper invested in UpKeep’s mobile first solution and got up and running quickly.

A Need for a New User Interface

One of the biggest drivers for Old Trapper to find a new solution was the difficulty of the interface of its old solution.

“The old system interface looked like everything was sort of slapped on the page,” James said. “You could technically do everything if you knew how to use it, but it didn’t look nice and was difficult to navigate. We’re preparing to grow, and we just didn’t want to bring on new employees into this system. It would have been abrasive for a new employee to try to learn the system alone and learning from an experienced person would have been more expensive in terms of labor.”

Old Trapper simply wanted a solution that was more pleasing to the eye and user-friendly overall, especially for future employees and other departments that might want to track projects or understand things like inventory levels and reports. They wanted a solution that could grow with them and selected UpKeep as its partner for the future.

Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words

Old Trapper really needed a way to capture pictures within its new CMMS solution as well. Images would help the employees communicate more effectively about issues, problems and repairs without needing to know all the technical details of the equipment.

“We needed a way to upload high-quality pictures and then attach those files to the different buildings, rooms, specific parts, or different machines,” James explained. “We’ve got a ton of different manufacturing and packaging machines, and they are difficult to describe in terms of location, parts or repairs needed. Being able to take a picture was critical to streamlining our work order process. It eliminated the need for someone submitting a work order to know the exact name, packager, or model number in order to report an issue.”

Now, individuals can submit work orders, snap a picture, tag it, and send it easily to the maintenance team.

Tracking Work Orders Simplified

Work orders usually originate at the supervisor level. When supervisors notice problems, they take a picture with their iPads or phones and submit a work order on UpKeep. That work order is sent to a head of maintenance who evaluates the problem and assigns a technician to the work order. Technicians are responsible for finding or ordering the necessary parts and then fixing the equipment. 

“Most work orders are not one-day fixes,” James said. “We’ll have technicians post updates throughout the process so we can track what’s going on. That might include the receipt of parts, other problems discovered along the way, and so forth, until the work order is completed.”

During weekly maintenance meetings, the maintenance heads and top executives review the progress of work orders and key measurement indicators.

Streamlining Employee Involvement

On the old system, work orders were typically communicated verbally to the maintenance department. Once a problem was discovered, a supervisor would tell the maintenance head who would assign it to the technician. That individual would be responsible for inputting the work order into the old system on a desktop.

“With UpKeep, anyone who runs into an issue and has authorization to access the system can pretty much take care of the problem themselves,” James said. “They just use their mobile device or a computer in the office to submit the work order themselves and even attach all the pictures and things like that. It has streamlined the process.”

More Work Isn’t a Bad Thing

As a junior systems administrator, James has added to his responsibilities as a result of UpKeep.

“I mainly have to do more work, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” James said. “UpKeep allows us to do more in terms of organization. That gives me the ability to add more locations, update different items, and better manage the users.”

Old Trapper has developed an improved step-by-step problem solving system for each work order, which has increased the company’s ability to stay on top of maintenance tasks better. “It’s definitely helped us keep everything on track and everyone productive. We’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency.”