At JumpModel we are all about value hacking – a passion for maximum value at minimal cost. During the current business climate we are all looking for ways to make big things happen on a shoestring budget. It sounds easy as a mindset but like many things action is more important than ideas and words. In this post we wanted to outline some “quick wins” we have identified using modern, cloud forward APaaS or low-code solutions. All of these apps can be built for under $10,000 in very short order.
Our key is that we don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis. The goal is to produce something quick and cheap or not at all. Once it’s in users hands we can get a true picture of what can be done to increase value. There are so many tools out there that get us to the point of valuable feedback quickly. It’s simply a matter of taking action. So, let’s talk about the solutions that we see as packed with value at low cost.
Machine Monitoring
Why? Money. Some machines cost big dollars when they fail or underperform. Knowing when a machine is at risk can increase control of operations and help reduce down time as well as time spent “fire fighting”.
What you’ll need:
- A target machine
- Ready Machine data
- Low-Code or APaaS Subscription
- A tech savvy technician that would have fun doing this project
The plan:
Capture – Determine the data needed to enable better decisions about the target machine. Some machines may already have data that is going unused. Other machines will need instrumentation installed to generate data.
Load – Get the data into a place that it can be analyzed easily with a simple data model.
Analyze and predict – Validate a strategy for enhancing decision making capability based on data driven approach.
Deliver Experience – Use a low-code tool or APaaS to make this data readily available in real time to the people that can action based on it.
Price:
- Capture: Free to $3000
- Load: $1500
- Analyze: $4000
- Deliver: $1000
- Total: $6500-$9500
Field Service Guides
Why? Again, money. Typically we see most maintenance operations have some big ticket jobs that only particular techs are able to do. Sometimes but not always it’s because the jobs are harder. Sometimes it’s that other people just don’t know what needs to be done. With the correct field service guide it may be possible to reduce the cost on some big ticket items, for a small ticket price tag – of course.
What you’ll need:
- A list of your biggest ticket recurring work orders
- An intern that can take good notes
- A low-code tool
The Plan:
Select Target Roadmap – Don’t go too crazy here. You know what your big ticket items are. You also know which ones take years of experience to address and which ones just haven’t been taught. Take your top three, then widdle it down to the one that you think will impact the bottom line most. Do that one first.
Capture Process – Partner your intern with a senior tech and a very junior tech. Send your intern out with your senior tech and have them ask tons of questions about each step they are taking to complete the job. Then have them sit with a junior tech and ask the junior what questions they have. Have the intern go back with the senior and take pictures this time. Repeat the process until the junior has no more questions.
Create Guide – Get Intern to put the pictures and instructions into the low-code tool.
Test / Observe / Execute – Have senior execute job/s using instructions and make corrections. Have the junior execute the job with a senior there while only using the guide. Hone the guide until it is ready for use. Now give it to a second junior and see how they do.
The Price:
- Intern: 8 weeks, 20/hr $6400
- Low-code tool: $1200/yr
- Total: $7,600
Accounts
Payable
Automation
Why? Yes, money. AP can be a highly manual process typically executed by employees that have other high value contributions to make, but just can’t find the time to get to them. Uncovering redundant expenses, incongruencies and just plain bad spending can make back your AP automation investment in a matter of weeks.
What you’ll need:
- AP manager and an AP specialist with an open mind
- A tech savvy employee willing to have some fun, our an outside freelance analyst
- Low-code tool or specialized AP automation tool
The plan:
Identify Target Process for Automation – AP is typically a 7 step process: Capture, Code, Match, Distribute, Approve, Pay, Post. Where in this process is the most manual time spent? Rank them in order of most to least. Most AP automation solutions will be able to knock out a couple of these steps together.
Identify best fit technology – Depending on which parts of the process you are planning to automate, there are different tools you can use to automate them. Some of them are even free!
Test – Create a set of invoices that encompass the bulk of your use cases and feed them through the process you have automated. Create a backlog of defects and keep this alive after deployment.
Deploy – Go live, have a 4 week audit process to ensure quality.
The price:
- Man/Woman hours: 120 hours avg $50/hr, $6000
- Low-code or AP specialized tool: $1000-4000
- Total: $7000-$10,000
Feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Sometimes just a nudge can help be the impetus for action.