Your team is tasked with conducting inspections for 200 suites, 160 bathrooms with 1,600 toilets, more equipment than you care to comment on, and around 300 concession points.
It’s clear you got your work cut out for you. And if you’re still using pen and paper…it’s going to be a long week.
We’re getting exhausted thinking about it.
Pen and Paper is Bad for Inspections (And Your Health)
Once upon a time, inspections of all types were conducted with pen and paper.
Are you hoping this fairy tale has a happy ending? Keep reading my friend, keep reading.
Here’s what’s clearly present, constant and invaluable: great inspections.
Whether it’s a bathroom for cleanliness, suite furniture for wear and tear, or a fire extinguisher for secure hardware, inspections need to be completed with the intent of providing a safe and secure setting for your fans.
And provide you with peace of mind. However, inspections are just a huge you know what.
The first pain is you have to develop the process: Who conducts the inspection? How do they conduct the inspection? What is being inspected? When or how often is the inspection?
The second pain [in you know what] is developing the process to share the inspection – if it passes or if it fails. Oh, and then when something fails, you need to establish the ‘how to track it process’ that needs to be developed, implemented and followed.
This is a land far, far away from peace of mind.
Here’s an example: bathroom inspections.
A bathroom checklist is hung on a wall or back of the door, pinned to a clipboard. Checklists contain the inspection items. Your staff is supposed to assess the items, repair or replace equipment if needed. And then sign the checklist with their initials.
Technically this should work, right? It doesn’t. Sorry.
A core flaw exists here – the lack of document integrity. This results in NO accountability. Zip. Zero. Zilch. The data isn’t reliable.
That bathroom checklist is nothing more than a piece of paper filled with 'flying check marks.' You probably know what those are. It’s where an employee checks off all items without truly doing the inspection. The check marks are “flying” because the employee is flying out the door as they’re checking off the box!
Maybe we shouldn't finish this post…
No. We wouldn't do that.
Fact: these employees are working for you.
What’s a pass on a dirty bathroom to them when someone else is bound to come along who’ll have the time to take care of it on their shift? After all, what difference does it make to them? These are the trusted people “ensuring” your fans have a safe, secure and memorable time at your venue.
How’s knowing you can’t trust them?
You’re paying an employee that isn't working effectively AND it’s going to cost you money. Inadequate equipment inspections cost you money on untimely replacements and unnecessary repairs.
What happens when the slip and fall occurs? Now you are spending lots and lots of money. How do those checklists work now?
Now you’re talking liability concerns and hypertension.
One poor inspection has a ripple effect (similar to response times) on other areas of your operation. Check out our blog on why response times matter and you’ll see the correlation.
So the question is: how do you validate whether your team completed an inspection while keeping your blood pressure level at normal?
Yes, the problem is unremitting. But relax, there is a solution.
Time to Boost Your Equipment Inspections With RFID Technology
Supercharging all your equipment or location inspections can be done with RFID technology. No more wasting your valuable time with spreadsheets, pen and paper, and unreliable information.
Using a software solution that’s actually easy enough to use, that provides you with proper documentation and accountability… well that’d eliminate your feeling of hopelessness, right? Good news.
Efficiency and ease of use are two major must-haves when moving to software and moving your paper and clipboards to the recycling bin.
Let’s go back to our bathroom, but with some new technology. And don’t blink, because it’s so efficient you may miss it.
Your employee walks into the bathroom for their inspection. No more clip board on the door. Now there’s an inexpensive tag (your fans won’t notice) on the wall. They take out their handheld mobile device and wave it over the tag.
Please wait…
In a matter of seconds ALL the details for the bathroom inspection appear on the device in a checklist format – boom.
From cleaning the toilets to filling paper hand towels, to a before and after photo, the employee can complete the inspection, passing or failing items in a matter of seconds. Here’s the game winning point. The details are immediately stored in the software for instant availability.
And if something needs fixing’ you can handle it super efficiently.
A Powerful Benefit to Using a Unified Solution for Inspections
Find a unified system that can talk to your CMMS. Wait. There are inspection solutions that can talk to my CMMS? The answer is, “Yes.” With the right solution, your staff can create work orders at time of inspection.
Real-time processing of equipment, material and all maintenance needs right at your fingertips! Remember that lazy employee you've been losing sleep over? Now they have the tools to be a superstar.
APPA is to Cleanliness as ‘You’ is to Inspections
A little bird told us solutions are available which allow you to conduct scoring using the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) standards for location inspections. All levels of cleanliness can be scored directly into a system through a mobile application for your venue. (Try that on for kicks!)
In case you’re not familiar with APPA, it’s dedicated to the protection, maintenance and promotion of quality venues (and facilities). The Association sets the standards for custodial and maintenance for venue and facilities.
There are five APPA levels of cleaning that can be scored:
- Level 1 – Orderly Spotlessness
- Level 2 – Ordinary Tidiness
- Level 3 – Casual Inattention
- Level 4 – Moderate Dinginess
- Level 5 – Unkempt Neglect.
Now you can confidently provide fans with a safe, secure and clean environment.
Accountability and Inspections can Coexist (Who Would Have Thought?)
The progressive technology starting to make waves in the industry finally gives you the accountability you desperately need.
Inspections are complemented with the ability to attach pictures, video, audio, and even signatures to all scanned items. Are you singing songs of happiness yet? We are.
You can now have proof of inspections. Ensure staff is held accountable for their scheduled tasks. No more questions, only hard facts.
Before and after pictures can also give you historical data for assets inspected by staff throughout your venue. Information about an inspection is recorded and reported at time of the inspection. No opportunity for mismanaged or unreliable data entry.
Accurate documentation gives you a way to analyze information that is correct and can be used.
The reporting features built into these solutions give your data purpose. So you can manage, analyze and use the statistics for executing inspections with supreme efficiency every single time.
Achieve the operational effectiveness – and greatness – you continue to strive for!
Prayers: answered.
Problem: solved.
Didn't want to completely blow your mind, but click here to see how you can take your inspections into the 21st century with our CheckPoint solution.
