1st Reporting
Project management in construction is a challenge I am both happy and sad about no longer managing. However, in the more than a decade that I managed service crews that often participated in construction, I seldom faced issues with my installation crew’s tool management.
Why didn’t I face tool management challenges? I developed a system for effectively managing tools and equipment, and I’m going to share the top ten tips to help you build your system.
As a bonus, I’m also going to share how I set up my system today using mobile reporting tools like the 1st Reporting app. Buckle up because I’m about to help you streamline your construction tool and equipment management.
Understanding Construction Tool Management
What is construction tool management? Believe it or not, having appropriate definitions from the start is the best way to proceed.
Think of it this way: you can’t succeed at something unless you know what success looks like. So, to achieve success in construction tool management, we need to define it properly and the objectives we want to see occur.
Construction tool and equipment management is the process of facilitating and analyzing observations about tool and equipment use, scheduling preventive maintenance, overseeing tool repairs and replacement, and tracking who uses which tools and where. We can further refine this definition as follows:
Construction tool management is a systematic approach to organizing, overseeing, and optimizing the use and maintenance of tools and equipment on construction sites. This process encompasses six key activities, including:
- Inventory Management: Keeping an accurate and up-to-date record of all tools and equipment, including their locations, conditions, and availability.
- Usage Tracking: Monitoring who uses which tools, when, and where, ensuring accountability and efficient allocation of resources.
- Preventive Maintenance: The process of scheduling and performing regular maintenance to prevent equipment failures and extend the lifespan of tools and machinery is the essence of tool preventive maintenance.
- Repairs and Replacements: Manage the repair process for damaged tools and plan timely replacements to avoid work stoppages.
- Storage Solutions: Implementing secure and organized storage systems to protect tools from theft, damage, and loss.
- Data Analysis: Analyzing data on tool usage and performance to identify patterns, optimize tool allocation, and reduce operational costs.
Effective construction tool management leverages technology, such as digital tracking systems and mobile applications, to streamline these processes, enhance productivity, and ensure that tools are readily available and in good working condition when needed.
My 10 Essential Tips for Effective Construction Tool Management
We’ve covered the six objectives of tool management, so keeping these objectives in mind, here are the ten essential tips I learned in the many years of managing service and installation crews and the associated fleet:
1. Setting Up Inventory Management
Conduct Regular Audits
In my tool management system, the first thing I included was SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that included regularly scheduled audits. These were the tool audits I included in my team’s daily responsibilities:
- Pre-Tool-Use Safety Inspection Report
- Monthly Tool Check (change the frequency based on tool or equipment usage)
- Tool Use Risk Assessment (customized, based on tool or equipment requirements)
Utilize Tool Tracking Software
In my experience, paper is a waste of time and money. I use digital tools like the 1st Reporting app to make custom tool inspection, use, and tracking forms. The app is GPS enabled, so the time and location of form use are always documented automatically, giving you instant insight into tool usage, inspection, and locations.
2. Proper Tool Storage Solutions
Centralized and Secure Storage Locations
Tracking tool use and location is one thing, but to be genuinely successful, you need to be organized, and that includes your tool storage. In one of my former management roles, I assumed responsibility for what we called the ‘Tool Crib.’ I’m not sure about the name or its origin, but that’s what we called an area that we kept locked up inside an internal building chain link fence enclosure. We used the area to store expensive tools and equipment. I included a sign-out form and controlled key access to maintain tool inventory stability.
3. Tool Maintenance and Scheduling
Scheduled Maintenance
Just like fleet maintenance, tools and equipment must also face regular cleaning and maintenance. Construction tools tend to get dirty, whether it’s literal dirt, concrete, or other construction-site-related debris. So, I often implemented end-of-day and end-of-week equipment cleaning. This tool and equipment maintenance enabled my team to not only keep equipment up to safe standards but also aided in extending equipment and tool’s useful life.
Maintenance Records
An essential aspect of effective construction tool management is the documentation and analysis of maintenance records. I know what you’re thinking: analyzing maintenance records is a great way of counting sheep and putting yourself to sleep. It’s a tedious task.
There’s hope for the future of your tool maintenance, though, because if you use an app like 1st Reporting, then you can have the app do the analysis for you using its powerful KPI reporting features. Similarly, the app integrates with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Power BI, giving you unprecedented collaboration and data visualization insights into maintenance and repair records documented on the app.
4. Tool Use and Care Employee Training
Proper Tool Usage
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: using tools properly comes down to training and experience. So, you need to foster a sense of pride in your experienced team members to inspire them to act as leaders and teachers of the new generation of team members. Set up tool-use training seminars and request your senior team leaders to run the seminars based on their particular expertise in proper tool use.
Handling and Safety Training
The handling and safety training for equipment and tool use is critical to maintaining safe operations. According to the CDC, there are approximately 15,200 injuries annually in the US due to direct cause: striking an object or equipment. (1)
Injuries are typically preventable. So, that’s over 15,000 reasons to ensure your team members have appropriate training on the safe use and handling of construction tools and equipment.
5. Implementing a Check-In/Check-Out System
Accountability Measures
When I ran installation teams, I had a system for signing in/out of equipment. However, if I were to set this up today, I’d do something a little different. Instead of using a clipboard and pen (that always went missing until I literally physically attached it to the clipboard), I would now institute a digital solution.
