ToolWatch system Auburn NY

Source: TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
Publication date: May 14, 2004

By Katy Tomasulo

Ever feel like your tools are a little too portable? If your drills and saws seem to be sprouting legs and wandering off your sites, or if your company has grown large enough that it is difficult to keep track of your equipment, it may be time to invest in a tool security system like ToolWatch.

The ToolWatch system combines an inventory database and tracking software with hardware components that allow you to keep careful track of all your tools and equipment–from hard hats to drills to skid steers. Using the ToolWatch system, companies can log tools into a database by hand or using barcode labels and scanners. Each time a tool is used, its whereabouts–by jobsite or by employee–are scanned or recorded into the system; at any point in time, you can locate any tool or piece of equipment.

Since employee theft typically makes up the largest portion of company thefts, knowing that the system is tracking materials can help keep tools from disappearing. "It creates accountability," says ToolWatch president Don Kafka. "And when there's accountability and the tools are managed, then a small company can better utilize their resources." In fact, ToolWatch officials estimate that the system can save employers about half of the estimated 80 cents per employee per hour that is lost from replacing small tools.

Beyond tracking and inventory, business owners can use information...

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