Author: John Van Horn

iVendTech – A Smart Way to Manage and Track Your Office Supplies

Posted on by John Van Horn

When productivity and uptime are at stake, the penalties can be expensive, especially when there is no instant access to IT supplies. By providing your employees with 24/7 self-service access to an office vending machine or computer equipment locker, IDS’s office IT vending machine will enable you to reduce wasted time in the IT department and supply room. It does this by resolving your employee’s supply needs with a convenient and exciting solution to this problem.

Our office tech vending machines and supply lockers provide instant, self-service access to IT and office supplies. With our asset and inventory management vending solutions you can provide employees with instant, self-service access to IT and office supplies and a place to securely store devices for repair, replacement, and procurement with a hi-tech device that streamlines your office supply portfolio. This article introduces you to iVendTech, a smart way to manage and track your office supplies. 

What makes iVendTech unique?

The availability of IT assets and supplies is one of IT support’s most significant burdens. Failing to address issues immediately affects the entire company. A lack of IT and office supplies can be frustrating for employees. The pressure of looming deadlines and the inability to check their support requests’ progress can worsen the problem.

iVendTech allows the support team to easily collect requests for new assets, ensure controlled distribution, a document distributed assets, and collect for repair or replacement. With iVendTech’s IT asset management system, all stakeholders can track progress across the entire support lifecycle via web and mobile interfaces.

iVendTech combines supply dispensers, lockers, inventory management software, customizable visibility, and mobile and web alerts into one comprehensive platform. Such an IT asset and supply management solution makes IT hardware disbursement, maintenance, and support intelligent and transparent. 

How Will You Benefit? 

Here’s a glossary of how you would benefit from this platform: 

SECURE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL – iVendTech’s high-tech vending machines help save money by cutting down on unaccounted supplies. 

Comprehensive Real-time Reporting – In addition to real-time reporting, our reporting features include sales data, re-stock lists, visibility of users, and alerts when inventory runs low.

Increased Productivity – As employees spend less time searching for replaceable office supplies in IT departments and on telephone calls. 

How to Use iVendTech?

Many organizations have adopted the solution of dispensing IT peripherals as needed without supervision. Providing tools and options allowing workers to perform their duties without being bogged down with admin protocols makes them better equipped to increase productivity and effectiveness. Companies can significantly reduce expenditure by providing users with accountability for such resources and products, notably those in IT departments. This is achieved by inspiring staff to be mindful of utilizing supplies and directing their attention towards achieving company objectives rather than personal undertakings.

IDS leverages local employee ID technology to control access to dispensing machines. Administrators can set restrictions based on the user and/or department while also allowing them to track usage trends or misuse. iQ Technology’s IDS software platform can export or integrate transaction data daily, weekly, or monthly into other systems. Custom real-time integration solutions are available for instantaneous data transfer.

Areas of Applicability 

iVendTech can be used across the following areas:

  • New user/repair 
  • Consumables 
  • Travelers 
  • Broken items 
  • 24×7 remote pickup 

Need of the Hour

The inventory management requirements of today pose unprecedented challenges to organizations, which implies that methods of the past may be less effective in today’s complex, error-prone demands and work structure. This is where iVendTech can provide a solution by streamlining your inventory, making it more efficient and profitable. For more information, contact us today!

Inventory Management vs. Warehouse Management

Posted on by John Van Horn

Inventory Management vs. Warehouse Management - Idsveding.com

The terms ‘inventory management’ and ‘warehouse management’ are mistakenly used interchangeably since they both deal with products and operations within organizations in the distribution and manufacturing industry. Despite their similarities, many factors differentiate them. 

 Business owners and warehouse managers should understand the differences between the two terms because the management system utilized to track inventory depends on several factors that can impact your company’s efficiency and profitability. In this article, you will learn the similarities and differences between warehouse and inventory management. This article also compares warehouse and inventory management and explains how they function together. 

What is Warehouse Management? 

Warehouse management is the process of controlling and maintaining the operations in a warehouse. The process includes receiving the inventory from the seller, moving the goods inside the warehouse, and allocating storage space for the products in the warehouse. It involves all the activities that take place inside a warehouse.  

Warehouse management includes the following: 

  • Managing equipment and inventory effectively
  • Educating and training employees at the warehouse
  • Demand forecasting
  • Scaling warehouse operations from a business growth perspective
  • Maintaining relationships with courier companies to deliver items to customers on time
  • Obtaining licenses and certifications from concerned authorities
  • Keeping track of everyday outbound and inbound shipments and other activities

Businesses opt for a WMS or Warehouse Management System in their warehouse to make their warehouse operations easier. A WMS helps maintain the inventory levels and avoids stock out situations to allow you to get the best ROI (Return on Investment). It also enables you to forecast demand accurately by giving you information on which products are selling the most and which are not moving from the shelves.

What is Inventory Management? 

An inventory management system is how a company keeps track of its stocked inventory. It helps channel the inventory accordingly and deliver to the customers without delay. The process also monitors the dimensions, weight, and amounts of the inventory in stock.  

Having a good inventory management system helps eCommerce businesses prevent time lags in processing orders to the final delivery, as it will accurately track the goods in the storage. In today’s competitive world, you must always have your inventory levels data on hand because only then will you be able to provide your customers with a spectacular shopping experience. The process effectively performs your business’s inventory checks without losing potential sales. 

What Do Warehouse Management and Inventory Management Have in Common? 

