ELIMINATING PAPERWORK AND TRAVEL TIME According to Jody Dumas, one of the department’s key goals for parts and supplies was to eliminate paperwork. Another was to cut down on “windshield” time for technicians – a major drain on productivity in a sprawling district where a missing part might mean a two-hour drive. To support those goals, Fastenal worked with SBSC to customize vending solutions for all five maintenance facilities, enabling technicians to dispense high-use parts and tools in the field rather than driving to a remote warehouse. To access a product, a technician swipes his or her security badge and enters a work order number, tying each item to a person and project. Behind the scenes, Fastenal’s I.T. department worked to electronically integrate the company’s vending and e-commerce systems with SBSC’s Archibus work order system. As a result, every time a technician vends a product or places an online order with the onsite branch, that cost is automatically reflected in the appropriate work order. “There’s nobody punching data, there’s nobody sitting there wasting that time,” said Jody. “It’s all seamless and electronic, and that’s what we really wanted to focus on. I think our business processes behind the delivery of the parts is really set up well.” Steve Clark Facility Manager Responsibilities: Zone 2 maintenance and custodial operations along with OSHA compliance for the department. “I’m at an on-the ground level at the zone, and I see the key things that Fastenal brings to us. Obviously cutting time and guys getting their parts is critical, and so is inventory tracking and control. But there are a lot of other support pieces Fastenal offers to us that I personally didn’t know about until we had a solid handshake partnership. Now they’re coming to us with ‘we can do this and that for you,’ sometimes at little to no cost. All of those things just help us to better serve our customers.” STEPPING UP WITH SAFETY SUPPORT Another way SBSC has leveraged the partnership is by consulting with Fastenal’s regional safety specialist, David Gossett, QSSP, to eliminate risks and drive OSHA compliance. The biggest project to date was when David and Ray Rodriguez, another Fastenal safety specialist from north of Sarasota, spread out and inspected more than 300 ladders throughout the county. That included providing missing labeling (indicating the proper load and usage) and removing ladders from service for repair or replacement when necessary. It was a welcome addition of labor and expertise for Steve Clark, who in addition to managing the Zone 2 maintenance operation serves as the department’s one-man occupational safety resource. “In three days, the Fastenal safety specialists inspected hundreds of ladders for us as part of our partnership,” said Steve. “This was a huge benefit to me and the entire school district. We couldn’t have accomplished on our own what Fastenal did in the short turnaround time and with the expert effectiveness they brought to us.”
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