The traceability of tools and equipment has become a major issue for companies in various industrial sectors. Difficulty in tracking and locating equipment can have considerable financial, environmental and productivity repercussions. This issue raises complex challenges that require effective solutions to overcome.
The daily challenge of tool and equipment traceability
At the heart of every industrial enterprise lies this often underestimated yet crucial daily challenge: the efficient management of tooling and equipment. This complex issue encompasses a multitude of obstacles that can hinder the smooth running and profitability of operations.
These challenges include :
Loss and unavailability of equipment :
Imagine a working day where every operation depends on immediate access to the right tool. Having the right tool at the right time is essential. However, the reality in many companies is very different. Lost tools and unavailable equipment are commonplace, resulting in :
🔷 project delays,
🔷 production interruptions,
🔷 and growing frustration among employees.
Figure 1: Asset misappropriation by industry in relation to different types of fraud according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' (ACFE) “Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations”[1].
These losses can have significant financial repercussions, necessitating replacement costs and affecting the company's overall profitability.
Lack of visibility on the allocation and use of equipment:
In an industrial environment, clear visibility of equipment allocation and utilization is essential. However, the lack of adequate tracking systems makes this task difficult. Managers often lack the visibility to know who is using what, where and when, resulting in inefficient tool management.
Equipment Maintenance and Service Planning :
Preventive maintenance is a sine qua non for equipment durability and reliability. Without effective equipment maintenance planning, companies risk facing :
🔷 unexpected breakdowns,
🔷 prolonged downtime,
🔷 high repair costs,
🔷 and in some cases sanctions from regulatory authorities.
The challenge lies in managing maintenance schedules, spare parts and planned interventions, while minimizing production interruptions.
In the European Union, the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) imposes strict health and safety requirements for work equipment, including obligations for regular maintenance and verification of conformity with applicable technical standards. Similarly, in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes specific regulations for different industrial sectors, requiring employers to implement preventive maintenance programs to ensure worker safety.
Planning and managing periodic inspections :
Periodic inspections are essential to ensure regulatory compliance and safe operations. Planning and managing these checks can be a logistical challenge. Coordinating inspections, ensuring equipment availability and monitoring test results require constant attention and rigorous organization.
Reservation management and borrowing follow-up :
In an environment where equipment is shared between different departments or teams, managing reservations and tracking borrowed equipment can become a real headache. Avoiding reservation conflicts, guaranteeing equipment availability when needed, and ensuring the timely return of borrowed tools are all challenges companies face on a daily basis.
The consequences of a lack of effective equipment traceability
The absence of equipment traceability has multiple and far-reaching consequences. In financial terms, tool loss and theft represent a significant cost for companies, both in terms of replacement and time lost searching for missing tools.
According to “Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations”, asset theft is one of the most common categories of occupational fraud, accounting for 20% of all cases studied. Among cases of asset theft, the theft of tools and equipment is one of the most frequent forms.
The report points out that losses can be very substantial in some cases, reaching several million dollars[1].
In environmental terms, inefficient tool management can lead to over-consumption of materials and unnecessary production of equipment. The frequent manufacture and replacement of equipment also adds to a company's carbon footprint.
In terms of productivity, the inability to locate necessary tools quickly can lead to delays in operations, production stoppages and a drop in overall efficiency.
According to a survey conducted by the Aberdeen research group, employees spend an average of 1.5 hours a week searching for missing tools. For a company with 100 employees, this equates to around 150 lost working hours per week, representing a significant cost in terms of productivity[2].
Faced with these challenges, tool traceability is emerging as an essential solution for companies wishing to improve their operational efficiency. An innovative solution such as UBI Solutions' RFID solution, UBI Tools Tracking, offers an answer to these problems, enabling companies to manage tools and equipment efficiently and accurately.
The UBI Tools Tracking Solution: Your Ally for Good Tool Traceability
UBI Tools Tracking, designed to meet your needs for traceability and geolocation of tools and equipment. This innovative solution integrates two offerings to give you total control over your equipment.