Inventory management and warehouse management are similar activities, as both aids in moving inventory from the supplier to the consumer efficiently. Each involves shipping, storing, and reordering stock. They have the following features in common: 

Offer visibility into all stock for one warehouse or the whole company. 

Use barcode tools, software, and radio frequency identification (RFID) to enhance accuracy and efficiency. 

IDS is here to assist you in optimizing your supply chain with manufacturing inventory control, productivity and tracking.

Differences between Warehouse Management and Inventory Management 

Inventory Management System Warehouse Management System
Tracks inventory across all locations Tracks locations and stock movement within a warehouse
Focuses on maintaining inventory levels to fulfill orders Focuses on packing, picking, and shipping stock
Provides information about all inventory Generates reports on the status of stocks

 

Other Differences

Complexity 

Inventory Management system is a simpler process than a warehouse management system. Inventory management provides you with a record of the total inventory in a particular storage location. Warehouse management is the process that businesses perform to manage storage systems inside a warehouse. For example, if a warehouse has multiple storage bins for the same product, warehouse management helps you manage your items. In contrast, inventory management can only inform you about how many items you have. 

Integration 

Typically, inventory management is the first activity in a holistic warehouse management strategy. Warehouse management strategy includes several processes, including, but not limited to, order fulfillment, such as sales, distribution, product supply, and so on. In other words, warehouse management is more essential to everyday operations in the order fulfillment process when compared to inventory management. 

 Control  

Inventory management will only provide information about the quantity of a specific item in your stocked goods. Managing that inventory in a warehouse is done with warehouse management, which enables you to dedicate particular locations for the inventory. Warehouse management gives an organization more control over its operations since it gives them more information than inventory management to complete other tasks in the order fulfillment process. 

 Solutions 

WMS allows businesses to analyze and change storage and inventory when needed, while inventory management does not provide this option. Communication devices used in Warehouse Management make it possible to make these changes and gain a better understanding of the inventory and product locations, which results in a more streamlined and efficient operation.

 Final Say 

Now that you have noted the differences between inventory management and warehouse management, take the next step in deciding which process is best for your business. While both methods increase efficiency and reduce manual efforts, they do so in their own unique ways. Let us know your requirements, and we will guide you in making the best choice for your business.

VendSafety – 24×7 Access to Critical Supplies

Posted on by John Van Horn

VendSafety - 24x7 Access to Critical Supplies - IDSvending

Improve Productivity with our VendSafety Application

In today’s fast and changing work environment, optimal productivity is essential. Organizations that want optimal productivity must have easy access to all supplies. With VendSafety, employees will have 24/7 vending supply access without compromising productivity or security. It eliminates inefficiency in operations by placing your supplies in a supply locker or supply dispenser. 

Using this tool dispensing system, you do not have to spend valuable time counting your supplies or searching for your supply closet’s key. Instead, you can use the supply lockers and dispensers with an integrated tracking system for vending machines to ensure your employees always have the necessary products.

IQ TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURING

Manufacturing facilities face the challenge of providing easy and safe access to personal protection equipment (PPE) and tools for lowering costs and enabling employees to work efficiently. IDS’ iQ Technology, a cloud-based system and intuitive software platform, increases employee productivity and helps managers reduce expenses. IDS’ iQ Technology helps reduce costs by eliminating shrinkage and hoarding and assists managers in making data-driven executive-level decisions through real-time analytics.

IQ TECHNOLOGY – TOOL AND PPE TRACKING SYSTEMS

Any manufacturing environment with assets and employees would benefit significantly from VendSafety and iQ Technology. It could include warehouses, manufacturing facilities, factories, and the list goes on. Manufacturers must comply with various rules, regulations, and best practices to ensure employee productivity and safety. To achieve this task, they work with multiple departments. IDS’ tool and PPE tracking systems assist stakeholders with the following:

  • Insight into whether the desired organizational goals are being fulfilled or missed
  • Real-time and future information about resources and their utilization
  • The platform to gain an understanding of how to optimize resources or course-correct

For example, several consumables are needed on the floor, from safety goggles and simple gloves to sophisticated machinery or tools. These require real-time tracking and controlled supply access for effective utilization, safety, and security.

Benefits of VendSafety and iQ Technology

VendSafety and iQ Technology benefits:

  • Productivity of manufacturing operations
  • Easier compliance for HR
  • Management understanding the value of their investment
  • Supply chain and admin teams get more usable mileage from their budgets
  • Manufacturing floors in gaining visibility into resource availability

VendSafety Hardware- Hardware that effectively prevents the loss of assets

With its versatile hardware, VendSafety allows manufacturers to take complete control of their inventory supply room and securely track, store, and dispense various Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) products. VendSafety hardware helps manufacturers manage inventory, accountability, and access control over the PPE and MRO supply lifecycle. VendSafety hardware includes supply lockers, supply dispensers, and virtual trackers.

Supply Lockers

PPE tools and supplies can be retrieved or returned using VendSafety supply lockers. You can attach our safety locker to a standalone supply locker or supply dispenser for additional capacity. All locker bays can be individually programmed, adding electricity to charge devices, including drills and tablets. 

Depending on your requirements, our supply lockers are easily adjustable from three to eighteen compartments. They are perfect for larger equipment, such as boots and hard hats. IDS’ access-controlled supply lockers allow you to store essential consumable products, reusable assets, and other inventory in a safe and secure location, ensuring your team has access to the resources it needs 24/7. Our smart supply lockers provide transparency and total control of your inventory.

