machine verificationInstantCard is very pleased to announce a significant enhancement to its very successful Credential Verification Service (CVS).  In the last six years, CVS has become an essential part of the day-to-day operations of major construction, transportation, and energy companies as a critical tool to manage the training records and qualifications of their employees.  CVS allows anyone, with a quick scan of the QR code on someone’s ID card or hardhat, to look up all the person’s training records, including digital images of the original diplomas, wallet cards, and other related documents.

Announcing Equipment Management Capabilities

Over the past year several large clients have been working with InstantCard to adapt the same service to the management of equipment.  They realized that an equivalent ability to immediately look up critical data records from the jobsite was precisely what was needed for both fixed and mobile equipment.  We therefore developed a version of the CVS service which is adapted to the needs of manufacturers and equipment operators, allowing them to easily retrieve a wide range of information, on any mobile device, exactly where that information is required.  The CVS service allows someone to consult the specific documents related to the exact machine, right there on his phone or tablet.

Tracking Equipment Documentation

For example, many large pieces of construction equipment require half a dozen different kinds of lubricants to keep them operating in top condition.  The CVS service allows a maintenance mechanic to instantly check the exact oil type, and the volume of oil required, for the engine, transmission, hydraulics, and so forth.  Another example is that many maintenance procedures require a step-by-step guide to the successful execution of the procedure, and here again CVS allows the instant look-up of the checklist or handbook appropriate for that exact piece of equipment.

Most manufacturers and equipment operators publish videos designed to show mechanics and operators exactly how to execute a particular procedure, like changing a major part or installing a new component.  CVS provides a link to each of these videos, so they can be played back, and stopped/started, as the work progresses.  Another common scenario is that the mechanic or engineer needs to consult one of the manuals for the piece of equipment.  For large, specialized equipment there are often multiple voluminous manuals associated, so it’s difficult to find the right piece of information.  Here again, CVS facilitates the task by referencing each one of them, making them readily available to the mechanic in the field.

Documents available can be simple one-page checklists, or they can be very large documents with hundreds of pages.  Links can also be implemented to go to documentation outside the CVS database.

Tracking Key Data

CVS can also be used to track key events in the life of the equipment.  Critical dates like dates of reception, commissioning, safety check-outs, scheduled maintenance reviews, and similar can be recorded in the online database, available to anyone who is inspecting the machine.  CVS can even be set up to issue maintenance reminders so that advance 30/60/90-day warning is given to the team that a maintenance needs to be scheduled for a particular piece of equipment.

The CVS system has been built in a highly flexible manner, with the ability for each client to customize the structure of the data which is displayed, as well as the detailed messages and information which is most suitable to their unique operations.  It has been proving particularly useful for worksite equipment, from small portable generators to large excavators and haulers.  But it is equally proving useful for fixed equipment on the factory floor, like refrigeration units or handling and packaging equipment, since each piece of equipment has its own unique characteristics, history, and requirements.

QR Code Options

The service allows clients to easily print durable, high-quality PVC plastic cards with the QR codes, in either standard credit-card format or a large format for enhanced visibility.  These cards can be attached to the equipment in an easily-accessible location.  Or clients can print the QR codes themselves on durable labels which are affixed to the equipment.

If you would like to learn more about the CVS service and see whether it might be able to improve the efficiency of your equipment maintenance teams, don’t hesitate to contact InstantCard at [email protected] to schedule an online demo.