When you’re facing an urgent service request in your machine shop, wouldn’t it be nice if you could locate an independent service provider quickly and with minimum hassle? Thanks to a company called Up! LLC, that will become a real possibility very soon. The company is in the process of creating the Up! app for machine shops to help them decrease the amount of time that a machine tool goes unused due to some type of unplanned downtime.
These unexpected downtime periods mean that machine shops must reach a machine tool service supplier promptly to provide repair and maintenance. Unfortunately, that can be difficult to do when approximately 1.5 percent of all machine shop tools are out of commission at any given time due to an unexpected malfunction. This can lead to a large queue of service requests and unhappy machine shop owners and employees who have no choice but no wait for what they need. The Up! app hopes to change all that.
An Uber-Like App for Machine Tools
If you have ever needed a ride in a hurry and didn’t have access to your own transportation, you know how convenient it is to press a few buttons on an Uber app and summon a driver to you. The Up! app uses the same concept. It handles the dilemma of finding and evaluating providers to repair machine shop tools on short notice for you. Up LLC has already screened the service technicians to ensure that they have the proper tools and the experience to repair highly specific types of machines used in shops.
The company wants to make it as convenient as possible for you to find the help you need on short notice. You can download the Up! app through Google Play or the Apple Store as well as on your desktop or laptop computer. Although it certainly draws a parallel with Uber, the difference is that the app creators aren’t constantly searching for new and possibly inexperienced providers.
Early Launch of the Up! App
During the initial phase of development, the company offered registration only to third-party, independent service providers. Approximately 70 of them signed up for the service. Up LLC limited the early launch of the app to service machines shops in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Participation remains highest in those three states since service providers there got the earliest start. At AAA Tool & Machine in O’Fallon, Illinois, we’re excited to see the app become more widely available to machine shops across the country. It recently became available nationwide.
How It Works
Before a machine shop needs immediate service, an employee can enter the model number and OEM into the Up! app for storage. When a service need arises, a machine shop employee enters a description of the issue and submits an official request for service. The message goes to registered providers in that service area who will respond back with availability as well as quote a price. The person requesting the service can see the following information about available providers:
- Whether the company carries liability insurance
- Whether the company carries workers’ compensation insurance
- Average rating out of five stars from other users
Besides the convenience and cost savings from minimizing downtime, the Up! app is free for all parties who use it.
Velocity Metalworks has become recognized as a valued partner in the metal stamping industry for our strong Tool Design and Build competency. This combined with our metal stamping capacity, precision machining services and EDM capability make us a full service provider that can deliver value in your tooling and stamping needs. Contact us today to see how we can help you work even better.
