PPE vending machines – how they can improve efficiency and cut costs in your plants

PPE vending machines dispense Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). They are designed to dispense equipment including gloves, safety vests, safety glasses, first aid and ear plugs. The usage of these machines has doubled over the few years, especially in manufacturing plants. We know the advantages of distributing items like soda, candies and chips using this mechanism. But are these really beneficial for distributing safety kits? The answer is a big yes, according to the establishments that use them.

ppe vending

Cost Savings with PPE Vending

When you think of automated systems, cost savings is the first benefit that springs to the mind. PPE vending machines are no different. Since the delivery of PPE is totally controlled, workers using the machine for their kits are likely to be more careful. They will also make lesser mistakes about their choices. Their tendency to claim new gear will go down with the controls in place. All these factors improve the reuse of the equipment and reduce their wastage. The efficiency of the workers also goes up. The vending mechanism reduces incidences of theft. These machines are easy to install and incur only a low cost in maintenance too. The establishments can lease them for long durations or choose to pay a monthly rental fee. All these translate as cost savings for the establishment on the long run.

Better management of Inventory

Vending equipment is typically set up to use with employee ID cards or any such access card that can identify the employee. The distribution strategy could be devised to control the vending through the access cards thus ensuring access of employees to specific kits appropriate to their requirements. This will ensure better inventory management by reducing wastage. Additionally tracking reports can be generated using the system. Such reports give better visibility on important factors like equipment usage which can be utilized to design effective stock management strategies for the future.

Improved efficiency in restocking

Reorder levels of the safety gear need not be monitored diligently when these vending machines are used. These machines can be connected to the internet directly. When critical equipment are running out of stock and reach their reorder level, the machine can be configured to send out email communications either to the corresponding external supplier directly or internally to the appropriate authority who can then take necessary action. This will ensure that PPE is always available for employees.

Better regulatory compliance

Businesses can track both the gear and their employees with the vending machines in place. They can identify usage trends and patterns using historic data through reports. Such product usage reports can be used for regulatory purposes also. Since they are automated, their accuracy is far higher than the reports that are generated manually. So they can be relied upon to make important decisions without the fear of those decisions going wrong due to bad reporting. The misuse of official safety gear is greatly reduced resulting in better compliance.

With these vending machines in place, establishments are beginning to realize great rewards in terms of efficient inventory management, effective regulatory compliance, better monitoring processes and improved employee productivity. With such all-round benefits, it is safe to say that PPE vending machines are here to stay. If you are looking for reliable vending solutions visit this site.

Sources

http://www.superiorglove.com/pages/blog/top-5-benefits-of-a-ppe-vending-program/
http://www.ivm-vending.eu
http://www.magidblog.com/the-benefits-of-ppe-vending/

ASUS K501LX – The Perfect Entry-Level Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops are getting more popular by the day. Few years ago, these machines were considered heavy, releasing too much of heat. Thanks to Intel’s new generation of processors, today’s gaming laptops are quite thin and release less heat. Speaking of processing speed, they are as good as high-end desktops. In addition, they offer portability. These gadgets are not just for gamers. Their powerful hardware smoothly runs even the most resource-hungry applications like photo/video editing software or AUTOCAD. While a laptop with average specifications serves most basic needs, to play graphic-rich games you require extra processing speed and graphic hardware. So, it makes sense to pay few dollars more and get an entry-level gaming laptop.

asus-k501-lx

The ASUS K501LX is one such machine crafted for gamers. It has got looks, performance and a decent battery life. The following sections throw light on its features.

Design:

The K501LX sports ASUS’s signature black lid that goes well with the palm rest made of brushed Aluminium. The plastic-and-metal body reduced the manufacturing cost, but the laptop feels solid and aesthetically rich. To keep the palm rest free from heat, the designers placed the hotter components underneath the motherboard, towards the rear of the chassis. Asus calls it the “IceCool Technology”. There is also a Smart Dual Cooling System that brings down the heat even while you play graphic-intense games.

Main Features:

The K501LX comes with excellent hardware. The 5th generation Intel Core i7-5500U CPU complemented with 8GB of RAM provides plenty of juice to handle most games. The processor is clocked at 2.4GHz, but with Turbo Boost feature, it can reach a speed of 3GHz. The inclusion of Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics processor is a good news for hardcore gamers. The Optimus Technology from Nvidia automatically switches between the graphics processor and Intel’s integrated graphics when high-end graphic performance is not required. This decreases power consumption and boosts battery life.

