In-house processes
When a tool breaks on site, the repair process is often unnecessarily time consuming, costly and potentially unsafe due to poor communication and management. This in turn causes long service times when the tool eventually goes in for repair.
On site, damaged tools quite often sit idle until someone informs management of the problem, or until someone takes it to the warehouse where it usually stays for a long time. This is because companies tend to stockpile broken tools until they have a group of them from the same supplier that can be sent for repair. The thought process behind this, although incorrect, is often that it saves time to stockpile them and then do a bulk order rather than fix tools immediately.
It is common for the number of broken tools in warehouse storage to increase, because without an effective tool service provider, it is usually more costly to repair a single tool, forcing companies to stockpile a number of broken tools for repair. This can lead to a number of issues:
A damaged tool may need repairing right away, and risks obtaining further issues when in storage. Often, a broken tool in storage will be forgotten about meaning it is not available when it is needed.
This could mean that a company has to rely on spare tools, however it is not ideal for larger companies to rely on these. Instead, they should work with companies who will cut down the servicing time to a minimum and who will provide loan tools to cover for the downtime.
You must also make sure that any tools in your possession are safe. To do this, ensure that all tools are equipped with the latest safety technology; for example, many tools have safety measures such as torque control or dust extraction, which are designed to prevent accidents on site and long term injuries.
If your tools don’t have these features they risk becoming non-compliant, potentially damaging your health and safety standards and making you liable down the line if an accident was to occur.
To avoid these internal issues, it is best to ensure that first and foremost, all the tools in your possession are properly maintained and up to date with regular testing. However, in order to reduce downtime and improve efficiency, a company should be working with tool suppliers with a guaranteed service time frame.
While your company may have some form of fleet management already in place, you may need to switch to a company who can provide loan tools while you wait for yours to be repaired or serviced. This means that tasks do not have to be prolonged as your tool can be serviced quickly and efficiently, and loan tools can help you finish jobs to a high quality.