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Rescue services supported by Trail

Rescue services for Central Finland use Trail to manage their rescue equipment. Trail provides a reliable system to log maintenance activities and ensure the usability of critical equipment and vehicles used in rescue missions.

Trail supports the management of rescue service equipment by providing reliable and timely information, which is crucial for supporting rescue operations. In rescue services, the most important factor is ensuring that all equipment dispatched on missions is properly maintained and available.

Defect reports are used in the field whenever equipment fails during a mission. These reports utilise equipment information such as location, purchase price, maintenance history, user and maintenance manuals, and remaining lifetime, all of which are included in the defect report.

Trail enables the systematic management of preventive maintenance activities for rescue services. The equipment used in rescue missions must be maintained frequently and cannot fail during use. Maintenance notifications play a critical role in ensuring the serviceability of all rescue equipment. Trail also facilitates smooth information flow and data visibility for everyone who needs it.

Achieved benefits:

• Equipment continuously in good serviceable condition

• Ensured user safety in all operations

• Full transparency into equipment status

• Increased efficiency in equipment-related operations

• Mobile access to information in the field

• Improved usability of the equipment management system

Improved control over the gear used in crisis management

The Crisis Management Centre Finland (CMC Finland) is a centre of excellence for civilian crisis management established in 2007 and operates as an independent centre under the Ministry of the Interior. CMC Finland is responsible for training, recruiting and equipping Finnish civilian crisis management and international rescue experts for global missions.

Operating internationally, CMC Finland has around 120 civilian crisis management experts permanently deployed worldwide. This has led to the need for better management of the various types of equipment distributed to experts in the field. Ville Mertamo, responsible for planning the Centre's logistics, sought an effective solution for managing stock balances. He's responsibilities include the storage, procurement, delivery and return of equipment for the experts.

Why Trail?

The challenge was to get the warehouse in order, maintain a clear overview of who had been issued what equipment, and ensure that everything was in working order. Mertamo noted that some equipment abroad was labelled with "best before" dates, and there was insufficient data to plan purchases effectively. After comparing several equipment management systems, Trail was selected as the most suitable, particularly due to its user-friendly lending feature.

"The possibility to use barcodes, QR codes and a mobile app were important for us. Pricing was made easy."

Smooth implementation

The implementation of Trail in 2021 went well, with a few colleagues trained to use the system alongside Mertamo. They managed the distribution of equipment to staff, responded to stock changes with reminders from Trail, and knew when to purchase new equipment. Taking the time to categorise warehouse items facilitated rapid deployment.

The biggest benefits

Mertamo cites the ability to view stock balances remotely as one of the biggest everyday benefits, freeing up time for other tasks. Information on the maintenance history of satellite phones, for example, or the availability of different equipment, is easily accessible from anywhere. This, in turn, aids in budgeting for future purchases and reducing unnecessary investments. By using Trail, wastage is minimised, as it is clear what equipment each person has on loan. Mertamo particularly values having all information centralised in one system rather than scattered across separate Word or Excel files.

Given Trail's effectiveness in managing various types of equipment, an expansion to other activities may be on the horizon. "Trail is a good basis for a wider roll-out for managing office furniture and equipment, for now, Trail is being used with gear," says Mertamo.

Mertamo also offers a tip for other Trail users: "Trail allows you to add other devices within your devices. I used this feature to create separate satellite phones and connections. The connection is listed under the phone's name and can be transferred to another phone if necessary, such as if the device breaks."

AssetOps to support with investment planning and improving the use of equipment

"We wanted to analyse the efficiency of our purchases based on life cycle cost and maintenance history and utilise this in investment plans", Marko Myöhänen, Presentation Technology Manager, Sibelius Academy

Sibelius Academy provides the highest level of music education in Finland. It has 1,400 students, 230 teachers, and 140 other employees across six locations. The Academy organises hundreds of concerts each year.

The music technology department at Sibelius Academy manages over four thousand pieces of equipment used by students, teachers, and staff in their productions. The Academy needed a system and operational model to monitor equipment usage and ensure that the equipment met the needs of all productions.

Trail Asset Management and the AssetOps culture it introduced to Sibelius Academy have provided much-needed control over equipment management.

