Construction Company Uses Computerized Tool Crib Software to Save Time, Make Money

Tool crib management is a lot simpler for The Fagan Company, thanks to the recent installation of a Windows-based barcode-driven tool crib software system.

The Fagan Company, the largest heating and air conditioning contractor in the greater Kansas City and Wichita metropolitan areas, was looking for a more effective way to keep track of its 5,000+-item tool inventory. According to Ryan Cox, the company's tool crib manager, the company had no real inventory or tool crib management system in place.

"When I started here, we didn't even know what we had," he says. "If something got stolen or lost, we never knew. And even if we did have a tool, we had no idea where it might be when we needed it."

To solve these problems, the construction company implemented Tool Manager, a barcode-based tool crib software system from QuickPen International. The result has been more efficient tool tracking and greater accountability for tools in the field.

"Tool Manager does a really good job of tracking and keeping the inventory of what you've got and where it is," says Cox. "It's a real simple, easy system where I can walk over, check out whatever tools I need to right there, send them out the door, and do it again and again."

In addition, the tool crib software allows Cox to print lists of tools assigned to specific jobs or contractors in the field. These lists are then forwarded to the appropriate person for inventory control. "Once I was able to put barcode stickers on our tools I was able to track them down and know where they were exactly as soon as I needed to," he states. "It gives you the ability to watch for theft, and to know what kinds of tools come in and out without getting checked out."

Basics of Tool Crib Management

The basic Tool Manager system consists of the Windows-based software program, a handheld data scanner and a docking station that plugs into the computer serial port. Polyurethane barcode labels are then placed on each tool to be tracked.

How does the tool crib management system work? Simple. To check out a tool to a job or individual, you simply select the project or I.D. number, and then scan the barcode. "Scanning the barcode identifies the specific piece of equipment, and tells the system where that tool is, who has it, and when the transaction occurred," explains Leon Harris, product manager for QuickPen International.

Tool Manager uses a Palm OS-based scanner designed for portability, so that tool check-in and check-out can be done in the tool crib or on the jobsite. "After you scan the tools in the field, you return to the scanner's docking station. This could be at the warehouse, the tool crib or on a remote computer connected to the Tool Manager database over a wide area network or even through the internet" says Harris. "The Symbol scanner is equipped with HotSync capabilities so you just pop it into the docking station, push a button, and upload the data."

Cox particularly likes the new palm scanner. "It gives you a date book and tracks all your expenses and other information you need besides just your tools," he says. "And being able to walk out of the warehouse carrying that little scanner with me is a lot better than a clipboard and a piece of paper."

The tool crib software is also capable of tracking service and maintenance for each inventory item, as well as tracking all rented tools and equipment. To manage all this data, QuickPen uses a Sybase database and multi-tier client/server architecture, providing data integrity and making data transactions fast and seamless.

Paying For Itself

While they used to try to do this, their process was inefficient, inaccurate, and slow. "We used to have to write up all the tools on paper by hand, then hand-enter them into a little spreadsheet and then enter a cost to come up with a total charge," Cox explained. "It was a lot more time-consuming and it didn't work nearly as well. Tool Manager just automatically gives me the information I need."

While the addition of tool crib software has already dramatically changed the way The Fagan Company performs tool crib management for both its service and construction divisions, Cox says he isn't done yet - he has plans to further expand his use of Tool Manager in the near future.

"We have 190 vehicles in our company. I'll be adding those to Tool Manager so we can keep track of the service and maintenance on those as well."

Cox is very pleased with what the addition of a tool crib software system has done for him. "It does a great job of being able to track the jobs, what tools you have at a job, and automatically charges the job for the tool," says Cox. "It makes it real convenient for everybody."