This weekend I was performing work on one of my vehicles, which involved removing many layers of interior parts to clean and then returning the parts to their original locations and specifications. As my wife helped, and we worked on the project I said to her, “You know honey, if you ever needed a gift idea, here’s one: I could use a 6-point set of Metric sockets, so we don’t tear up the bolts using my 12 point.” I’m a big fan of having the right tool for the work instead of trying to work around and find alternatives.
How often is that true in the world we live in that we don’t have the right tool for the job? Sure, it worked and yes, the work was completed, but now the extra wear on the bolt heads is going to bother me every time I look. On top of having the right tool, thankfully we had the schematics to remove the parts; thank you Internet, but even then, some of the instructions were a little off. I “really liked” the installation process; “to install, reverse the procedure.” Oh, and one set of instructions were incomplete and it was a major piece that was needed. Upon further research, we found the right information and were able to adjust, but we had to make it up as we worked (wasting time).
Ever wonder how often your workforce is using the wrong tool, wrong schematics or other wrong / inaccurate information when they’re repairing your critical assets? How often does the wrong tool mean re-work? How do you track and manage your unique tools? Sure, I agree, a socket wrench probably isn’t a tool you want to track at a detailed level, but what about a tool that’s unique to your business or your critical assets… If it’s unique, maybe even expensive, you will most likely want to track the usage of that tool and ensure it was brought back to the storeroom for use on another maintenance task. Here’s a link with some additional details to setup using Tools within Maximo.
This information is also stored within the Work Order application on both the plan and actual tabs so you can manage the Tool(s) used. The schematics and other information also help ensure the right tool is used at the right time for the right repair which is often included on the Job Plan. I know managing tools is not something new, however I thought of it this weekend while working. Then I wonder; wow, how many times do I think about work during my personal activities and how much I could use Maximo for my dwelling, vehicle, toys, etc…ha!
