Tool Tracking: Getting Organized

Tool Tracking: Get Organized

Those golden days of heading to a job with your tool belt and a few thousand bucks of power equipment in the pickup are over. Between the gear, the tablets, and the lasers, tool investments are at an all-time high for field workers. You also know it’s a pain to keep track of the tools and equipment used on various jobs, and the ever-increasing expense of those tools just multiplies as the job complexity expands.  Tool tracking has become essential and being organized requires investment in time and energy to make happen.

Interestingly enough in our tool tracking survey, we found 50% of contractors have given up tracking small tools and equipment at all due to a lack of finding a quick and easy way to do it.

What?

Yep. Half of contractors have completely abandoned trying to track tools. (And the other half are frustrated.) But the good news is we can help!

Get Organized

1. Know what you currently have.

The first step is to compile a current inventory of all tools and equipment. How are you going to track it if you don’t even know you have it?

2. Know where it currently is.

Obviously, tools and equipment move in the field – that’s part of what makes tracking them a challenge. But once you have a list of what you own you can then start assigning it to people. Most importantly, give those people an easy way to transfer responsibility along with the too. If it was as easy as swiping right would your field people do it?

3. Know how long you’ve had it.

You know all that equipment isn’t built to last forever. It’s important to know how long you’ve owned something so you can anticipate needed maintenance or replacement, and also be sure your equipment is lasting as long as it should. As side benefit of tracking tools more closely is being able to know which tools are worth the investment. Which last the longest? Which get used the most? Which are garbage and you need to buy a new one!

To learn more about tool tracking technology that helps you easily organize your tool inventory, visit Tool Tracking Tips.