Asset Management

Helping Distributors Capitalize on the Latest in Asset Management Technology

Since we started creating software over 30 years ago, we've focused on helping the gases and welding supply distributors track their cylinder assets. In the medical field, there are general practitioners and then there are specialists. For the field of gases and welding distribution, DataWeld is an asset management specialist. Every program we develop is specifically designed to help distributors maximize their investment in cylinders and other types of containers. 

Changing Needs

Being the longest serving GAWDA member of any software company in the industry. We've seen many technological changes. As computer systems have grown more powerful and software more flexible, we have been able to offer distributors new ways of doing business more efficiently.

Not so long ago, the primary mission of cylinder management software was simple: calculate rent. Today's needs are much more complex. Distributors want to charge daily rent on some cylinders, monthly on others, and give the option to prepay the rent. They also want to be able to answer customer questions in seconds or minutes, not hours or days. To eliminate cylinder disputes, a distributor may want to prove the accuracy of cylinder records by emailing the record of all transactions to a customer for the fiscal year. Due to the advances in cylinder management technology, the distributor can provide a customer with the appropriate information in much less time.

Advances in cylinder tracking by serial number have also been a major benefit to gases and welding supply distributors. Originally, distributors tracked serial numbers by hand. Then bar coding was introduced, making cylinder tracking faster and more accurate. When RFID tags (transponders) were introduced, DataWeld was the first to offer them as a means for tracking cylinders. Transponders have proven to be incredibly durable and long lasting. 

Online Customer Service

While DataWeld has made great strides in providing the most up-to-date technologies for its customers, there remain under utilized technologies that can be a real asset to the gases and welding supply distributors.

The internet, for example, is a valuable tool for customer service and order taking. Instead of fielding through phone calls and tracking down information for customers, a distributor can use an internet based e-commerce product. This gives customers the ability to go online at their convenience, view open invoices and get copies without ever having to call the distributor. This saves everyone time and money.

Another big value for customers is giving them the ability to enter their own orders online. Many customers repeatedly purchase the same products. Imagine how much more satisfied those customers would be if they could simply visit the distributor's web site and place an order for cylinders. Furthermore, they could place these orders anytime, no longer having to stop during the busy hours of the day. Instead, they could turn the open sign off and quickly place the order at the end of the day. Once again, the distributor saves times, money, and has a more satisfied customer.

In today's competitive marketplace, it's crucial that the gases and welding supply distributors aggressively pursue new technologies to boost business and meet customer demand. The Google, Facebook, and Twitter generation expects to work with distributors who are able to respond to their ever changing technology needs.