12,400 PLN recovered monthly in machine service
We introduced a simple part scanning system. Mechanics stopped wasting time searching for bolts in the warehouse, and the office stopped forgetting to add them to invoices.
Tractor repair is a tough job, but a mess in parts costs a fortune. At Agro-Naprawa, mechanics spent hours looking for seals, and invoices often didn't match actual material consumption.
The challenge
In July 2023, we measured that on average, a mechanic lost 43 minutes a day just looking for small items in an unlabeled warehouse. With a team of 7 people, that's nearly 5 hours a day thrown in the trash. Worse, every ninth screw or filter didn't make it onto the invoice for the customer because no one wrote them down in the heat of working on the engine. The bottleneck was visible to the naked eye – the office waited for dirty and illegible notes from mechanics, which generated errors in 16% of issued invoices.
Our approach
We started in September with an audit, flashlight in hand, in the workshop in Piotrków Trybunalski. We reviewed each of the 24 shelves. Together with Mr. Marek, the service manager, we determined where time was escaping most often. We introduced simple rules without unnecessary theory – each drawer got its number and a clear label. We didn't want to change the people, only the way they pick goods for the job. We closed the entire planning process in 12 business days.
The solution
We installed two simple terminals with barcode readers directly at the repair stations. Every package of parts got a barcode sticker. Now the mechanic scans the code and the order number in 4 seconds before assembly. The data goes straight to the billing sheet in the office. Additionally, we created a red card system for low stock. Thanks to this, parts are now ordered 2 days in advance, eliminating downtime on the lifts.
Results
The company stopped paying for the business out of its own pocket due to oversight and mess. Mechanics are less frustrated because everything is at hand, and the owner sees the real warehouse status on their phone screen.
Timeline
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September 2023Inventory of 1,432 items and shelf labeling
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October 2023Terminal installation and training 7 mechanics on operation
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November 2023Launch of automatic reporting to the office
"I was skeptical about these scanners because my people aren't IT experts. It turned out to be simpler than sending a text, and the money finally stopped slipping through our fingers."