Automation of Equipment Sign out

Over the last 8-10 years I have been looking for an advanced way to figure out how to hold staff accountable for equipment damage, filling up with the wrong fuel and numerous other things. We have tried everything from having sign out sheets to assigning staff equipment and multiple other variations. While I was visiting the hotel engineering department I noticed and automated system that they were using to check out tools and also get supplies. The item comes from Grainger and it’s called Keepstock Secure.

Currently the process is the employee will type in their employee id and password then select the piece of equipment or PPE equipment that they need. It will then open the automated door for that key or the vending machine where the PPE equipment is located. Once they are done with the machine they have to log in to the machine again to return it. This information is all stored online so when I run a report at the end of the day I can see what is still out, who took a key home, or check who didn’t wash their machine because the user is tied to the machine they checked out.

On the PPE equipment it’s something that is used all the time and we don’t normally find out we are out of it until it has all been used so this way everyone knows where it is and how to access it. We can also monitor how much we spend on those items to help us budget properly in the future.

One thing I may look to change is they also have a key fob option which will be much faster for employees to login taking the typing in of username and password away. Check out the video below to see how you login and get your key as we added the first ones to the system today.

Features for our Business:
– Comes in about 8 different languages that can be assigned to any specific employee.
– Comes with a reporting system to show items that are checked out as well as items issued to what employee.
– Items are managed by Grainger but you control the ordering process.
– Helps manage costs of PPE equipment to help determine budgets from year to year.
– Insures all PPE is available to employees at all times. No excuses why they are not wearing it.
– The key system has a time stamp so we can tell when and what was checked out.
– We get everything from one place vs having 10 dealers that we get items through.
– Better pricing on items stored in machines and managed through keepstock.