Supply Dispensers

VendSafety supply dispensers enable manufacturing facilities to dispense MRO and PPE supplies, safety products, and tools to authorized staff. They provide a single point of access for your team and keep your inventory organized, safe, and secure.

With VendSafety supply dispensers, you can increase productivity and reduce employee downtime by expanding your single point of storage to your point of use. Supply vending machines are essential for facility supply management, retail, healthcare, IT, and more. 

IDS’ automated retail machines offer secure machine-based management of consumable and returnable tools, supplies, and other assets. Our automated supply dispensers ensure your team has what they need, when and where they need it, 24/7.

Virtual Tracker

Using the virtual tracker, you can track your assets on almost any device, including Android, iOS, or IDS mobile computer devices. Use the virtual tracker to maintain stock counts accurately, avoid time-consuming manual entry of products and location bins, select orders, reduce errors, and receive inventory.

Our virtual tracker hardware is versatile in any environment. Virtual tracker scanners are your solution for all your inventory tracking needs. Having a single system across your organization makes it easy to maintain all information.

Virtual tracker has vast capabilities such as:

  • Setting up role-based restrictions
  • Managing a large number of employees and users
  • Unlimited asset management
  • Vehicle checklists and management
  • Product expiration actions and alerts
  • Complete backroom management
  • Transaction logs and alerts

Our virtual tracker packages include 100% compatible hardware, including scanners, iQ Technology, and its cloud-based software, training, support, and implementation services. At Intelligent Dispensing Solutions, we take the time to understand your inventory requirements and create a customized solution that suits your needs. Contact us today!

Customer Spotlight – AIDS Care Ocean State Harm Reduction Vending Machines

Posted on by John Van Horn

Customer Spotlight – AIDS Care Ocean State Harm Reduction Vending Machines

When we think of vending machines, we tend to think of candy bars, soda, and chips. But in Rhode Island, through the AIDS Care Ocean State (ACOS) Prevention Center, vending machines dispense harm reduction supplies. These supplies help reverse overdoses and reduce the spread of diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV. Through these machines, people can access free naloxone (Narcan®), rapid tests for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), sterile syringes, fentanyl test strips, hygiene, and wound care kits 24/7.

Harm Reduction Vending Machines

ACOS’s harm reduction vending machines provide easy accessibility for people who want to avoid direct contact with healthcare personnel and maintain anonymity when getting access to the medication. These factors explain the need for harm reduction vending machines, and the need is more than ever before. 

Listen to ACOS’s interview with Rhode Island’s Department of Health on the Public Health Out Loud podcast here. 

Caracole, an AIDS/HIV service organization, has installed a ‘harm reduction vending machine’ outside their headquarters that offers free fentanyl test strips, Narcan – a drug reversing overdoses, and safe use supplies. The vending machine’s phone number also connects to Caracole’s harm reduction service coordinators.  

Over 107,000 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2021, highlighting the necessity of evidence-based interventions. The University of Cincinnati undertook new research in partnership with Caracole, which showed a self-service vending machine for harm reduction supplies such as Naloxone helped prevent overdoses and contributed to the reduction of Hamilton County’s overdose deaths in 2021. Furthermore, research by Daniel Arendt, Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati was released in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association on November 11, 2021. 

Harm Reduction Strategy  

According to Arendt, harm reduction theorizes with drug and addiction education that assumes people are always seen consuming drugs. However, harm reduction does not enable or support drug use. Instead, it aims to meet people empathetically during their drug use habit and helps empower them to take action and minimize the dangers linked to its use. 

Arendt explained that harm reduction includes distributing naloxone and other supplies such as fentanyl test strips, bandages, tourniquets, and sterile syringes. “You would never tell someone who has wildly uncontrolled diabetes to get their blood sugar in check before we will help them or give them insulin.” 

He then went on to say, “So it is critical to recognize that substance use is not a moral failing, and it’s not this thing that should be stigmatized. Instead, we can acknowledge that drug use is becoming increasingly risky, and we can use that recognition to help spur the development of new, innovative methods of providing people with the care, services, and support that they need, no strings attached.”  

An Effective Approach  

Arendt was introduced to Suzanne Bachmeyer and her colleagues at a meeting regarding the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition. Suzanne Bachmeyer is the director of prevention at Caracole, an HIV/AIDS service organization located in Cincinnati. At the meeting, Arendt reflects on how he and Bachmeyer immediately began discussing the implementation of a harm reduction supply vending machine. During their discussion Bachmeyer said, “A cornerstone of harm reduction is to help people who use drugs stay as healthy as possible.” She also said, “Vending machines provide 24/7 ready access to lifesaving and disease prevention supplies, so people feel empowered to take control of their health. People can’t get healthy or seek treatment if they aren’t alive.”  

For decades, self-service syringe vending machines have been utilized in other parts of the world resulting in a positive impact. However, Arendt said that harm reduction vending machines in the United States were only located in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas prior to their initiative. Arendt also stated, “So our thought process was why not here, why not us, why not Cincinnati. Just because this hasn’t been done in the U.S. doesn’t mean it can’t be done in the U.S., so let’s bring it here and show that this is not just something that works in Europe, but this is something that works here.” 

How Harm Reduction Vending Machines Work

Harm reduction vending machines work this way: The program participants call Caracole, enroll, and then complete an anonymous survey. Next, they receive an access code that is valid for 90 days. To continue using the machine, re-enrolling can take place every 90 days after first joining the program.

