Testo measures the facts. As a market leader with the widest range within the field, the company offers appropriate measurement solutions for players in HVAC, Food, Pharma and several other industries. The motto “be sure” emphasizes the lifetime guarantee of accurate measurement. To this end, some 43 employees, including on-site technicians, commercial representatives, back-office personnel and marketers are on standby every day. But it is not only the advance advice and sales of the measuring instruments that are important, but also guidance, the help desk and training are standard part of the service.
Measuring instruments require regular maintenance to remain accurate, which is often not unimportant in the sectors in which Testo’s customers operate. Take a thermometer: you can probably imagine that one in a lab should be much more accurate than one in your kitchen at home. For customers in the first category, correct calibration and regular recalibration are an indispensable part of the after-sales service of a measurement solutions provider. Managing Director Jeroen Van Der Kelen explains how On IT has been able to optimize this process for the company and their customers. After a previous successful collaboration – the ProHeat application – Testo knew only too well that our company had a thing or two to offer in terms of automation and digitalization.
Calibration: what is it?
Where accurate measurements are important, so is calibration. It provides users of measuring devices with confidence that measurement results are correct. “Calibration,” simply put, is comparing the measurements of a system or device to a reference standard that has been calibrated at a higher level. If a thermometer deviates slightly more or less from the reference to which it is being compared, then a ‘justification’ or adjustment is required. Calibration in theory is just the “comparing” and determining the deviation, but often you can assume that the adjustment is part of that service. As well at Testo this is the case.
This is not just limited to temperature, by the way: Testo offers expert calibrations of measuring devices for humidity, air velocity, pressure, light intensity and speed.
Digitization means time savings, process automation and a smaller margin of error
As previously cited, this process must be performed regularly to ensure the accuracy of measuring instruments. As the market leader for measuring devices, Testo has a large customer base and consequently many calibrations that need to be done annually. They used to do this on paper, with calculator. And it is a fact: such manual processes have a high margin of error. They also took up a lot of time and manpower.
So digitizing and automating was the message. And that’s where On IT comes in. With Testo’s Bart Peeten leading the project, together we looked for the perfect solution.
A world of difference for the Testo team as well as for customers
“That efficiency and ease of use of the tool is a breath of fresh air for our staff and our technicians,” Jeroen says. “And on top of that, it’s an asset we can play to new staff as well,” he adds.
The traditional method of working with first-in-first-out principle of the devices was exchanged for a more efficient method. “Thanks to the software, we know which devices need calibration, and we can take several devices that need the same test together,” says the Managing Director. This saves a lot of time and puts the most important tasks first.
The software also does away with manual calculations, and with one click you can check whether everything falls within the reference values. That used to be done with templates, Excel files and separate scans. Extremely cumbersome compared to the new and improved system. And especially important for Testo, as a customer-focused company: it is also an upgrade for them. Calibration is always accompanied by an official attestation, which they can now easily request digitally via a QR code. They receive a login and can consult their history. This way, Testo can lend a hand to ease the administration.
A big impact in a short time: that’s a partnership with On IT
Two collaborations have Testo and On IT underway. Completely different projects, but both hugely impactful. The company realizes that companies that choose the digital path are getting ahead. Especially in times of Covid-19. So they prefer to innovate as quickly as possible, and the fact that On IT is so short on time is only a good thing.
“A cooperation that has never disappointed us. On the contrary, within time frames, within budget, with promised quality,” Jeroen concludes.
The expectations created were fulfilled, in other words. We are already looking forward to seeing what challenges Testo will come up with in the future!
