The mobile app industry is a thriving and competitive sector that has transformed the way people use technology and access various services.
It offers vast opportunities for businesses to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of mobile device users.
Mobile app provides supply chain transparency to customers
FLO-BIN Rentals, a company serving major refineries and plants in the O&G industries through intermediate storage and catalyst packaging, offers FLO-BIN Mobile, a smartphone app that aims to provide supply chain transparency throughout the bin rental process.
The app, which has been under continuous development for over six years, is available to all of FLO-BIN’s customers on both iOS and Android platforms. FLO-BIN Mobile allows customers to access a real-time view of bin rental data, tracking the status of rented FLO-BINs throughout the supply chain.
Alistair McCartney, operations manager at FLO-BIN Rentals, developed the app alongside the company’s experienced IT team. He explained how he worked hand-inhand with customers to offer a level of transparency that had been missing from the rental process until now.
"It was very important for us to provide an app that customers found to add true operational value — something that was designed specifically for their processes and their business groups," McCartney said. "The app provides real-time data of every open purchase order with FLO-BINs on rent to our customers. They can see where the FLO-BINs went and when they were shipped, all from the palm of their hand."
FLO-BIN Mobile, which is powered by Microsoft technology, was designed to be exceptionally secure, user-friendly and require very little training. Customers can scan bins directly with their smartphone cameras and instantly access the same data used by FLOBIN’s operations team.
"Previously, there was a disconnect whenever FLO-BINs were shipped offsite to a processing facility," McCartney said. "It’s almost ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ They move onto the next project and continue to receive rental invoices. Now, they have a real-time view of bin rental data. We developed this app to provide exactly what our customers needed to fill the holes in the supply chain."
The benefits customers receive through the app include:
- Supply chain transparency and account summary with email reports.
- Reduction of bin rental exposure. Customers have a real-time view of the rentals status of their bins and can accurately record shipments of full FLO-BINs to processing facilities.
- Automated email notifications of FLOBIN movements and inventories.
- Time savings from no longer recording serial numbers manually, eliminating errors.
FLO-BIN Mobile adds value to every department of its users’ businesses, including procurement, engineering, turnaround planning, accounting and environmental, McCartney added.
"Procurement can see exactly when they put an order into our system. Engineering and planning can see when an order is shipping to their facility. Accounting can see how many bins are still on rent and more easily manage purchase orders," McCartney said. "Environmental can track their 90-day clock and see when and where they shipped the FLOBINs off-site. All of this really provides transparency to the supply chain. FLO-BIN Mobile is a value-added product we are providing to our customers, and we are committed to enhancing our customer-focused services."
FLO-BIN Mobile has multiple users actively using the app in their turnaround and catalyst packaging processes. The company welcomes feedback and is committed to continuous improvement as the needs of its customers and the industries it serves evolve.
For more information, visit flobin.com.
