F.A. Wilhelm Construction Develops Asset Tracking Tool for Employees

FA Wilhelm Construction has had a long history of trial and error regarding asset tracking. We have pretty much tried every tracking app there is out there. Due to previous issues and after many internal meetings, we decided the best course of action was to develop our own tracking application to modernize the process and make it as efficient as possible. The main benefits were as follows:

1. Information was live and accessible to all via a mobile phone application or via desktop browser. This means people can transfer assets amongst all other users in a live environment without fear of it being out of date.
2. We could program the application specific to our needs and update the programming to reflect any future needs.
3. We could audit our asset holders/jobsites to hold people accountable for assets assigned to them.
4. We could use the data to report on different factors, which gives us more information to utilize on future asset decisions.

In construction terms, in the decision to create our own application, we created a mock-up of it (the blueprint) and hired a developer to put up the foundation and framing as that would be the biggest time consumer.  After the developer turned the app over to us, we went back in and put all the finishing touches (drywall, light fixtures, paint, etc.) on the app.  What we ended up with is what we call W.A.S.P., which stands for Wilhelm Asset Specific Program, or WASP for short.

What WASP is to FA Wilhelm

WASP has been years in the making, and we were excited to introduce it to our employees!  First and foremost, this program is exactly what it’s meant to track… a TOOL! At the end of the day, skilled people, and the relationships between them is what has made F.A. Wilhelm Construction become one of the most respected businesses in our state over the last century. Much like a Demolition Hammer, an Excavator, a Total Station, or a Level; WASP is just another tool we have on our belt to deliver high quality buildings to our clients — on time, and on budget!

The purposes WASP serves are the following:

1. Accountability: It switches the mentality of being responsible for “tools” to being accountable for assets. In other words, it provides a sense of ownership that will help reduce loss, theft, and high turnover rates for our tools.
2. Modernization: Just like everything else in the 21^st Century, it’s now in our pockets with on-demand access allowing us to track, transfer, and audit our small assets with a few presses of a button.  Speaking of ownership, we designed and built WASP ourselves.  Wilhelm owns it and can make changes that better reflect the needs of our company over time.
3. Efficiency: It provides a way of reporting on several factors helping us assess the utilization and productivity of our assets, which allows us to make smart purchasing decisions in the future.