During the enrollment process, harm reduction counselors offer more information on topics including Hepatitis C and HIV testing and prevention, counseling, local housing programs, prenatal care, and substance use disorder medical treatment.

Each person with the access code can dispense two nasal spray naloxone doses, two doses of naloxone injections, a safer smoking kit, a safer injection kit, a container to dispose of sharp objects such as needles, a safer sex kit, a PPE (personal protective equipment) kit, a bandage box, and a pregnancy test from the vending machine every seven days.

Final Thoughts – The Need for Harm Reduction Vending Machines

Based on a study, harm reduction vending machines increase access to harm reduction products and services. The research on harm reduction vending machines in Hamilton County, found that since installation, 637 people registered for the program. Out of the 637 registered people, 12% of them had not used harm reduction services before.

In the first year of installation, the vending machine dispensed 10,155 fentanyl test strips and 3,360 naloxone doses, which is more than other syringe service programs in the county. In addition, the installation of the machine was associated with a lower amount of HIV incidences and unintentional overdose deaths all over the county. 

Intelligent Dispensing Solutions (IDS) is a leading manufacturer of smart integrated vending machines and supply lockers. Our harm reduction vending machines can be used to deliver clean syringes, clean needles, and needle disposal containers for used needles. To know more about our products and how they would suit your requirements, click here.

Easy Inventory Management with UCapIt

Posted on by John Van Horn

Today, EMS providers and other healthcare organizations face the challenges of providing high-quality patient care with reduced operating costs and increased patient volume and regulatory requirements. UCapIt, from IDS, provides a simple yet powerful solution to the problem of how to efficiently and effectively control your EMS, hospital, and other healthcare facility inventory.

You need to be extremely careful managing your EMS inventory. With UCapIt, you can take better control of your inventory. If you are a medical service provider, UCapIt ensures your medical and narcotics equipment are stored securely. 

We offer several ways to identify your crew members to give them access through dual validation to equipment and supplies, such as inputting a unique code on a barcode, proximity, biometrics, magnetic strip, and much more.

Inventory Management Made Simple with UCapIt

Key Highlights

  • Reduces inventory carrying costs
  • Decreases ‘shrink’ and hoarding
  • Eliminates waste because of expired pharmaceuticals and products
  • Offers complete real-time reporting of how, why, where, and what
  • Offers access to inventory while maintaining security and control
  • Meets the DEA and FDA guidelines for pharmaceutical management
  • Streamlines operations and reduces administration costs

Inventory Management Features of UCapIt

The iQ Technology

The brain of the UCapIt system is iQ Technology. Through this technology, UCapIt increases employees’ productivity and provides management with real-time analytics to make data-driven decisions. This system is a cloud-based operating system provides round-the-clock real-time inventory and reporting of what, how, where, and why inventory is removed. 

In addition, iQ Technology alerts managers whenever their products are at crucial points, I.e., whenever they should be reordered. Moreover, all withdrawals are time-stamped, catalogued, and regulated by training/tech clearance level.

The iQ Technology for the Medical Industry and Emergency Services

Our Medical package includes all the features that healthcare and medical organizations need for enterprise-wide asset and inventory management, including:

  • Locker Dispensing & Reporting
  • Product Expiration
  • Supply Room
  • Vehicle Management
  • Lot-Tracking

Locker Dispensing and Reporting

IDS’ Supply Lockers allow easy and efficient inventory management of larger items than Supply Dispensers can. You can adjust the number of compartments and the size of each compartment to suit your product mix. Supply Lockers can be used as standalone or satellite machines connected to a Host Supply Locker or Supply Dispenser.

With IDS’s proprietary software management system, iQ Technology, you can manage access to products and utilize user credentials during check-out. Supply Lockers provide check-in/check-out, asset management, self-service automated order will-call/pick-up, single and multiple items dispense, and loan period processes.

Irrespective of how you utilize our Supply Lockers, the iQ Technology reporting can be accessed with a single login rather than multiple logins. This feature is helpful for will-call applications, along with regular supply dispensing.

Product Expiration

Our product expiration enables customers to view product expiration without manually sifting through products. This feature allows customers to find out all they need about products, including when they expire. It saves money and time and eliminates product waste in a machine.

Supply Room

The Supply Room feature allows you to save money and time by managing your inventory anywhere and anytime. You won’t have to spend hours in your supply room taking inventory of your products anymore. Instead, you can access your full supply room with the click of a button.

The Supply Room feature benefits you in risk reduction and audits. Also, with this feature, you can quickly see which products are about to expire so you can use them before their expiration date.

 Vehicle Management

Manage all your dispensing equipment in a single location with our Vehicle Management system. This feature helps you save time by giving you the facility to manage your equipment from one spot instead of you having to walk around to every machine to check if it is in good health.

Lot Tracking

With Lot-Tracking, you will be able to easily track lot numbers on any product in your system. This is a comprehensive feature that helps you track supplies from the moment you receive them in the supply room, till they’re dispensed from the machine.

Lot-Tracking offers you the ability to keep track of where your product is and who can access the product. Besides, the feature reduces risk and helps organizations maintain full compliance. 

Final Words – Other Features

Custom Checklists, Biometric Management, and API / Pre-Authorization are some other capabilities of iQ Technology. The Custom Checklist feature allows you to create a digital checklist to make sure all your machines and supplies are in place according to your standards. Biometrics is a way your employees can access the products they need with their fingerprint, and it enables the machine to track the number of products accessed when they were accessed, and who accessed which products. iQ Technology also allows organizations to connect directly to your existing employee management system. For more information, contact us by clicking here.

