Write the jobs you need to solve
Start with a recent problem. A drill went to the next site without a handover. A calibration certificate couldn't be matched to the right instrument. The team bought another tool because the first one couldn't be found. Write down the record that would have helped, who needs it and when they need to see it.
Separate tools assigned to a person or site from shared gear that goes over the tool counter each day. A permanent assignment and a booking with a due-back time are different jobs. Include both if your operation needs them.
- List the tools, instruments and equipment in scope.
- Name the sites, stores, vehicles and containers they move between.
- Identify who issues, returns, checks and manages the gear.
- Record the evidence needed for test and tag, calibration and inspections.
- Note where reception drops and which jobs must continue there.
Match each job to a workflow
Give each supplier the same brief. Ask them to perform the job and reopen the saved record. A feature name on a comparison sheet won't show how a storesperson handles a late return or missing accessory.
- Who has it?
- Check an item out to a person or location, set a due-back date and return it. Inspect the history and overdue view.
- Can the next crew reserve it?
- Book specific equipment or a quantity from a category, check approval, then fulfil the request and inspect the resulting check-out.
- Which checks are due?
- Find the due list, open the correct asset and inspect its service history and attached certificate. Test the issue warning for overdue gear.
- What is actually on site?
- Run a stocktake with one expected item absent and one unexpected item present. Review what was scanned, discovered and left unresolved.
MapTrack's tool tracking page shows the register and custody workflow. For specialist jobs, inspect test and tag tracking, calibration tracking and asset audits separately.
Keep small tools in the same register as plant
The same register filtered to small plant and tools. Each tool carries its own QR tag and shows whether it is out with someone or sitting at the workshop or on site.
MapTrack app · Demonstration data · Captured
About this screenshot
Captured in a demonstration workspace. The All assets view is filtered to the Small Plant & Tools category and shows the Status, Person, Location, Tag and Make columns.
Check scanning, location and offline limits
Choose the right kind of location record
A QR label identifies the tool; it doesn't transmit a live position. In MapTrack, the map shows a GPS position where available, otherwise where the item was last checked out or returned. A plain scan doesn't update that location. Location capture also has an account setting, so confirm your site's policy before enabling it.
Bluetooth tags need compatible gateway trackers. Their detections can update the asset's location in MapTrack. Live GPS, geofences, trips and history run in MapTrack Telematics. Ask to see both screens if those jobs are in your brief.
Test the actual labels and devices
Use the phone camera for QR codes. MapTrack supports barcode and Data Matrix labels with a handheld Bluetooth or USB scanner. Bring a sample of your existing labels, including a worn one, and check which record opens. Test the proposed label material on the surface it will stick to.
Ask which actions need reception
In MapTrack, check-outs, returns, audits and Requests need a connection. Crews can complete loaded forms and record procedures and per-asset pass or fail results on an already-loaded work order offline. Adding costs and moving the work order to Completed need a connection. Test those boundaries on your crew's devices before choosing a workflow.
Verify the data handover
Write down what needs to move, which system owns it and who will fix a failed transfer. An asset import, a recurring meter feed and a finance export need different checks. Don't treat a logo in an integration directory as proof that your required fields will flow.
- Import a small sample and reconcile IDs, serial numbers, people and locations.
- Confirm the supported fields, direction, refresh timing and setup owner for each integration.
- Ask for a sample export of each record type you'll need to keep.
- Check attachments and history separately from the asset list.
- Record any custom work or unverified requirement before accepting a quote.
Compare the full operating cost
Compare quotes at the same asset count, team size and scope. Include software, labels, scanners, trackers, connectivity, data preparation, training, integration work and support. Ask what changes as another crew or site joins. Keep one-off costs separate from recurring costs.
Build the current-cost baseline from your own records: written-off tools, time spent searching, stocktake labour, duplicate purchases and hire costs you couldn't charge back. Don't count the same replacement purchase twice. The tool loss cost calculator models the first four categories with editable assumptions. Record unbilled hire separately; the calculator doesn't include it.
Treat the result as a planning scenario. It isn't a forecast of what software will save. Compare the same records after a pilot before putting a saving in the business case.
Move from a shortlist to a pilot
Once a supplier can demonstrate your required jobs, test them with one crew and a manageable set of tools. Include the awkward cases: identical instruments, accessories, a late return and a location with patchy reception. Agree what counts as a pass before starting.
Use the tool tracking pilot checklist for the field tests, evidence log and sign-off. It covers how to test your shortlist; this guide helps you decide what belongs on it.
Make the decision from evidence
- Each must-have job has a saved result your team can reopen.
- The people doing the work have tried the real labels and devices.
- Connection limits and unresolved exceptions have an agreed workaround or owner.
- The quote covers the same scope you tested, including data handover.
- A named person owns the rollout and the first review.
Still building your shortlist? You can compare tool tracking software side by side: eight platforms on QR check-in and check-out, GPS and Bluetooth tags, reservations and maintenance.
Bring your tool list and the jobs you need to see. We'll walk through the relevant MapTrack workflow and identify what still needs testing.