Barcodes and RFID asset labels help with tracking

Sibelius Academy's equipment is marked with both barcodes and RFID labels, enabling fast borrowing and returning of items. Printing barcodes and attaching RFID labels is straightforward and can be done directly from the Trail application. The Academy selected a wear-resistant label that remains in place and readable even with heavy use.

The main reasons for choosing Trail:

• Intuitive and easy user interface

• Secure web-based solution with SSO login possibility

• Support and advice provided by the Trail team

Achieved benefits:

• Monitoring equipment utilisation rates: Utilisation has clearly improved.

• Centralized equipment information: All data is available in one place, reducing time spent searching.

• Reliable data: Enhanced decision-making.

Broadcasting operations supported by Trail

Yle's broadcasting equipment is efficiently managed using Trail. Trail offers comprehensive visibility into the location, reservations, upcoming productions, and maintenance status of the equipment, ensuring those responsible can maintain availability.

"After we implemented Trail, the equipment reservation process started to work," says Ville Venell, Head of YLE's Production and Design Department.

Trail plays a central role in managing Yle's broadcasting equipment. Behind every media production is a vast team of professionals, each responsible for a specific aspect of the project. The technical component is critical, and with Trail, those responsible for equipment availability can ensure all necessary equipment is ready and well-maintained for production.

Trail also facilitates smooth information flow within Yle's operations, especially concerning equipment management. Accurate location tracking is vital for coordinating logistics around productions.

"When we discovered Trail, it set a high standard for asset management. The production planning software couldn't match Trail's capabilities, so we decided to use different modules. As a result, equipment management and planning are handled in Trail, while production planning is managed in separate software," adds Ville Venell.

Yle's Trail users have always praised its usability. Juha Rinne, head of equipment pool in Yle Productions states "Our experience of Trail has been very positive and our employees give constant feedback of its intuitiveness" According to Juha, ease of use also cuts costs because now the warehouse workers' time is not wasted in searching for equipment and equipment information. "It has been a great relief that now all users can easily see who is using the equipment and what equipment is currently booked. It has never been easier to see where the so-called 'Lost' items are.", mentions Rinne.

The equipment used in Yle productions has to be serviceable and therefore continuous maintenance is required. Trail supports the maintenance activities and logging of maintenance for the equipment.

Achieved benefits:

• All required broadcasting equipment is right where they are needed at the right time and in good condition.

• Transparency and accountability through an easy-to-use system

• Integrations to key financial and production management systems

• Single sign-on for login

Trail boosts equipment reporting at Oulu University of Applied Sciences

Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) creates vitality and well-being in northern Finland. It provides education to over 9,000 students and annually produces more than 1,420 new degrees from six different fields of study.

A wide range of modern equipment is used in teaching and research, with annual investments reaching hundreds of thousands of euros. Effective equipment management ensures that the equipment meets teaching needs and performs optimally throughout its lifespan. Oamk has relied on Trail for its equipment management since 2015.

Status before implementing Trail

Managing Oamk's equipment, spread across several campuses, had become challenging. The existing equipment management software, due to discontinued development, no longer met Oamk's needs. For instance, the old system did not provide the comprehensive reports that Oamk required. Positive feedback from the Sibelius Academy also made Oamk more aware of the benefits of Trail Equipment Management.

Status after implementing Trail

Oamk introduced Trail in 2015. The user-friendly interface and support provided by Trail ensured a quick onboarding process. Now, Oamk stores equipment data in a modern system, significantly improving reporting efficiency. Additionally, Oamk uses the data gathered by Trail to accurately insure all necessary equipment.

Inventory processes have also been streamlined, thanks to Trail’s asset labels and mobile app. Currently, each department spends only about 1-2 hours per year on inventories.

Thanks to Trail's booking feature, it is also easy for students to book equipment for educational use. Students have a better view of what equipment they have at their disposal and are able to book the equipment they need for their projects directly from the Trail interface.

Oamk also utilises Trail for more efficient investment planning. The system provides data on purchase prices, service life, and utilisation rates, ensuring that investment decisions are based on accurate information rather than assumptions.

“I have been very pleased with the use of Trail. From there, we get Excel reports for a variety of uses, inventories have been speeded up, and the booking system keeps asset reservations better tracked. Trail's staff has also been a great support and help!” states Heli Malmström, System Administrator, Oamk

Achieved benefits:

• Efficient reporting

• Production of more accurate inventory reports

• Ease of borrowing and reserving equipment

• Improved accuracy in equipment information for insurance