Why Are Smart Lockers An Important Asset For Every Office?

Posted on by John Van Horn

Why Are Smart Lockers An Important Asset For Every Office? - IDSvending.com

In a busy workplace, it becomes challenging to ensure your staff has all the supplies they require when they need them the most. Even under the most extraordinary circumstances, troubleshooting issues, planning deliveries, and making sure everything reaches the right person may be slow and time-consuming. This is why successful offices use Smart Lockers to increase efficiency and save time and money. 

Smart Locker solutions can help you optimize your office inventory management and distribution system. With safe storage available when needed, individuals may work according to their schedules. The system is efficient, maximizes resource usage, and proactively addresses requirements. 

 This article will show how a smart locker solution improves efficiency and can benefit your workplace. 

 Smart Locker Operations

Smart Lockers can provide your business with locker storage and the benefits of tracking software that streamlines workflows and includes real-time data. Businesses also utilize Smart Lockers to automate asset distribution, IT maintenance, and other business and employee-focused services. Partnering with a trusted dispensing company like IDS for Smart Lockers will help provide your organization with secure inventory control. 

Smart Locker hardware includes various storage spaces and lockable doors, just like traditional office lockers. The door locks are equipped with state-of-the-art security features that require authentication to access, making Smart Lockers more versatile and safe. Users can access the locker compartments with ID, pin code and prox card. Administrators can set up restrictions so certain departments only have access to what they might need.

Enterprise security and automation are enhanced by Smart Lockers that are simple to integrate with corporate software and processes. This is because administrators can monitor every package delivered to a locker from when it is dropped off until the receiver picks it up.  

Let’s look at the most significant benefits of Smart Lockers.  

  1. Smart Lockers may be customized for any business

Smart Lockers’ adaptability allows them to be employed in various settings and with emerging technological capacities. Government organizations can better serve their communities by providing smart locker pickups to citizens seeking documents and information. Hospitals have successfully used Smart Locker systems to manage and distribute important medical resources. With iQ Technology software from IDS organizations can track the delivery and retrieval of an item effortlessly. Smart Lockers foster innovation and endless possibilities for efficient inventory tracking and management.  

  1. Enhanced Safety and Security

Smart Lockers promote health and safety in the workplace by providing staff and visitors with a contactless pickup option. It also lowers the staffing requirements for managing multiple asset distribution centers. Security-conscious organizations utilize Smart Lockers to manage access, increase accountability and safeguard assets and corporate valuables. Access controls like PINs and barcodes make products safe and trackable from when an asset or supply is scanned into the system database until the right user retrieves it. These features work together with comprehensive, highly efficient supply-tracking software. iQ Technology provides organizations with real-time transaction reports and inventory data. It also lets administrators know which users access what supplies, when, and how they have. 

  1. A safe delivery alternative.

Dealing with the stress and cost associated with missing, misplaced, or even stolen products makes the workplace unpleasant. Lost or misplaced supplies are the most critical problem for asset management. 

Smart Lockers help enterprises by offering a systematic process for monitoring each item they receive, which helps to prevent the possibility of unattended supplies being lost or pilfered. When a supply is placed in a designated locker, the item is tracked and the user is accountable for it. 

  1. Brilliant asset management is guaranteed with IDS Smart Lockers!

The advantages of Smart Lockers in the workplace are growing in appeal and are quickly replacing traditional asset management methods. As mentioned above, a Smart Locker system enables businesses to track and distribute business assets in various environments.  

Organizations of different kinds are using smart locker solutions to better track and manage their office inventory and most important assets. Dispensing IT devices to employees and keeping track of these assets has become a cakewalk with Smart Lockers. 

  1. Happier staff, uninterrupted productivity.

If your company isn’t providing accessible, on-demand experiences that your employees need, they could decide to work for someone else. 

Smart Locker solutions nurture happy employees by demonstrating that you appreciate their time. There is no more waiting in line at the service desk or mail center. Instead, users receive a notification that their item or asset is available for pickup from a smart locker, and they pick it up whenever it’s convenient for them. 

  1. Intelligent Smart Lockers are cost-efficient

Your staff will love the improved productivity, easy contactless experience, and everyone involved can rest assured that the process is secure from start to finish. Eliminating missing valuables and the streamlined service improvements offered by Smart Lockers will save your office more time and money.  

A smart locker is a critical element of a smart office. 

Smart Lockers have the potential to alter modern supply management, making the delivery and pickup of essential items and supplies more efficient and effortless. IDS is a pioneer in Smart Locker solutions. Please speak with our experts today to learn why investing in Smart Lockers is a brilliant concept for a smart workplace. Contact us at 1-855-942-0998. 

 

 

Ref links: https://smiota.com/resources/a-2022-overview-of-smart-locker-solutions/

UCapIt: The Only Machine Made for EMS

Posted on by John Van Horn

“When we waste dollars through inefficient practices, we are not being good stewards to our patients, our taxpayers, or to our EMS mission,” Jonathan D. Washko, MBA, FACPE, NRP, AEMD.

The problems with today’s emergency medical supply management are multifold: Paramedics and EMTs are running short of critical and non-critical (but important) supplies. The scramble to locate stocks kills precious time, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. Agencies that overstock supplies to prevent stock shortages find themselves looking for items within overstuffed cabinets and bags. Overstock can also lead to product expiration, creating a problem of another kind. 

