Seamless Data Management Made Easy

Data from your fluid analysis program is one of the cornerstones of your asset reliability program. It helps you prioritize, plan and monitor your daily maintenance activities. In aggregate, it can also help you make strategic decisions to maximize asset life, reach your business objectives and increase your return on investment.

Ask yourself these questions to see if you’re managing your data effectively:

  1. How well is your data integrated with the rest of your reliability program to support your maintenance program?
  2. Can your maintenance planners and fleet managers access the data in a way that is seamless with your company’s internal maintenance management systems?
  3. Is your team forced to access information out of multiple platforms that create inefficiency, frustration and can lead to missed opportunities?

POLARIS Laboratories® has a solution. DataConnect effortlessly and automatically moves your fluid analysis data into your primary maintenance management software system. Simplifying your internal systems through DataConnect can help you increase value, reduce staff training costs, improve visibility of your reliability program and ensure that you are deriving maximum value from fluid sampling.

To explore the options provided by DataConnect further, POLARIS Laboratories® will work with your IT team to better understand the potential of this functionality for your organization. Just email custserv@polarislabs.com with your IT contact information and we will take the lead.

Get the most out of your data, partner with POLARIS Laboratories® and experience DataConnect.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published August 28, 2018

How to Get Your Sample Results Faster

Are you wanting to receive your sample results and maintenance recommendations faster? There are many steps you can take to ensure you get your results in a timely manner – so you can quickly take action to save your equipment.

  1. Use HORIZON®
    • Register your equipment and components online or mobile app through our HORIZON data management system online or use the mobile app
    • Log your fluid sample (and barcode information) in HORIZON and submit it with the equipment information
    • Apply a barcode to your sample and send it in the mail to one of our laboratory locations
    • When we receive your sample in the mail, the barcode is scanned and automatically pulls up the sample and equipment information you submitted via HORIZON
    • Submitting your sample information online provides us with all the necessary information ahead of time – allowing us to send your results back to you faster
  2. Submit samples on the go
    • Using the convenient HORIZON mobile app for Android or Apple for mobile devices, you can submit samples right at your equipment, immediately after you take the sample
    • Submitting your sample information via the mobile app requires less fields of information
    • Read more about the benefits of online sample submission by reading Take Five and Submit Your Sample
  3. Eliminate errors if sending manually
    • If you choose not to register and submit your sample information via HORIZON, you will need to fill out the form by hand
      • It’s best to use an quick-dry ink pen to fill out the paperwork (make sure the writing is legible and the paperwork isn’t damaged from from oil spills). This will eliminate the need for sample processing to decipher handwriting or dirty paperwork – resulting in inputting incorrect information into our system.
    • Send in the sample information form with the sample to one of our laboratory locations
  4. Pull the best sample

In the maintenance field, timing is key – it can be the deciding factor whether your equipment breaks down and you have unexpected downtime. At POLARIS Laboratories®, we are continually making improvements so you can get your results back faster. After all, your equipments’ health and lifecycle depend on it.

If you have any questions about sending in your sample or need help setting up a HORIZON account, contact us at 317.808.3750 or email custserv@eoilreports.com.

HORIZON® Management Reports 101

Looking for ways to evaluate, manage and get the most out of your data? There’s a HORIZON® Management Report for that! HORIZON, our online data management platform, is a database capable of storing all your sample data, results, reports and recommendations. But, HORIZON is also a valuable resource which allows you run close to 15 different management reports to help you maximize your data. Highlighted below are just a few of the reports you can run out of HORIZON:

Severity Summary Report:

A quick and easy way for to see where your normal or critically flagged samples results are. Run the report based on a general search through your entire account or drill it down to component manufacturer or even fluid type. Check to see if there are any patterns in your testing results using this quick and easy tool – and take action.

Problem Summary Report:

Dig deeper into your sample results with the Program Summary Report. Evaluate normal and severe results by test and maintenance recommendations, making it easier to see trends in your fluid analysis sample results.

Program Condition Report:

This report will give a quick overview on how your program is running. Review overdue equipment that needs to be sent in for testing, see the average amount of time it takes for a sample to reach our laboratory for processing and see any actions taken based on the recommendations of our data analysis team.

Running Reports

Log into HORIZON and click on “Management Reports” to run these reports and more. Check out our resource for running these management reports and step-by-step instructions.

Contact us to learn how to best utilize these reports and others to make your fluid analysis program work even better for you!

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

4 Tips to Help You Become a Sampling Pro

Since we introduced our new 3 oz. sample jar that is better equipped for sampling, we’ve seen a drastic decrease in leaking, messy bottles arriving at our laboratory – meaning you get your results back faster.

There are many benefits to the, somewhat still new, 3 oz. sample jar we released to our customers in the beginning of 2017. These benefits include translucency, higher temperature threshold and cap-locking with a wedge seal feature to prevent leaks.

Below are some extra tips to make sure you’re properly using the bottle like a pro and sampling correctly, so you can get the most accurate and reliable test results.

  1. Pull samples utilizing safe sampling practices [see our blog Fluid Analysis 101: 5 Tips for Collecting the Best Sample] and proper protective equipment. While the 3 oz. sample jar is designed to withstand higher fluid temperatures, safety should always be top of mind.
  2. Once the fluid sample has been taken, inspect the jar for particles – now that you can see the fluid that was pulled out of your equipment (due to the translucency of the jar), be aware of what is floating inside so when your results come back, proper action can be taken.
  3. Fill the sample bottle only to the designated “Fill Line” – no higher.
    • If there is fluid in the neck of the bottle, air may not release causing the cap to not seal properly.
  4. Do not over tighten (torque) the sample cap. The cap’s unique locking feature helps to ensure that it doesn’t loosen when the sample jar cools and the wedge seal prevents leaking.

We hope these extra tips will come in handy when you’re taking your next sample. Here at POLARIS Laboratories®, we’re continuously making improvements and providing useful resources to help our customers maximize their fluid analysis program.

Proven Impact. Proven Uptime. Proven Savings.
Let us prove it to you.

Published August 6, 2018