Utilizing Digital Solutions
Consider setting up a custom tool-sign-in/out form on a digital platform, like the 1st Reporting app. You can force fields in the form, so your team members have no choice but to complete it. Add essential control to the mix so that if a team member wants to sign out a tool, they have to ask a supervisor for tool area access. That supervisor may then insist on the personnel completing a simple tool sign-out form. Using a digital tool like the 1st Reporting app enables you and your team to quickly and effectively control tools and related material use.
6. Customizable Tool Management Forms
Tailored Forms
I mentioned using 1st Reporting to create custom tool forms, such as pre-use checklists or tool sign-in/out forms. However, I felt this warrants another mention because it’s pivotal to my system for efficacious tool management.
Custom-tailored forms enable you to focus on data pertaining to specific tools and equipment. This means that you can track wear and tear with any specificity you can think of. This sort of precision is a great way to aid your tool’s lifespan and usefulness by providing you with unprecedented insights.
7. GPS Tracking for Tools
Real-Time Location Tracking
I don’t need to tell you that controlling tool and equipment location use is a critical aspect of construction tool management. I recommend using a simple GPS tracking solution like Samsung or Apple tracking tags. Connect these to your most valuable tools and equipment for real-time tracking of construction assets.
Integration with Management Systems
My system for managing construction tools includes a two-fold approach. First, I’d use tracking tags, as mentioned above. Simultaneously, I would use a solution like the 1st Reporting app to document tool inspections, use, maintenance, repairs, or replacements. The 1st Reporting application uses GPS to document the time and location of digital documents like a tool pre-use inspection, tool repair request form, or any other form you create and use in the custom form builder—a staple of the 1st Reporting application solution.
8. Efficient Tool Allocation
Project-Based Allocation
I know it seems evident that efficiently allocating the appropriate tools is essential. In fact, it’s critical and crucial for an efficient and effective tool management strategy. In my system, I cover this by using a tool sign-out form for the more expensive or mission-critical tools and equipment. How do you handle efficient tool allocation? Let me know in the comments at the end; I’d love to hear how you manage this part of tool and equipment usage.
9. Responsive Notification Systems
Instant Alerts
So, in order for you to set responsive notifications, I assume that you will need to use a solution like the 1st Reporting app. Let me explain why this is such a game-changer. The app enables you to create customized notifications where you control the trigger, the conditions, the message, and the recipients. Let me explain a scenario where this is crucial to tool management: Assume a crew signs out a gas saw for cutting some concrete. You could have a tool pre-use safety checklist or form that has a custom notification set so that if a team member marks the tool as unsafe, your tool and equipment manager could get an instant notification before your team member even has a chance to complete their digital form.
Reducing Response Times
Using instant and customizable triggered notifications means that you can seriously reduce response time for tool and equipment management and supervisors. As mentioned in my example above, you could set notification triggers for when a team member starts editing a new tool or equipment form. Doing so can give your team the potential to make tool and equipment requests or observations response time nearly instant.
10. Linking Incidents to Tool Management
In the biennial estimates of tool and equipment-related incidents, the DART cases (days away from work plus the days of job transfer or restriction) totaled 780,690. (2) That’s over ¾ of a million cases that could have been prevented with better training and safety awareness. With regards to tools and equipment, we need to implement better tool management that includes team member safety training pertaining to said tools and equipment.
Incident Reporting
My last tip is to incorporate a robust mobile reporting system, like the 1st Reporting app, into your operations. By using an app like 1st Reporting to manage incidents, tool use, maintenance, and other related documents, you can easily dynamically attach incident reports to tool use forms or other related documents. In doing so, you can create a fully traceable workflow to respond to and prevent incidents involving tools and equipment used in construction.
Enhancing Construction Tool Management: Key Takeaways
Effective Construction Tool Management: A Path to Success
Efficiently managing construction tools is not just about keeping track of equipment; it’s about ensuring safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness on your construction sites. By implementing the right strategies and leveraging modern technology like the 1st Reporting app, you can achieve these goals seamlessly. From inventory management and preventive maintenance to team member training and responsive notification systems, each aspect plays a crucial role in your site’s operation, like a well-oiled machine in construction operations.
Implement These Tips Today
Consider integrating these ten tips into your construction management practices to see immediate improvements. Utilize the powerful features of the 1st Reporting app to enhance your tool management system, ensuring tools are well-maintained, accounted for, and used safely and efficiently.
Take the Next Step with 1st Reporting.
Ready to revolutionize your construction tool management? Start by implementing these tips and see how the 1st Reporting app can transform your workflow. Test our app yourself or book a demo with our team to learn more about how our solutions can support your construction operations, improve efficiency, and enhance overall safety and productivity on your sites.
Article Sources
- “Struck-by Injuries in the Construction Sector: Common Hazards, Barriers, and Opportunities to Keep Workers Safe | Blogs | CDC.” 2023. Cdc.gov. April 4, 2023. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2023/04/04/2023-struck-by-stand-down/#:~:text=Between%202018%20and%202020%2C%20interaction,2022%20data%20bulletin%20%5B3%5D..
- “Work Safety: Contact with Objects and Equipment – Injury Facts.” 2024. Injury Facts. February 8, 2024. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/safety-topics/contact-with-objects-and-equipment/.