Successful inventory management requires insight, foresight, and a sophisticated system – a foundation that can help build a practical and unique framework for smart inventory management and decisions. Such a system can help organizations reduce costs, reduce wastage, and cut down on liabilities. 

Introducing UCaplt

UCapIt is a system designed to help EMS, pharmaceutical, and other medical professionals save time and money and enjoy the benefits of real-time usage data and inventory tracking. 

UCapIt vending machines and supply lockers provide administrators with access control, inventory management, and accountability over the entire medical supply lifecycle. The versatile hardware offering of UCapit vending machines and supply lockers enables them to have control over their supply room. Using this, they could store, track, and dispense a range of emergency medical supply products in a secure manner.

Simplified, Cutting-edge Inventory Management

The healthcare fraternity faces many challenges in the current ecosystem. They are increasingly required to provide quality patient care at reduced operational costs amidst increased regulations and patient volumes. UCaplt is the solution you might be looking for, as it provides a simple yet effective solution to the inventory problems faced by hospitals, EMS, and other healthcare facilities.

“The UCapIt system gives us a hard data inventory report we can rely on.”
– Dan Lottes, Firefighter, D.C. Fire and EMS

UCaplt meets and exceeds the standard of inventory control. It helps you take back control of your medical supplies, ensure safe and secure storage of narcotics and medical equipment, and offers various ways to authorize crew members to access inventory – by entering a unique code on a pin pad, proximity sensor, barcode reader, magnetic strip, or biometrics scanner. 

Our supply vending machines and lockers help check multiple forms of ID. With UCaplt’s own iQ Technology software, you can catalog all withdrawals from the stock, time stamp them, and regulate them as per tech clearance or training level. 

Types of UCapIt Hardware 

UCaplt hardware includes: 

Supply Dispensers

Refrigerated and non-refrigerated Supply Dispensers facilitate the secure dispatch of medical supplies, narcotics for medicinal intervention, and pharmaceuticals to authorized personnel. They provide a single point of access to the entire team – ensuring the safe and secure maintenance of inventory.

Supply Lockers

Supply Lockers also serve the purpose of facilitating access to medical equipment and supplies. It also facilitates the return of these products. Each bay in a Supply Locker can be adjusted to fit taller supplies if necessary.

Virtual Tracker

The Virtual Tracker is designed to make inventory management for many items that don’t fit in a Supply Dispenser or Supply Locker  as simple as it can be. With this, you can maintain stock accounts accurately, locate bins, pick orders, and receive inventories.

UCapIt Powered by iQ Technology 

iQ Technology is UCapIt’s proprietary inventory management software, as it allows users to know the status of their emergency medical dispensing inventory, helps reduce cost by cutting down on shrink and hoarding, and eliminates waste that occurs through expired products. iQ Technology tackles the drawbacks of modern inventory management, such as stock shortages, identification of stocks, and security, with a cloud-based backend that is easy to use, track, and manage. And wouldn’t managing inventories be much easier with real-time analytics that can help make data-driven executive-level decisions? 

IDS has a storied history in the dispensing industry. We have served customers for over 90 years in the automatic merchandising business. Contact IDS today to learn how we can help your organization save time and money with our secure dispensing hardware and software by calling 1-866-409-3024.

The advantages of using smart lockers for mobile asset management over manual methods

Posted on by John Van Horn

 

The advantages of using smart lockers for mobile asset management over manual methods - idsvending.com

Manual asset management – Fraught with many limitations!

A clipboard full of checkboxes for each asset that gets passed around and is shared by several users can very quickly become a nightmare for all maintenance, operations, and supply chain professionals. The data gathering is tedious while preparing summary reports and reconciliation with stores is often fraught with errors. It is the perfect scenario for Murphy’s law.  

This article is not going to be all gloom and doom. Still, it is essential to understand the disadvantages of manual asset management before we discuss how iQ Technology paired with smart lockers can make your inventory management efficient and effortless. Some of the key disadvantages of manual asset management over mobile are discussed below.

  • Cumbersome

Manual asset management involves data entry at several points, often by several people. Even with the use of computers and spreadsheets, the task does not become any easier. Hundreds of devices, tools, and consumables need data entry at several points, such as procurement, check-out, check-in, and disposal.  Summarizing the data gathered to generate meaningful reports is a difficult challenge. Finally, more effort is required to make this data flow to other systems.

  • Human Error is inevitable

Data is only as valuable as it is accurate. Human involvement in gathering and processing data makes the data prone to errors. Erroneous data can be more dangerous than having no data at all. Poor data has a bad habit of contaminating insights in downstream processes and making data from upstream processes unreliable. It is impossible to eliminate human error, especially when it involves tedious yet precise manual entries that are repetitive.

  • Delayed Asset Status

Manual asset management delays data gathering, rendering the data unavailable for tactical and business decisions. Just as serving justice, data delayed is data denied. 

  • Non-Standard Data

Another challenge with manual data gathering is data can be interpreted and reported differently depending upon the methodology and source of the analysis. To combat this, radio buttons and objective options are oftentimes used, however, this approach diminishes the amount of intelligence that can be gathered. Unstructured data analysis, visualization, and big data can help with data analysis, however, these methods are most applicable when the volume of data is high.

  • Resistance to Modifications

When gathered manually, data tends to resist any structure, resolution, or data type changes. Even a tiny change in a set of constrained inputs can disrupt data gathering for many. The workforce needs to be trained in the need for changed data and the process of acquiring it. Considering that the data is seldom acquired by someone dedicated to this purpose, people may view such retraining as a distraction from their responsibilities.

