Inventory software helps with smart inventory management in different sectors. Due to the holistic approach, a specially adapted solution is suitable for the requirements of educational institutions and schools with a mostly very heterogeneous inventory.
Municipal educational institutions, but also educational institutions such as the “Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für soziale Dienste (GGSD)”, which operates throughout Bavaria and is based in Nuremberg, depend on a functioning infrastructure. Managing the entire inventory can be challenging.
GGSD needs a wide variety of teaching and working equipment, mainly from the fields of health, care and social services, in its everyday school life to cover the broad range of education offered. These are spread over 41 facilities and properties at 15 locations throughout Bavaria. Training, further education and continuing education courses are offered there, primarily for educational and nursing professions. In cooperation with the Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, the GGSD study centres in Nuremberg and Munich also offer accredited study programmes, for example in nursing management.
For the management of the inventory, those responsible rely on a specially adapted inventory solution. This makes it possible for the first time to uniformly record inventory and work equipment of all kinds. Digital management generates an often underestimated added value. Therefore, the conclusion after the introduction and the gathering of first experiences is positive.
Advantages of professional inventory management with barcode: Free of charge no alternative available
Contemporary inventory software should be designed as a cloud service and be easily scalable. In this way, it covers the needs of individual institutions, but also of organisations and companies with various locations. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) principle ensures that the user only needs the required number of internet-enabled end devices. Capacities can be increased at any time.
The provider’s experts take care of the secure setup and ongoing administration of the cloud server. DSGVO compliance should be guaranteed. A user and authorisation concept meets the requirements of data protection. The internal network at the location does not have to be opened.
Flexibly customisable profiles for the recorded items make it possible that both very static inventory items such as office furniture can be sensibly recorded, as well as dynamic work equipment such as IT equipment and training utensils. For each asset, all desired documents can be stored in the profile. These can be, for example, operating instructions, maintenance protocols and test certificates for technical equipment.
The optional maintenance calendar notifies responsible persons in good time of upcoming deadlines. A QR code can be used to identify each item, which is attached to it with a space-saving sticker. It is then sufficient to simply scan the QR code to view, add or update information in the inventory software. To meet these requirements, GGSD chose the inventory software provider Timly.
Inventory management – App as a central tool
To make access to Timly’s inventory software intuitive, the Swiss provider offers an app optimised for smartphones and tablets. A barcode scanner is already integrated, which uses the internal camera of the device. Especially when several locations have to be looked after, as is the case at GGSD, building technicians are often responsible for different properties.
With the app, employees can access all relevant documents on site. The documentation of work carried out can be created and saved on the mobile device. There is no need to carry around printed documents. Locations and personal responsibilities can be updated at the respective location without significant effort. All relevant information is immediately available in real time. Annoying enquiries and time-consuming searches are no longer necessary.
Using Excel free of charge for inventory management is unnecessarily restrictive
Office packages are available in most institutions and organisations. The idea of using Excel to record the inventory is therefore obvious, as it does not initially incur any additional costs. However, the range of functions of the popular spreadsheet programme is not sufficient in practice as soon as very different items are to be recorded and access to the data stock is to be made from different locations.
Insufficiently implemented multi-user capability, lack of clarity on mobile devices and missing user authorisations are only a few of the deficits that exist in comparison to specialised inventory software.
For those responsible at GGSD, the possibility of central administration was important when introducing inventory software. All data ends up in a database on the secure cloud server. There, information can be automatically linked and, if necessary, filtered according to any criteria. Such flexibility cannot be displayed with a spreadsheet programme.
Save time with inventory software: use QR code and barcode scanner
Even non-profit associations and organisations are not spared from the annual inventory. The physical inventory is likely to significantly disrupt normal teaching due to the amount of work involved. Alternatively, the inventory has to be taken during non-teaching time, which could be better used for other work.
A modern inventory management system such as Timly uses the existing data stock to simplify the inventory process. Lengthy preparations are no longer necessary. There is no need to create inventory lists without replacement. Locations of inventory items can be determined “at the touch of a button”.
If the software is set to inventory mode, it is sufficient to scan the QR code of an item and it is legally recorded for the inventory. If items are issued to employees in the home office, those responsible can request them to take inventory themselves by e-mail. The work material can be recorded on site with the app.
Assistance for mobile working: Using the inventory app at home
Mobile working is also becoming increasingly common in public authorities and training institutions. Meetings take place online, lectures are held via video conference. This makes the exchange of information between employees a new challenge.
A web-based app runs independently of the platform of the end device used. Data is only stored there temporarily. Therefore, it is basically harmless if employees use private smartphones to use the inventory software. In this way, important information about the work equipment to be used at the home office is easily available. Notifications of defects or requests for required materials can be made paperless via the app.
Timly inventory management convinces in practice: The GGSD location in Munich
One of the locations where initial experience in using Timly has already convinced users is the GGSD Education Centre for Nursing, Health and Social Affairs in Munich. Constanze Holz is head of administration for the facility with an area of about 3800 m³. A wide variety of furniture and modern technology is in use on site. This also includes innovative nursing mannequins.
The administration manager reports that it was already a challenge to find suitable software to cover such a wide range of inventory. In addition, coordination with other locations was necessary. Constanze Holz particularly praises the good introduction of the new inventory software and the training that was well adapted to existing needs. The product is now being implemented step by step at all GGSD locations.
