Tracking equipment data and consumables is a key part of mining. Mining cannot occur without the right equipment, in the right place, at the right time. This means that screw-ups can waste a lot of time, and time is money. In today’s blog we’ll look at three methods of tracking equipment and consumables in the mine and break down the pros and cons of each.
On Paper:
The classic method of tracking consumables and equipment data is of course on paper. The obvious benefits to paper are simplicity and low-cost. Workers won’t have any real difficulty getting setup with paper if they are a small operation. However, for all its benefits, paper has plenty of shortcomings. The first and most concerning of these is inefficiency. Not only is paper slow, but there is only one copy of it until you take it back to the office. This means that if a consumable needs to be replaced or there is critical maintenance required on equipment, it can be a lengthy process to actually resolve the problem. Additionally, paper is vastly inferior to digital solutions. Especially when it comes to recordkeeping, your office staff will spend unnecessary time on organizing and filing away inspection records that would have been handled automatically with a digital solution.
On Paper + Excel:
Using a combination of paper and Excel is a semi-common alternative. This is because it greatly improves the level of organization possible when keeping records of inspections/consumables used. However, excel isn’t built specifically for mines, making it a less than ideal solution, especially for larger scale operations.
With GroundHog FMS:
GroundHog FMS is a cutting-edge fleet management system with built in consumable and equipment tracking. With an entirely digital, built in inspection system, GroundHog FMS makes tracking consumables and equipment data incredibly easy. Technicians and operators record everything directly into GroundHog FMS mobile. GroundHog FMS makes the data immediately available in the OpsCenter so prompt action can be taken.
To learn more about GroundHog FMS, or to schedule a demo, click here.
