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Who in the world does that funky rock belong to? And what are we supposed to do with it?
Are you really a monument shop if that question isn’t asked at least a couple times per year? It seems like we always have client-provided materials that walk in the door for engraving. And, up until now, tracking said materials was a nightmare!
Old-School Tracking Methods
In years past, we tracked client-provided materials by labeling the stone with a grease pencil. We then uploaded a photo of it into the client file. That was it.
If the grease pencil markings washed off, our staff had to reconcile a chaotic mess. If the photo didn’t upload properly, our staff was also left reconciling a chaotic mess. It was a no-win situation.
You know you’ve been there too! (I mean, it can’t be just us, right?!)
But those were times of old. We have officially moved into modern times and now track client-provided materials with a breeze!
NFC Tags
You will recall from this post that our company, Emerson Monument Company, is using NFC tags for tracking inventory. And, wouldn’t you know it, they work for client-provided materials!
We have a client who makes custom swimming pools. He builds gorgeous pools that truly rival those you see on the pool building show on HGTV. Yes, they are that pretty!
For each project, he brings us the material he wants to use. He then asks us to engrave the specified depth and the no diving emblem.
Rather than using our old school method of tracking client-provided materials, we now use NFC tags.
See the little white circular NFC tags in the photo above? Each tag is linked to the client order in StoneSpot. There is only one order and we created multiple tags.
How Does This Help Us?
So, how in the world do the little NFC tags help us? Great question!
In short, using the NFC tags helps everyone on our team better communicate.
Because many client-provided materials appear the same (think bricks!), it is nice to be able to quickly identify them. Our shop guys scan the tag in the photo above, and know exactly whose order the material belongs to.
As an added bonus, our stencil can be placed right over the top of the NFC tag. All the crew has to do is scan the tag and they can access the approval and other order specifics.
Pretty snazzy, right?!
How Do We Do This?
Let’s get down to a quick tutorial. It took me a phone call to StoneSpot and a little time to figure this out. So learn from me and save yourself some time!
Before you start, make sure you have NFC tags that work with your phone and some museum glue dots. I linked to the items I used.
Step 1: Download the StoneSpot App
I talked about the StoneSpot app in this post. It is no secret that I haven’t always loved this app. But now that the “kinks” have been worked out, I absolutely can’t work without it.
Step 2: Search for an Order
Now that you have the app downloaded, click on “Search Orders”.
Then enter either the order number or the name on the order. You would enter it just like you would if you were using your browser.
Step 3: Link the Order
Once the order populates on your phone, click on the “Link to NFC Tag” emblem.
Now the app will tell you it is ready to link the NFC Tag to the order. Simply hold the tag up to the back of your phone and a message indicating success will appear.
Now you’re cookin’!!
Now just attach the NFC tag to the material using the museum glue dots.
That’s it! Now you are all set to seamlessly track client-provided materials!
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