Smart Solutions Category: Tags & Labels

Simplify Tagging, Save Time Featuring Marking Services Inc.

An energy company in the Southeast teamed up with Marking Services Inc. (MSI) to replace its outdated labeling systems across their electricity generating plants, saving time and labor. Working closely with the company, MSI developed a standardized labeling system to help with safety, compliance, maintenance, and emergency response at the company’s many plants (including solar and hydroelectric facilities). As a result, the company implemented a labeling and asset management program using more than 500,000 labels. MSI’s field team ensured proper and precise installation, which in turn saved the energy company time and labor.

Through a collaborative process, MSI tailored products to the company’s needs, including more than 5,000 custom MS-215 Rigid Thermoplastic QR-coded process safety management tags designed for specific environments. The durable tags are engineered to withstand harsh conditions, including high heat, fierce winds, and exposure to dust from materials like limestone and gypsum.

MSI’s Material Take-Off service reviews project drawings in detail to identify exactly where each label needs to go and create a precise bill of materials. Labeling materials are delivered to the jobsite meticulously packaged by MSI based on the drawing, building section, or even specific rooms, so the team can immediately install the right labels in the right places. Clients also receive access to the marked-up drawings on their mobile devices, enabling real-time, on-the-go reference to ensure nothing is missed.

The MSI approach saves hours in planning and labeling and significantly reduces the risk of errors, avoiding costly rework and delays. The energy company found that partnering with MSI freed up time to focus on the bigger picture of completing projects.

Read MSI’s blog, 4 Signs It’s Time to Replace or Upgrade Your Labels, here: https://www.markserv.com/blog/4-signs-its-time-replace-or-upgrade-your-labels

MSI’s Valve Schedule Service simplifies valve tagging and includes essential components such as valve identification, type, service description, system abbreviations, valve number, level or area, operating positions (open, closed, or modulating), maintenance information, and safety information. MSI provides custom-manufactured tags meticulously organized according to project-specific drawings, room designations, or designated areas.

Learn about Marking Services Inc.’s mechanical pack-by services: https://youtu.be/NgIEpmamrH8?si=ijKWTfmIBjw2lB-x

The collaboration between the energy company and MSI highlights how tailored solutions drive substantial improvements, reinforcing that efficiency and safety are paramount in today’s fast-paced energy sector.

For more information, visit www.markserv.com.

Maximizing Efficiency with Novel Uses with Stratus & Postler & Jaeckle Corp.

Labels have traditionally been used in construction to convey basic information, but Postler & Jaeckle Corp. is applying Stratus labels and weld maps to transform their practices, so their teams work smarter, not harder. Jesse Gorman, vice president at Postler & Jaeckle, recognizes the potential for using labels to communicate more detailed, actionable data. His goal is to build directly from the labels, an approach that maximizes their utility in conveying essential information for installing components accurately, boosting his team’s efficiency. Using technology from Stratus, data are extracted and printed onto labels, providing teams with easy-to-understand guidance onsite.

Although labeling is a familiar tactic, Gorman believes that more effective implementation can bring significant changes in workflow efficiency. Integrating grid offset information allows workers to know exactly where each component should be placed, akin to how ironworkers label steel pieces on a construction site. This approach helps eliminate guesswork, ensuring components are installed correctly and swiftly.

See examples of how customers are using Stratus to generate company-, content-, and even tool-specific labels for their MEP parts, hangers, packages, and containers with QR codes for tracking and customizable information for installation: https://www.stratus.build/labeling

Innovation and Efficiency

In another innovative step, Postler & Jaeckle is introducing continuation labels. This type of labeling goes beyond the conventional A-to-A, B-to-B matching by using existing data to show the next assembly’s connection, thanks to Stratus’s capabilities. This efficient system saves time and reduces errors, providing clear orientation for each assembly.

Postler & Jaeckle is also testing task labels in weld booths to streamline processes. By integrating Zebra printers in these stations, completed tasks such as fabrication automatically update the project’s status, producing labels instantly. This ensures that all components are accurately tagged and traceable, facilitating a more seamless workflow from workshop to site.

Weld maps play a critical role in maintaining accuracy during field installations. Postler & Jaeckle uses a package category system within Stratus to track welds, aligning these with project test boundaries. This comprehensive tracking ensures that documentation is thorough and organized, which is vital for successful project completion.

Postler & Jaeckle recognizes the importance of standardization to increase efficiency. Implementing kits and predefined packages for commonly used components ensures that project teams can spend less time sorting materials and more time installing them. Gorman pointed out the potential in moving away from traditional sequences by attempting to install hangers and pipes simultaneously, which, although still in experimental stages, shows promise for future projects.

Hear more about how Postler & Jaeckle and other contractors are using Stratus to streamline operations: https://www.stratus.build/insights/why-contractors-are-using-stratus

Embracing Attitude Shifts

The construction industry is full of seasoned professionals who may be resistant to change, but as Gorman noted, adopting new practices often depends more on attitude than age. By focusing on efficiency, simplifying workflows, and leveraging technology, construction teams can achieve higher productivity levels, marking a significant shift in how projects are executed.

Postler & Jaeckle Corp.’s journey through these innovations showcases how even small changes, like improving label usage and systematizing weld maps, can have a significant impact. These advancements make it easier for teams to complete tasks accurately while ensuring the safety and reliability of the build. As the industry continues to innovate, those who are willing to embrace these changes will undoubtedly find themselves at the forefront of the next generation of construction practices.

For more information, visit www.stratus.build.

Marking Services Inc. Makes Hospital’s Documents Easily Accessible, Saving Money and Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

AIM Mobile Technology and Field Implementation Services from Marking Services Inc. (MSI) allow Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) to keep track of documents for thousands of facility assets—which not only helps them comply with rigorous requirements for health care institutions but also saved money by ensuring easy access to warranty information for a failing piece of equipment. The move from paper to digital helps the hospital provide care that aligns with best practices.

The BCH maintenance and engineering teams recognized that their paper tracking system was not efficient. It was also difficult to use during audits by The Joint Commission, which subjects hospitals to regular reviews to maintain their accreditation. With limited resources to ensure that critical documents were available on demand and that all assets were identified and inventoried on an ongoing basis, BCH turned to MSI.

MSI partnered with BCH to implement AIM Mobile Technology and Field Implementation Services to label all facility assets accurately with a scannable QR-coded tag. Once tagged, assets can be scanned with a mobile device, providing users with critical asset documents instantly on location in the field. This service is proving invaluable to BCH, as they can pull up maintenance records, manuals, warranty information, drawings, work orders, inspection reports, and more simply by scanning the equipment tag. Not only does this service improve operational efficiency, it also adds confidence that the system is compliant in the event of an audit.

BCH is especially satisfied with how AIM Services helps them serve their patients. BCH Director of Engineering Paul Williams said, “The most important element of our operations is the regulatory requirements BCH must follow, which focus on industry best practices and safe operations for our patients, which directly impact our patients’ care. MSI’s AIM Mobile Technology and Field Services provided the necessary tools for our operation’s team to consistently maintain and operate equipment in the most efficient and effective manner.”

For the project, MSI did a complete field survey to locate, identify, and tag all assets. The AIM Services team then mined data from the proper documents and uploaded the documents to the cloud-based information management application, which can be accessed 24/7 from a mobile device or desktop computer.

AIM Services provides BCH with confidence that all its asset documents are stored correctly, both during construction and after commissioning in daily operations. Everyone, from facility managers to contractors, now has a secure portal to access information that will save time and money and ensure that BCH is operating at peak efficiency to provide the best care possible for patients.

For more information, visit www.markserv.com.