Reducing tool write-off
Luckily, there are many ways in which you can reduce the number of tools you write-off which can be easily implemented and will improve overall productivity. Some of these include:
1. Improve security
Prevent the possibility of your tools being lost or stolen by ensuring tools are stored safely and by holding employees accountable. Often, a lot of tools are lost because they are treated as commodities and just left lying around because nobody feels responsible for them.
To improve security, on a basic level, you could fit alarm systems and locks. However, it is recommended to look into an asset management system that includes asset tracking, so you know exactly where your tools are, and who has them.
2. Improve accountability
You need to ensure that your workers take responsibility for the equipment they are using so that tools aren’t misused or misplaced. This could be done through training, or with an asset management system that will hold people accountable for the tools they are using and reduce the chance of them being damaged.
3. Improve technology
Ensure that you have the right tools for your workers and the jobs they are doing to avoid breakage due to misuse. You can do this by ensuring that you don’t have an excess of unused and old tools - try trading these in for new tools with the latest safety technology.
4. Scale down your toolpark
To make sure all your tools are accounted for, try optimising your tool park by only investing in tools that will be used and maintaining and managing them effectively.
The bottom line is, you cannot afford to keep writing-off tools - it is expensive, time consuming and potentially damaging to your company’s reputation.
Fortunately, you can reduce the number of tools being written off by improving how you manage and maintain your assets. By keeping track of your tools you can ensure that they are safe, secure and suitable for the job, ultimately reducing the number of tools you have to write-off. This can have a direct, positive effect on overall productivity on your construction site and reduce costs significantly.
To find out more information on how to improve productivity across all aspects on site, download our guide How to Increase Productivity on Your Construction Site. It contains everything you need to know about construction productivity from how to define it, to how to best optimise your tool management and implement strategies to improve productivity throughout your business.