christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

Tech Will Never Replace the Personal Touch in Property Management

Why Have More Do Less? Make Your Workplace More Efficient.

Today’s technology has developed to what was once considered the stuff of science fiction movies. Sleek, powerful devices like tablets and smartphones have become indispensable in both our personal and professional lives. But how is digital equipment for property managers compatible with the personal interaction that the job requires?

Property Management in the Digital Age

In one sense, high-tech devices are a perfect match for the business of property management, where customer service is a priority. Managers are more accessible than ever, allowing them to easily communicate with tenants and promptly handle requests.

According to the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), use of digital devices has resulted in a 45% increase in productivity and a 44% improvement in efficiency. Technology also provides helpful solutions such as online banking and virtual building tours that streamline many day-to-day activities.

While modern technology has become an indispensable element of property management excellence, it’s no replacement for the face-to-face interaction that has always been at the heart of the job. Rather than replacing personal contact, digital devices help property managers produce the efficiency expected by tech-savvy residents while freeing them up to spend time developing relationships.

Save Time, Money and Energy with Battery-Powered Dumpster Tugs

When it comes to equipment for property managers, battery-powered dumpster tugs from DJ Products should be near the top of your list. They enable a single member of your maintenance team to easily maneuver dumpsters across any type of surface, even inclines. Call 800.686.2651 or use the handy chat feature on our website to learn more from one of our helpful sales engineers.

A Philadelphia Bar Sparks a Dumpster War

Residents and business owners on South Street in Philadelphia were excited this summer at the prospect of a new business coming to town. The new MilkBoy South Street location was supposed to be celebrated as a new hot spot for the up and coming bar scene in the area, but a dumpster seems to be a point of contention between the owners and those living and working around it.

Dumpster Problems

The placement of a dumpster on an otherwise dumpster-free street has drawn a lot of negative attention to the new MilkBoy location. According to city ordinances, it’s legal to have the dumpster where it sits, but it continues to be an eyesore for those who have to look at it every day. Residents and other business owners say that it destroys the aesthetic of the area and causes people to dump trash near it. Someone has even gone so far as to spray paint graffiti on the dumpster.

How It Could Have Been Solved

Moving a dumpster by yourself can be difficult enough with wheels, and darn near impossible if it doesn’t. With a specialized piece of equipment, such as the WasteCaddy dumpster mover, the bar owners could easily move their dumpster wherever they need it to be. Certain times of the day might call for the dumpster to be in a higher visibility area, but a dumpster mover could be used to place it somewhere out of sight when it’s not in use.

To learn more about our WasteCaddy dumpster mover, get in touch with DJ products at 1-800-686-2651.

North Dakota Offers Safety Grants – Could You Buy a Dumpster Mover?

As healthcare costs continue to spiral, companies are focusing on preventive measures to help reduce injuries and illnesses. In many cases, government agencies are offering financial incentives as encouragement for employers to implement workplace safety measures.

Promoting Ergonomic Safety in the Workplace

North Dakota administers an ergonomic initiative through the state’s Workplace and Safety (WSI) agency. The goal is to reduce the number of cumulative trauma injuries, which make up 35 percent of claims that were reported in North Dakota over the last five years.

One part of the initiative provides for a safety grant to be issued to qualified employers who participate in the program.

• The process begins when an employer submits an application.

• Once the application is approved, the employer selects a provider from the WSI network to perform an on-site assessment to identify problems, make recommendations and conduct training.

• If any equipment is recommended during the assessment, the employer completes the second part of the application requesting a safety grant.

• Upon approval of the application and completion of signed agreements between both parties, the employer purchases the equipment and submits the paid invoice for reimbursement.

Could You Use Your Safety Grant to Purchase a Dumpster Mover?

Many workplace injuries happen when moving heavy dumpsters by hand. One of our clients explains that a dumpster mover from DJ Products allows this task to be completed by a single person, so it’s like “having another employee on staff.”

Don’t let workplace injuries compromise employee productivity. Visit our website and let our friendly sales engineers help you find the right solution from our comprehensive selection of battery-powered movers and tugs.

Riding an Experiential Trend, Breweries Enter the Hotel Market

Use of Industrial Caddies Can Keep Your Employees Safe When Moving Heaving Objects Like Kegs

Breweries of all sizes seem to have found their niche somewhere in the market. Everything from global retailers to local micro-breweries see success, but one beer-maker has decided to take things a step further with a hotel theme based on brewery-related tourism.

Start of a Trend?