  • Employee Motivation

Tracking and monitoring asset information manually cause difficulties for employees at various levels. The process is tedious and susceptible to errors, as often the task of entering data is not a measure of success, but can considerably impact decision-making considerably. This means more work for no direct outcome for the employee. Inaccurate data can also confuse employees, causing frustration.

Smart Lockers and Mobile Asset Management

Smart lockers automate the management of your assets. Workflows can be written to provide role-based or need-based access to assets through precise authentication mechanisms. And yes, there is minimal to no manual data entry involved. Data is made available in real-time as and when it is created. 

When combined with tagging and tracking solutions like RFID, Bluetooth, Keycard, or Passcode-based authentication, establishing the chain of custody becomes automatic. Smart lockers are a combination of three pieces of technology.

  • Hardware

Adjustable Lockers serve as a pickup and drop-off center that stores your assets when not they are not in use. Users can use the electronic panel or their ID cards to check out and check in devices or equipment. The access interface can be customized to authenticate various methods like User PIN, Employee Keycard, RFID, or even passcodes delivered to mobile phones.

  • Software

iQ Technology software from IDS serves as the backend brains behind the hardware. The software is where you set up employee limits and authorization as well as view real-time data that includes who used what assets, when and how many.

  • Integrations

Mobile assets are used in various processes in the enterprise. Different functions use enterprise systems like ERP, SCM, and Procurement systems. Asset tracking can be complete only when the supply lockers can integrate with different enterprise systems and ensure a single source of information.

 

Smart Lockers Vs. Manual Asset Management – Is it even fair to compare?

 

Particulars Smart Lockers Manual Asset Management
Profitability Profitability improves due to better efficiency, higher uptime, improved productivity, better use of assets, and lesser hoarding/ shrinkage. Asset management initiatives focus on existence and not excellence, resulting in higher inefficiencies.
Process Continuity Real-time asset trackability ensures mission-critical assets’ visibility and continuity in the process. The lead time to data visibility can cause a massive disparity between the actual status and the recorded status of the asset.
Asset Utilization Information on available (unutilized) assets helps allocate assets around the clock to drive higher utilization. Poorer utilization of assets as data is neither current nor accurate.
Accountability Accurate chain-of-custody ensures responsible usage of assets. Manual data entry allows missing or invalid entries, thereby reducing accountability.
Reliability Logging and scheduling maintenance can be automated through workflows, making equipment more reliable. The asset maintenance is relegated to individuals and prone to human error.
Actionable Insights The software layer in smart lockers can trigger instant reports to empower decision-makers.. Manual consolidation of data and reporting may not be available in time to make decisions.
Seamless Interoperability Data is gathered and stored digitally, allowing integration with other enterprise systems. Data is gathered and entered manually into spreadsheets, limiting interoperability to a few systems.
Employee Experience Employees can focus on creating value for the business by executing their responsibilities better. Employees are burdened with data gathering and the consequences of inaccurate data.

 

Mobile Asset Management with Smart Lockers – The No-brainer Decision

Your devices and equipment contribute as much to the business process as fixed assets like buildings, if not more. Ensuring their condition, availability, and uptime is critical for efficient operations. Smart lockers help manage mobile assets effortlessly and accurately. The three layers of technology – hardware, software, and integration applications come together to ensure better availability and utilization of mobile assets leading to time saved and increased profitability.

IDS Vending is the industry leader in smart lockers and controlled dispensing technology. Talk to our experts to see how our lockers can help you manage your mobile assets. Click here to learn more or call us at 1-866-409-2978.

Unique Vending Machines Offering the Anti-dose Drug Narcan Gain Support

Posted on by John Van Horn

Unique Vending Machines Offering the Anti-dose Drug Narcan Gain Support

Did you know that just 2 milligrams of fentanyl are enough to cause an overdose? Some governments and non-profit organizations are making use of vending machines to distribute Narcan, a medication reversing opioid overdose, to reduce drug overdose deaths.

Also, Narcan vending machines with this lifesaving medication are being installed in various cities across the country, including North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and Philadelphia, at malls, detention centers, college campuses, and other public places for use in emergencies.

Vending machines dispensing Narcan, the fentanyl antidote, are popping up across the US as a small town of 7000 people was forced to restock seven times in one month – while the opioid death count exceeds 75000 this year.

Furthermore, to increase Narcan availability, some local governments have placed the vending machines strategically near at-risk populations — for instance, at jails — since studies suggest that recently incarcerated individuals are about 40 times more likely to die of opioid overuse than others.

 Some Facts about this Scenario

  • Here are some facts about the ongoing fentanyl crisis:
  • In 2022, fentanyl has resulted in the death of 75,000 people already.
  • In the most recent move to counter the fentanyl crisis, numerous communities have begun utilizing free Narcan dispensing vending machines.
  • As well as that, these machines are stocked with free Narcan nasal spray, and some also include free snacks and other products.
  • Mostly, non-profits pay for the machines, though some local governments have started operating them.
  • Finally, the high number of fentanyl deaths is augmented by the fact that users are unaware of the fatal drug being laced into several other substances including methamphetamine and cocaine.

Why is Fentanyl Dangerous? 

Our Organization’s Insights

Ashley Hubler, Chief Marketing Officer of the Wittern Group, a vending machine supplier in Iowa, said “These organizations, they may be closed at five but with a machine that could be outdoors or placed in a variety of places,” “Now the end users can access the machine regardless if it’s four o’clock during business hours or two o’clock in the morning [to] access the supplies when they need them.” 

