A Barcoding solution is never just a piece of hardware: This is the heart of Barcoding’s Process, People, Technology (PPT) philosophy.
First, we work to understand our clients’ businesses—their workflows, people, cultures, and goals—and then we discuss the types of technology available to fit their needs.
Barcoding, Inc. is a premier partner with the best manufacturers and software providers in the automated data capture, mobility, and supply chain spaces. Because of our strong relationships, our clients have access to high-level resources at our partners’ organizations—from the executive teams to sales, engineers, and support.
Headquarters
3840 Bank Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
Call us: 1.888.412.SCAN (7226)
Email us: info@barcoding.com
A Barcoding solution is never just a piece of hardware: This is the heart of Barcoding’s Process, People, Technology (PPT) philosophy.
First, we work to understand our clients’ businesses—their workflows, people, cultures, and goals—and then we discuss the types of technology available to fit their needs.
Barcoding, Inc. is a premier partner with the best manufacturers and software providers in the automated data capture, mobility, and supply chain spaces. Because of our strong relationships, our clients have access to high-level resources at our partners’ organizations—from the executive teams to sales, engineers, and support.
Headquarters
3840 Bank Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
Call us: 1.888.412.SCAN (7226)
Email us: info@barcoding.com
As we start to send employees back to the office, the factory, the warehouse and the retail store, there is a lot of pressure on IT teams to implement new technologies like thermal imaging/ temperature screening, employee tracking and contact tracing to help keep employees safe.
At Barcoding, we believe in an approach called PPT—process, people, technology. The idea is that process improvements and user involvement are critical to every successful technology implementation. Even though IT teams find themselves under pressure to implement COVID-19 response-based technologies quickly, this PPT approach should not be abandoned.
The PPT process begins with asking, “What is the root problem you are trying to solve?” Over the last few months, we have been fielding customer’s questions related to COVID-19, such as, “What solutions do you have to capture employee temperatures?” and “What solutions do you have to ensure employees do not come within 6 feet of each other?”
While these are fair questions, we believe they are inadequate, as they are not addressing the root of problem. The root question should be, “As America goes back to work, how can we help keep our employees and customers safe?”
Before you select a COVID-19 related technology solution, we recommend the following:
While COVID-19 is top of mind, this is not first time that a natural or man-made event has changed our lives and it will not be the last. Thinking long term allows you the opportunity to view the current crises from multiple angles and often creates opportunities to resolve existing issues and prevent future issues at the same time.
As for COVID-19, this is not the first time we have seen business disruption and employee health concerns. We have government health regulations across many industries including hospitality, restaurant, farming, and manufacturing to address many common health issues and, at the same time, these regulations are not complete or foolproof.
For example, everyday, employees go to work with colds or the flu. While not as contagious as COVID-19 these events often result in other employees being affected and lost productivity, increased medical costs, and a decreased quality of life. Ask yourself, “What other issues can we prevent or resolve?”
Once you define the root business problem to be resolved, begin by evaluating the current processes to identify how they may be improved or expanded upon. In some cases, the answer may simply be: we do not have a process in place. In other instances, the existing processes lack adequate data to be effective, or disparate processes may need to be connected. Understanding the current state enables you to envision and create the future state and identify the technologies that are required to support each process.
People are the second element of every solution. Like processes, you need to understand each employee’s role, duties, workflows, and other requirements placed on them. Requirements can vary widely by role, but often involve time commitments, environmental concerns, and unique skillsets.
Understanding what makes your people tick and how to motivate them,in addition to supporting process and technology investments that increase productivity, are critical to ensuring future success. At Barcoding, we believe the people on the line are the most critical success factor in any project. Gathering their input, including them in decision making and gaining their buy-in is essential.
IT cannot drive solutions alone. Business organizations look to IT to investigate technology solutions and that one of IT’s roles. However, many business organizations do not take the time to completely understand their root issues and, as a result, IT spends time researching technologies that do not address the real business issue or cannot generate the desired return on investment (ROI).
For this reason, it is imperative that organizations establish project leadership and executive buy-in before IT is sent out on a fishing excursion. Using the PPT process, the project team can identify the root problem and establish a ballpark budget to help IT narrow its focus on technologies that directly address the issues at hand.
For detailed information on wide variety of COVID-10 related topics, please visit the CDC website. The information provided below is an example of the topics that the CDC addresses on this matter.
Exposure risk among manufacturing workers
Distinctive factors that affect workers’ risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in manufacturing workplaces include:
Other distinctive factors that may increase risk among these workers include:
Controls
For those of you that just want to know what temperature and proximity solutions are available, there are many and described below. However, the common element across all of these products is that they do not address the root question of going back to work safely, as none of these solutions address all of the issues associated with this issue. At a minimum, multiple solutions will need to be used in tandem with one another and you still need to address elements such as employee training, employee privacy, environmental concerns, and ultimately, the fundamentals behind PPT.
Employee temperature capture is one frequently discussed method to help identify ill employees. There are a wide variety of methods and solutions available to capture employee temperatures. Entry-level solutions are as simple as a drug store infrared thermometer and note pad or Excel spread sheet, while high-end camera systems are at the other end of the spectrum. When evaluating temperature-sensing solutions, you should consider the following:
Proximity sensing and contact tracing solutions are another frequent request. Over the last 60 days, the market has introduced a wide variety of proximity-based solutions as well. The majority of these solutions rely on some type of wireless radio technology, such Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi and other proprietary wireless technologies. The majority of these products are derivatives of solutions that were originally designed for goods tracking, such as containers, pallets, machinery and other physical assets. When evaluating temperature sensing solutions, you should consider the following:
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, work, and play. It’s greatly impacted businesses in a multitude of ways and we need to take the time to analyze existing processes before we can return to work and create a new normal.
While addressing these critical business issues, Barcoding recommends reviewing how your people have been impacted by COVID-19 and working with them to create a plan that will address both current and future interruptions before implementing any new technology. Once you’ve consulted with your people and have the right processes in place, only then can you begin to choose the right technology solution for your company.