Stay and play destinations have been around for centuries, but few, if any, have been developed around the concept of a brewery. With micro-brews becoming more popular every year, it was probably only a matter of time before someone decided to try a destination brewery concept. What remains to be seen is if the first one will be a one-off experiment with questionable results, or if the hotel’s success leads to other micro- and macro-brewers designing their own beer-themed affiliated hotels. It’s likely that you will have an answer to that question within the next couple of years.

Unique Challenges for Brewery-Themed Hotels

Hotels that cater to a specialty clientele usually have to provide more to their guests to make up for the higher price. This can include hauling around more items, requiring more manpower, or specialized equipment that can do most of the heavy lifting. With a hotel attached to a brewery, chances are that many kegs of beer will need to be moved around, requiring the use of powered hotel carts. These carts can reduce staffing, cut down on service time, and reduce staff injuries considerably.

To find out more about our hotel maintenance solutions, give us a call at 1-800-686-2651. Our knowledgeable team can help you find the right product for any job – big or small.

Agile Contracting Spending on the Rise for Federal Projects

As the Office of Management and Budget pushes for a new approach to streamline IT development projects, government agencies appear to be going all in on agile contracting. But is this the dawn of a new era in flexible contracts and efficient project management, or is it a runaway train headed for disaster?

Department of Homeland Security Shifts to Agile Contracts

In early 2016 Mark Schwartz, CIO of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS), instituted a Flexible Agile Development Services (FADS) contract requiring vendors to collaborate and compete on an iterative basis. Projects include option periods where vendor teams may be added or subtracted.

Following Schwartz’s lead, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now has two more major agile contracts in the works:

• Flexible Agile Support for the Homeland (FLASH), announced in May, is an agency-wide contract that will be overseen by the DHS Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL).

• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is soliciting agile services through its EAGLE II contract, which is expected to be awarded in early fiscal 2017. This contract, expected to be worth $50 million to $100 million over a five-year period, will cover a variety of agency-wide IT projects.

Handling Equipment for DoD Contractors? Pushers and Movers from DJ Products

Our battery-powered pushers and movers smoothly and efficiently handle equipment for DoD contractors ranging from parts and materials to Humvees and trucks. A single employee can maneuver loads of up to 20,000 pounds. Call 800.686.2651 or use our handy online chat feature to let our experienced sales engineers help you select the right solution for your applications.

Tips to Preventing Back Injuries in Your Warehouse

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, back injuries account for almost 20 percent of total workplace injuries and illnesses. Only the common cold causes more loss of manpower hours.

Are Back Injuries Affecting Your Company’s Productivity?

Back injuries negatively impact your company through expensive medical claims and reduced efficiency. Implementing safety tips will reduce the risk of back injuries that lead to temporary or permanent loss of employees.

• Take periodic breaks to stretch your muscles, especially if you spend long periods of time in one position.

• Avoid lifting whenever possible by keeping boxes and other objects up off the floor.

• When you do need to lift, bend your knees and let your legs do the work.

• Pushing is easier on your back than pulling. Use carts and dollies to move heavy objects.

Dumpster Movers from DJ Products Create a Safer Workplace

Dumpsters are some of the heaviest and bulkiest items that need to be moved. One of our clients discovered that this activity was the cause of a high number of workplace injuries, limiting their maintenance staff and impacting resident satisfaction. In response, they changed their policy to require that dumpsters must be moved by two employees unless one was using a battery-powered tug.

Another client found that our dumpster movers are “like having another employee on staff!” Instead of having two employees handle the task, one uses a dumpster mover, which frees up the other to respond to resident requests.

Visit our website and chat with one of our sales engineers to learn more about why our dumpster movers are the solution to your workplace back injury problems.

Will Working with Robots be in Your Future?

Robots with human characteristics have long been featured in science-fiction tales. There’s a good chance that before long employees in your distribution center will be working side-by-side with these “humanoids.”

The New “Face” of Robotics

Robots have been used for industrial applications for more than 50 years, but developers, anticipating the inevitable step toward direct human-machine interaction, have begun adding more “flesh-and-blood” characteristics. These collaborative robots, or “cobots,” are expected to be seen more frequently within the next five to 10 years.

What’s different about cobots? In addition to having a “face,” they have built-in actuators allowing their joints to mimic the movement of a human arm. Force-sensing technology stops a cobot in its tracks whenever it comes into contact with another object.

Benefits of Cobots

• Cobots can move freely around a DC without the directional aids required by traditional robots.

• Instead of using time-consuming programming for activation, co-workers will actually be able to take a cobot by the “hand” and walk it through the steps of an action or procedure.

• Costs are lower thanks to more efficient construction and less need for a supportive infrastructure.

