INVENTORY TRACKING

The American Trucking Association - Truck Maintenance Council (ATA-TMC) needed a set of guidelines for implementing bar code tracking of fleet maintenance parts inventory.

CONSULTEC  was called upon to head up a task force for the ATA to bring together ATA members and develop "bar coding implementation and cost justification guidelines" for fleet parts inventory.

CONSULTEC  chaired this task force and after successfully drawing together representatives from major truck fleets and suppliers from the TMC associated membership. With the support of the task force, Jack Rose wrote and illustrated the guidelines that were published by the ATA-TMC in 1995.

CONSULTEC, the Automated Identification Company, is the company to call on to implement bar coding of your fleet parts inventory. The principals of this organization have collectively over 30 years of bar coding and automated data collection experience.

Below is the Introduction to the guidelines which were written as a result of CONSULTEC's leadership of this task force.

 

INTRODUCTION

These guidelines provide an understanding of bar coding that will facilitate implementation for fleet maintenance and repair operations, including; the benefits to using bar coding for identifying and tracking inventory from receipt to dispersal, and monitoring the use of parts and supplies required for maintaining a fleet.

The guidelines cover bar coding technology, symbology, and the simplicity associated with using them. The presentation describes the equipment involved in the creation of bar codes and that required to read and make use of it. System designs relate to fleet size, defining the equipment necessary and its use.

This presentation will enable fleet operators to understand the cost effective methods, equipment, and bar coding systems that are available. This helps to illustrate how goals are met for cost reduction, improved inventory accuracy and control, improved inventory availability awareness, and ultimately improved inventory turns ratios.

Bar code technology has evolved into a proven and accepted automated identification method, used by all facets of industry. Data accuracy improves from an average of 1 error in 300 hand written entries to 1 in 3 million with bar coding. Thus eliminates the need for translating hand written records.

OEM and after market parts suppliers are providing increasing amounts of bar coding on parts. Choosing your own bar code symbology and data capture will lend itself to establishing the ultimate security of parts inventory.

Fleet sizes and the number of locations inventory is stored plays a key role. Other considerations include; finding a system that accommodates your methods of purchase, weather it be central or delegated to sub operations. By examining the specifics of your operational needs, a profile can be established. Results, an integrated bar coding system can be tailored to meet the needs of your fleet maintenance operation.

CONSULTEC wrote the book and we are ready to serve you. Let us help you implement just the bar code inventory tracking system that puts you in complete control of your fleet parts and supplies inventory. For more information on CONSULTEC, contact our e-mail address, jack@consultec-mwv.com.