Research across 250 senior industry professionals found that the average frontline employee loses 2.5 hours per week simply locating the tools and components they need to do their job. In a quarter of cases, that figure rises to 3–4 hours. Scaled across the UK's 2.7 million manufacturing workforce alone, that equates to 351 million hours of lost productivity every year — and the same pattern plays out across logistics, facilities, IT operations and asset-intensive industries.
Intelligent Inventory Solutions
The Intelligent Inventory Solutions blog shares quick insights on smarter inventory control—covering cost savings, industrial vending, PPE management, and how automated systems boost efficiency and accountability across industries.
Effective inventory management cuts costs and prevents stockouts. SupplyPoint’s real‑time, item‑level control boosts efficiency, accountability, and cashflow.
Using intelligent metalworking solutions is all about cost savings. This is the heart of the matter, whether you’re in manufacturing, MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations), warehousing, medical, or any of the myriad of fields where it’s applied.
For more and more companies an approach to maintaining control of key tools, consumables, and other items on the shop floor using vending machines and inventory management software has become an integral aspect of their overall business strategy.
Industrial Vending is not a phrase people would necessarily understand unless they work in an industrial environment. Typically, vending machines are associated with food or drinks dispensing in the wider context. However, those who are aware of industrial vending would first think of a hardware machine.
PPE management and its use is the new normal as we are in a challenging period globally. COVID-19 has disrupted businesses worldwide. With reports in the news on the lack of PPE, PPE being overused or abused, it’s important to protect what seems a rare commodity. Communities are sewing masks at home and ‘pitching’ in but should we even need to do that?
Keeping the management of valuable assets secure and cost effective is one of the most significant challenges faced by organisations. The right product can address these challenges, not only by simplifying and streamlining asset management, but also by reducing costs associated with the misplacement and damage of assets. The Clear Front Locker from intelligent inventory solution leaders, SupplyPoint, provides flexible, secure and cost-effective inventory access for assets and supplies such as handheld terminals/barcode scanners, IT consumables and office supplies.