Our organization has been selling vending machines for food and drinks for about 90 years. We believe that managed vending machines are easy to implement, offer convenience and provide many more benefits.

Case Study

Amanda Clark, a Lead in the Forsyth County Department of Public Health said, “We actually had an EMS call recently where there was an overdose happening about a block or two down the street from our jail”.

Additionally, she said, “The person who called 911 remembered that there was that Narcan machine at the jail. And so after they called 911, they actually ran to the jail to get some Narcan from the machine while they were waiting for first responders to get there. And the person was able to be revived, and by the time the paramedics got there, they were sitting up and talking and doing fine.”

Similar Initiatives and Stats

Initiatives similar to the one shown in the case study above have been taken in Michigan, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, among other states. They follow the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) loosening its restrictions on Narcan and other opioid overdose antidotes in 2019 to increase their availability.

Additionally, vending machines with Narcan are being used in other cities. The Central Washington Recovery Coalition, which is a non-profit organization helping drug users, set up three vending machines around its area, including Moses Lake and Wenatchee. Local charities give users a code, which they can input on a vending machine to receive their dose of Narcan.

The following graph shows the fentanyl deaths in the US from 2017 to 2022:

Final Words

The opioid overdose death rate is higher today than ever before. Synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, have contaminated the drug supply. Not to mention, it is found in almost everything these days, which is driving this spike in opioid overdose deaths.

In a Fox News interview, Jim Crotty, former deputy chief of staff for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said, “We should be carpet-bombing our cities with naloxone. That’s how dire this crisis is.”

Reference: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/nonprofits-governments-narcan-vending-machines

 

A Life-Saving Revolution – Vending Machines To Reverse Drug Overdoses‍

Posted on by John Van Horn

A Life-Saving Revolution - Vending Machines To Reverse Drug Overdoses‍

 

Drug addiction and opioid overuse are major threats to life in the United States, with reports suggesting that 70,000 Americans fell prey to the epidemic in 2018, 92,000 in 2020, and 1,08,000 last year. To reverse the effects of these drugs and prevent the loss of precious lives, cities and aid groups have come up with a solution that is increasingly gaining popularity – Narcan-stocked vending machines. This article offers in-depth coverage of vending machine’s brand-new avatar – as  lifesavers. 

The Problem – Drug-Overdose Deaths

The statistic above makes for a distressing read. It indicates that the opioid crisis is only getting worse year by year. This complex issue is caused by a combination of factors – including the overprescription of opioids by doctors, the illicit production and sale of opioids, and the increased availability of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The Fentanyl content (a powerful synthetic Opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than Morphine) present in cocaine or fake pills, has been silently killing the many who are unaware of its mixture or potency.  The result is an epidemic of drug overdose deaths ravaging our society and claiming the lives of far too many people. To make it worse, no situation at hand has proven effective in curbing this. The police and the EMT are at loggerheads, as they could only reverse 1% of the 8,711 overdoses recorded. 

The Solution – Vending Machines Stocked With Overdose-Reversing Nasal Spray

The solution discovered – vending machines stocked with overdose nasal spray, an approach that has even found favor with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). America’s governing body for food & drug safety has joined a few states in easing the restrictions on medications such as Narcan to facilitate its lifesaving role.

Narcan is an opioid antagonist. It binds the opioid receptors in the brain, therefore blocking the effect of opioids. This can reverse an overdose and save a person’s life. 

Narcan is a safe and effective medication that is easy to use and can be administered by anyone. It is available in the form of a nasal spray, which can be sprayed into the nostrils of a person who is overdosing. The nasal spray is now available in vending machines located in public places such as schools, libraries, and parks. 

Vending machines stocked with Narcan or similar medications can be lifesaving. The easier availability of Narcan also serves to destigmatize addiction. It normalizes the conversation about addiction, thus reducing the shame and isolation often experienced by people struggling with addiction. 

In addition to Narcan, vending machines are now stocked with fentanyl test strips. These test strips detect the presence of fentanyl in a drug sample and help prevent accidental overdoses. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid often mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. It is highly potent and deadly if taken in large doses (as seen above).

How Is It Distributed? 

Vending machines stocked with Narcan overdose nasal spray are becoming increasingly available. In the United States, Narcan is available in more than 40 states. It is also available in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It is distributed in various forms, including nasal spray, tablets, and injectables. 

Nonprofits across the country are working hard to install vending machines for this purpose. The Wittern Group first received a call from such an aid group, requiring us to outfit a few used vending machines to dispense Narcan. More than 100 such groups contacted us last year requesting quotes for vending machines. A few of the customers we now cater to in this segment include a Rhode Island group that volunteers to provide clean needles to drug users, Yale University, and agencies in California funded by Anthem Blue Cross. 

“They’re putting them in fire stations, jails, churches, places that are public,” – Julie Burgess, The Wittern Group. 

Final Words 

The availability of a tool, even something lifesaving as a Narcan stocked vending machine, does not license the abusive use of substances that could derail the health of individuals and the community. We will do well to understand that the solution we have in hand isn’t something drug users can resort to as a remedy to their addiction. 

Used right, we have something that could take us on the long road to tackling the ugly menace of drug addiction,  After all, innovations, even the little creative ones, have always shaped the fabric of our existence, helping us enjoy the fruits of healthy existence that seemed impossible even decades ago.

Reference link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/vending-machines-dispense-narcan-to-reverse-opioid-overdoses-11669003881