How to Help Your Tools Never Go Missing in 2021

A successful business depends on good knowledge of inventory and keeping good care of it. Not knowing how many items you own or their state can cost you money and potential loyal customs. It will not do you any good to know that an important tool is missing or not working just before you send your workers to the customer’s place or get them started on a job you have just landed. 

Keeping track of your tools can also help you against tool theft. Everyone wants to be the know-it-all boss who does not make it easier for people to steal or take advantage of him. While trusting your employees is highly needed for any business to grow, acknowledging the fact that not all people are to be trusted won’t harm. 

Here are some tips to help you keep track of your tools:

1. Build a Tracking Inventory

Create an inventory for all the items you have. Include all the details of that item in the inventory; the size, the date of purchase, the expected date of replacement, etc.

Such a track of inventory  will keep you updated by reading the status of the items you own and use.

After creating the inventory, you would have to schedule check dates to follow up on the status of your tools.

You can schedule the checks to be every 6 months or every year, you can also do a check up on important items every week. It is up to you to decide which items deserve the maximum amount of your attention and are irreplaceable. 

2. Automate

For almost every aspect of work, there is the old school and the updated version. The old school  makes sure that you know which tools you have by using an excel sheet. The updated version  uses a software to track your tools  to ease the process. According to GoCodes, there are numerous benefits to using such softwares, these benefits include, but are not limited to; maintaining the security of the information, scheduling maintenance for all the pieces, and having a GPS system to track where your items are located.

3. Hire Responsible Crew

You could not possibly do all the work yourself, no one can. That is why people hire. The person you will put in charge of the work field will have to be an extremely responsible person who must keep track of every single item used and bought from stores.

They will be in charge of making sure the equipment is brought back in good condition to be used numerous times in multiple projects. Hiring dependable people is crucial for your business’s reputation. Making sure you invest in hiring will not also help you with your tools’ inventory issues but will also yield various benefits in different aspects.

4. Personalized Your Tools 

Your tools are prone to getting lost if left unattended or unmonitored. One way of making sure you keep track of your work belongings is by personalizing them. You can color tools with a distinctive color or engrave the name of your company on it to be able to identify it easily in case of theft. Some people are experts in stealing tools and then reselling them, having your name engraved on the tool can help you recognize it easily if the situation calls for that. 

5. Make Sure Your Workers Have an Organized Work Routine 

Making sure your tools have a specific place to be put in after each job is done is very important and will make tracking things way easier for you. Train your workers to use a checklist by the end of each work day to stay on top of the game. There must be a place in which everything goes, before leaving all workers must return the items they use. It might sound like a load on them at the beginning but once they get used to it, your workers will see this as a completion of the work day and they will thank you for helping them stay organized. 

6. Lock Them Up! 

After making sure everything is in its right place it is time to lock your storage area with a safety padlock and a key. Auditing and tracking where everything is won`t be beneficial if you end up leaving your work equipment unattended. You may trust your workers not to steal, however, outsiders are not to be trusted and you don`t leave your money in an unlocked room. Your tools are basically money that brings even more money when used properly and is well taken care of. 

7. Install Security Cameras 

You can never go wrong with installing cameras in your storage areas. Having cameras and video surveillance systems can help you with minimizing or eliminating theft as well as control vandalism. This also shows how serious you are about keeping matters in order. There are many factors to consider when choosing a security camera other than the cost. Of course if you are a start up or relatively new to the industry you would consider cost thoroughly. However, the benefits you will see and protecting your equipment is worth investing in. 

Jeopardizing the quality of your work by using tools that are not fully functional or discovering at the last second before an important job that there is an important tool that would have come in handy but you don’t own it, is something you do not want to encounter. Sometimes people put tremendous work and effort into their businesses but forget that the other ingredients that should be included in the recipe for success. In a business where tools are used on a daily basis, your equipment and your workers are success partners.

Staying at the top of your game requires dedication and making responsible decisions. At the end of the day every business owner wants his/her business to grow, but only few do. We truly believe that making sure you have the right tools and keeping track of them will make you successfully reach your business goals and distinguish yourself from competition.