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Construction, mining and manufacturing professionals know how important it is to maintain tools and equipment. But with tight budgets, constant deadlines, a tough economy and many other issues to deal with, preventative maintenance (PM) can be one of the first things operations start falling behind on. Without sticking diligently to a regularly scheduled maintenance plan, preventative tasks can end up being performed irregularly or not at all. Not to mention, whenever time is scheduled for maintenance, PM often takes a backseat to more immediate and urgent repair and maintenance needs.

Any company that’s neglecting PM, though, is putting a lot at risk. For example, here are just some of the most important benefits of a well-maintained tool inventory:

• Worker safety – a top priority on any jobsite – is greatly improved when tool inventory undergoes rigorous and consistent maintenance.
• Laborers in factories and other facilities rely on well-maintained tools to get the job done. When a tool begins to fail, it will take longer to complete certain tasks that could be done in less time with properly functioning equipment.
• PM ensures compliance with safety regulations. If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration performs an inspection to find that workers are using unmaintained machinery, stiff financial penalties could result.
• Well-maintained tools save money. Good maintenance means that tools will last longer before they need to be replaced, which can result in higher profits and more competitive pricing.

Luckily, there are solutions available that can help organizations get control of both their preventative and urgent maintenance. RFID tool and equipment tracking systems help ensure equipment maintenance is performed on time and correctly, as well as tracking maintenance history.

How RFID Equipment and Tool Inventory Tracking Can Help

Advanced RFID tool and equipment tracking systems like ToolHound offer a variety of features to assist in maintenance tasks. Here are a few of the most important features currently available:

• Tracking Service Tasks: Operators can input different service requirements for all tasks that need to be performed regarding different tools and machinery. Those tasks will include detailed descriptions that other workers can use for future reference.
• Track Work Orders: Create work orders and track their statuses. Find out what work orders have been requested, approved by a manager, are in process or have been completed.
• Track Service Due Dates: Track the service due dates for each piece of machinery and each tool. Create time intervals for servicing, or automatically create service times based on the number of uses, or based on machinery meter readings.
• Track Safety Equipment: Make sure that safety equipment has received appropriate servicing in accordance with industry and government safety regulations. Ensure that no safety standards required by the law are overlooked.
• Track Required Equipment and Material Listings: Ensure that different materials and equipment are exactly where they need to be when workers need them most.
• Create Multiple Reports: At the touch of a button, generate reports with information and statistics related to outstanding repairs, service due dates, maintenance histories, meter readings, and other information regarding all the machinery and tools in your operation.

ToolHound’s Real-World Preventative Maintenance Benefits

ToolHound’s Maintenance Module provides all the benefits listed above, and more. In fact, this module has already helped a leading electricity and natural gas services provider achieve cost savings by increasing their tool inventory visibility and getting their PM under control. The energy company is using ToolHound to track and maintain over 5,000 tools, vehicles and computers. Their tooling coordinator has said, “the cost saving is immeasurable when you need to find a tool for a job. We also use [ToolHound] to track all of our vehicles and the maintenance on them. This was always difficult to do before ToolHound because they are traveling to so many different locations. We also feel using the program has improved the safety of our tools and trucks because the maintenance is being done on a regular basis.”

ToolHound can provide your company with the same benefits and features, including equipment service due dates, outstanding repairs, maintenance and repair histories, meter readings and much more to improve your bottom line and optimize your preventative maintenance. Contact us today to learn more about this breakthrough technology.