Hands-Free RFID Tool Tracking System Delivers Rapid ROI

The Holt Cat® Service Assets Department had to manage tens of thousands of tools but were increasing finding their barcode manual system inefficient and labor intensive.

Holt Cat’s were seeing their employees' spent hours on the job searching for tools, or simply not getting a task completed because the necessary tools were missing.

Beyond the escalating costs of unproductive man-hours (as well as the costs to replace lost tools), the existing system was frustrating their employees.

Employees wanted a “hands-free, no-sweat system” that would either find the required tools or identify who had it and no paperwork please.

The Holt Cat’s Service Assets selected a RFID based Tool tracking solution that recorded both the tool taken and the employee carrying it as they exited the tool room past the RFID doorway readers. To achieve this the Tools were RFID tagged and the employees were given a Staff ID card with a RFID tag.

Happy employees got their “hands-free, no-sweat system” system

The solution also data on tool usage and by who for big picture understanding of tool assets. 

The RFID-based tool tracking solution developed for Holt Cat has provided multiple benefits:

• Overall reduction of lost and stolen tools

• Increase in accountability and traceability of company tool assets

• Increase in revenue via better tool control, first site had a ROI of eight months; second site had a ROI in four months.

• Elimination of “hands-on” human/compliance element from tool tracking system

• Elimination of lost man-hours

• Increase in sharing of high-value tools between sites eliminated the need to purchase tools for each facility. The confidence in RFID system accuracy / tool location data allowed this change.

Happy employees and great ROI delivered by RFID Tool control systems.