Other Features:

The full-HD screen with a resolution is 1080p brings your videos to life. The 15.6 inch widescreen display gives you plenty of screen space while multi-tasking, like when you view two windows simultaneously. At 4.4 lbs, the K501LX is lighter than the 15-inch Macbook Pro. The multi-touch trackpad and the dust-proof chicklet keyboard feel quite comfortable to use. The laptop comes with a standard collection of ports, offering 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 HDMI port, microphone/headphone connectors, an Ethernet port and a card-reader slot. It is equipped with 802.11 A/C WiFi. Few high-end features like WiDi and Blu-Ray drive are missing on the K501LX, but given the price of $925 you can’t ask for more. These niceties would require you to pay upwards of $1,500.The 256GB Solid State Drive offers high transfer speeds.

Operating System:

The K501LX ships in with Windows 8.1 (64-bit) which is upgradable to Windows 10.

Manufacturer’s Warranty:

Asus includes a 2-year warranty covering parts and labour and a 1-year warranty covering accidental damage. Compared to other brands which provide 1-year warranty and no cover for accidental damage, ASUS is far more generous.

PROS:

1. Reasonable pricing without compromising on quality.
2. Powerful hardware.
3. ASUS’s patented technology to reduce heat emission.
4. Thin dimensions and lightweight body.

CONS:

1. Lack of Blu-Ray and WiDi.
2. 256GB SSD is quite low for most users. However, you can connect an external HDD through USB 3.0 ports.

Final Verdict:

In Digiprime’s test, the ASUS K501LX is a great gaming laptop. With a solid build quality and powerful hardware, it does almost any computing job that you throw at it.

How Businessmen Manage their Time

If somehow you run a small business, it’s clear most of the time you usually have little, or barely enough time to clock everything around together. Time is a large factor in every business growth, but what really makes it hard to manage time effectively in business? And what mechanisms should business leaders or people who aspire to be influential business moguls do, to ensure their business drive to its full potential? Here are a few tips how businessmen can increase their productivity and manage their time to work more effectively. These tips work wonders and, if followed, will also work the same too for your business.

Time Management Tip #1 : Set Goals and List Priorities

Before anything, you should first determine what you really want to accomplish first. This requires setting long-time goals and allocating specific blocks of time to each. This should be easier if you put all goals in writing, and make sure you review them frequently. Every longed goal that’s not put in writing is merely a dream. Thus, to make such goals operational, laying a “to-do” list should be initiated. A to-do list will help put each and every task in line, along with the time you want each task accomplished for much convenience. Afterwards, you’ll notice everything around your business is materialized as planned.

#2: Face Difficult Tasks at Your Peak

Normally, it’s best and very effective to face the most challenging, tedious tasks in the morning. Because many a times in the morning is when you’re able to articulate everything clearly. It’s when you’re at your optimum performance level. Scheduling a window of the most challenging tasks at a later time will only make you lazy, and somehow you won’t even be able to accomplish even the most seemingly easy tasks. Conversely when you put the most difficult tasks first behind you, will give you an upper-hand of accomplishing stuff much effectively.

#3: Prepare the Night Before

Take time each and every evening laying down plans for the next day. This will allow you to barely miss anything you wish done within your business. More so, if you have employed any employees to work for you in your business, it would be much easier to delegate duties to each staff, according to a specific order. A last minute rush of things will only make your business vulnerable, and even make matters that are fundamental to a business become easier to forget. So before you walk into your business the next day, at least ensure you gave everything some thought the previous day. You’ll be struck of how your business will operate at great speed.

#4: Stay Focused

If you are truly determined to do something, even for your business, you must focus. This is done by placing full attention on stuff that really matter, and on models or business metrics that will eventually put your business on the map. As such, it’s crucial to put aside any distractions that may make you waste time on irrelevant stuff. Beside shutting down some music, and minimizing most of your time on highly influential sites online, it’s also important to ensure even those around you respect your space, so that you can make most of your valuable time. Your undivided attention on important stuff will allow your business to thrive, way beyond your imagination.

Conclusion

Above are time management tips, many business men use to work more effectively around their work place. If you decide to adapt them into your business, within a few months, you’ll more likely begin to see some noticeable change and all opportunities within reach around your business.

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