Not surprisingly, there are fears that cobots will eventually replace human workers. Aldo Zini, president and CEO of Aethon Inc., says the 500 cobots they employ handle many of the repetitive manual duties, freeing up employees for more value-added activities.

Save Time and Money with Industrial Tugs from DJ Products

Moving carts and equipment is another task that consumes valuable resources. Our industrial tugs let a single employee move loads up to 50,000 pounds. Call 800.686.2651 to learn more from our experienced sales engineers.

DoD Helps Contractors Steer Clear of Counterfeit Parts

Internet Website Search 3D Ball — Discerning Whats Real From Fake

When it comes to systems administered and operated by the DoD, integrity is crucial. A malfunction can cost lives, both civilian and military, as well as threaten our country’s security. The DoD recently issued a new rule aimed at preventing the acquisition of counterfeit equipment for DoD contractors.

Maintaining a Trusted Supply Chain

This past August, the Final Rule was announced as an amendment to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement. The rule mandates a “strong preference” for the use of electronic components obtained from original or authorized manufacturers and their resellers.

The Federal Register states that the Final Rule was created for the benefit of both the Government and its contractors. Ensuring the integrity of electronic parts greatly reduces the risk of system failure on aircraft, ships and other military equipment.

What Happens with Non-Authorized Sources?

The Final Rule also contains a contingency clause addressing situations where a contractor has no trusted source for specific electronic parts.

• The contractor must give written notice to the contracting officer regarding proposed use of items from non-trusted sources.

• Upon request, the contractor must offer detailed documentation for their inspection and testing process.

• Contractors must be able to either trace the parts back to the original manufacturer or assume responsibility for authentication.

• These conditions also apply to subcontractors who are unwilling to accept a flow-down of the clause.

Military Material Handling Solutions from DJ Products

Make it easier for your employees to move vehicles, machinery and other heavy-duty equipment for DoD contractors. Visit our website and chat with our sales engineers about our assortment of tugs and pushers for military and DoD applications.

The Trouble with Forklifts

Staying safe around warehouse equipment is extremely important, especially around large machines such as forklifts. When employees work around forklifts all day, mistakes are bound to happen, making it critical that when they do occur, the results are relatively minor so people won’t get seriously injured.

Forklift Dangers

Even a small-sized forklift is several hundred pounds of mobile steel on a platform controlled by someone prone to human error. The turning radius that a forklift has can make a big difference in how safe it is for the people working around it. Zero-turn models are relatively safer since other employees do not need to clear the space required to make a turn.

How Can the Danger be Mitigated?

One of the best ways to help keep your employees safe is to use a lift that has the power of a forklift, but allows for a 360 degree line of sight for the operator. These lifts typically tend to be smaller, but should cut down on accidents greatly thanks to their lower center of gravity and the fact that they can safely stop in a much shorter distance.

At DJ Products, we aim to make industrial facilities safer and more efficient with the use of our line of warehouse equipment designed to be smaller but still powerful. For more information about how you can reduce accidents in your workspace, give us a call at 1-800-686-2651 or visit us on our website.

Rethinking Tactics for Warehouse Storage and Handling

Savvy consumers and a fiercely competitive marketplace have created a demand for condensed delivery schedules, with buyers thinking in terms of days instead of weeks. As a result, companies are using new strategies to streamline putaway and storage functions.

Have you implemented any of these procedures in your warehouse?

Crossdocking

Crossdocking involves moving product directly from the inbound dock to an outbound trailer without putting it in your physical inventory. This process frees up warehouse space while reducing the amount of handling required. In order to realize maximize benefits, appropriate systems should be installed.

Pre-Allocation

Instead of storing products in different warehouse areas or even different DCs based on distribution channels, companies are using one common inventory. Products are then pre-allocated and batched ahead of time to allow for different value-added services.

Supplementing with Automation

Labor is a major expense, and competition for manpower presents a challenge in finding skilled workers. Companies are augmenting their workforces with automated storage and retrieval solutions to improve efficiency and control labor costs.

Single Locations

Sometimes old-school techniques are still relevant. With e-commerce creating the need to maintain increasing numbers of SKUs, placing a single carton in a single location makes it easier for employees to quickly access specific products.

Save Time and Labor with Warehouse Tugs from DJ Products

Minimize material handling time with our battery-powered warehouse tugs. Ergonomically designed pushers like our CartCaddy5WP enable a single employee to smoothly and efficiently transport and maneuver loads up to 10,000 pounds. Call 800.686.2651 and let our friendly sales engineers help you find the best solution for your company’s needs.