How nexTrack Provides Real-Time Insights to Improve Workflow and Gas Management

Jennifer manages gas inventory for a 200,000 square foot fabrication facility. Before nexTrack, she spent Tuesday mornings walking the building with a clipboard, counting cylinders, checking gauges, and updating a spreadsheet that became outdated by Wednesday afternoon. Now she checks her phone during coffee breaks and knows exactly what’s where without leaving her desk.

The difference goes beyond convenience. Last month, nexTrack’s consumption data revealed that the welding department was burning through argon 40% faster than previous months. She investigated and found a regulator malfunction that had been wasting gas for three weeks. The catch saved more than the annual cost of the entire tracking system.

Watch Inventory Move Throughout Your Facility

Cylinders flow through your operation as welders grab fresh bottles, maintenance returns empties, and different departments share supply as needed. nexTrack follows all of it without anyone needing to write anything down or update a log. Each scan creates a record showing what moved, where it went, and who took it.

The map view displays your entire facility with cylinder locations marked. Click on any department and see what they currently have. Filter by gas type to find every argon cylinder across the building. Check status to separate full bottles from empties waiting for pickup. The system maintains this picture automatically as cylinders move during normal operations.

Consumption Patterns Tell You What’s Happening

Usage data reveals things that cylinder counts can’t show you. One production line consistently uses 15% less shielding gas than identical lines doing the same work—investigation shows they have newer regulators with better flow control. That insight drives an equipment upgrade decision that saves money across the entire operation.

Seasonal patterns become visible when you track consumption over months. Summer production might use different gas volumes than winter work, affecting how you structure supply contracts. Projects that consistently exceed gas estimates get flagged so you can adjust quotes or investigate why those jobs consume more than expected.

Reordering Happens Before You Run Low

nexTrack calculates consumption rates and projects when current supply will run out. Alerts trigger with enough advance notice to schedule standard deliveries rather than paying for rush orders. The forecasting considers your actual usage patterns, not generic estimates, so the timing matches your specific operation.

This predictive approach eliminates the production stops that happen when critical gases run out unexpectedly. Supply arrives before you need it rather than after you’ve discovered the shortage. Your purchasing team schedules deliveries proactively instead of reactively, which usually means better pricing and more convenient timing.

Build Accurate Forecasts and Budgets

Historical consumption data supports better planning for future needs. You see how gas usage correlates with production volume, which helps forecast supply requirements when you’re planning capacity expansions or new product lines. Seasonal variations become quantifiable rather than vague memories about “using more in winter.”

nexTrack transforms gas management from a manual tracking chore into an automated system that provides actionable intelligence. We help operations Forge Forward with better visibility and control, backed by nexAir’s expert KnowHow™ in building tracking systems that integrate smoothly with how you work. Contact us to explore how nexTrack could improve efficiency in your operation.