Firstly, a traceability system using NB-IoT Trackers coupled with the UBI Cloud platform. Thanks to this combination, you can monitor the location and movements of your tools, wherever they are, with unrivalled precision. With UBI Tools Tracking, you have complete visibility of your inventory, enabling you to effectively manage your resources and maximize their utilization.
Secondly, the RFID smart box, an innovation that simplifies the management of tool borrowing and return. Simply place your tools in the RFID box, and the system takes care of the rest. You benefit from total traceability of your tools' movements, reducing the risk of loss, theft or delays, which can have a considerable impact on costs and productivity. What's more, it enables you to carry out inventories quickly and efficiently.
Discover how the UBI Tools Tracking smart cash register works in this video:
UBI Tools Tracking also features a predictive maintenance function that continuously monitors the condition of your equipment. This feature enables you to anticipate any potential problems and optimize the durability of your equipment.
Advantages of UBI Tools Tracking
UBI Tool Tracking is much more than a simple tracking solution. It's a real ally in optimizing your equipment management, for greater efficiency, increased visibility and boosted profitability. UBI Tools Tracking enables :
✅ Total visibility of tool movements.
✅ Reduced costs associated with tool loss and theft.
✅ Improved durability by optimizing material utilization.
✅ Increased productivity through efficient equipment management.
✅ Easy integration with existing systems for fast, smooth implementation.
✅ Fast, efficient stocktaking.
UBI Tools Tracking adapts to the most demanding applications
Whatever your industry or specific needs, the UBI Tools Tracking solution stands out for its ability to adapt flexibly to a variety of applications, industries and specific requirements.
Whether you work in manufacturing, logistics, aeronautics or any other field, this solution offers remarkable flexibility to meet your tracking and tracing needs.
Whether you need to track assets in indoor or outdoor environments, nationally or internationally, with or without geolocation, UBI Tools Tracking can be tailored to your requirements.
What's more, it's designed to operate in sensitive or confined environments, subject to strict regulations, as well as in environments where assets are likely to be subjected to harsh conditions.
Suitable even for tracking small parts, offering a complete and versatile solution to your specific traceability needs.
UBI Tools Tracking : Case studies
Lorillard case study: Traceability of joinery transport equipment (trestles)
The company manages a stock of over 2,000 high value-added container units. Its traceability objective is to ensure daily tracking of each trestle, on which windows and glass doors for construction sites or stores are loaded.
To achieve this, the complete “UBI Tools Tracking” traceability system has been implemented: NB-IoT trackers are installed on each chassis, enabling real-time data feedback to the UBI Cloud platform. This solution guarantees precise, efficient tracking of the location of each container, ensuring optimal management of logistics operations and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance case studies: Traceability of anti-FOD tools
Founded on operational excellence and constant innovation, AFI KLM E&M is a renowned company in the field of aircraft maintenance. Combining the expertise of two major airlines, Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance, this entity represents one of the world leaders in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.
AFI KLM E&M has integrated the UBI Tools Tracking solution for traceability of anti-FOD tools in its evacuation slide overhaul workshops. FOD stands for Foreign Object Debris, which is any solid, liquid or organic object that can compromise the safety of flight operations if present on an airport runway or aircraft traffic area.
UBI Tools Tracking guarantees that no tools are left behind in toboggans after overhaul and reconditioning.
Safety has always been a top priority in aviation, and preventing the risks associated with foreign debris (FOD) is a crucial aspect of this approach. Debris accidentally left in evacuation slides can represent a potential danger to passengers and crew during an emergency evacuation.
By integrating the UBI Tools Tracking system, AFI KLM E&M is reinforcing its safety measures and its commitment to operational excellence. The system tracks every tool used during slide overhaul, ensuring that none is forgotten inside the aircraft once the work is complete.
By adopting the UBI Tools Tracking solution, AFI KLM E&M is once again demonstrating its commitment to the safety and quality of the services it offers its customers. This system contributes to strengthening the confidence of airlines and passengers in the reliability of safety equipment on board aircraft.
The traceability of tools is an essential requirement for guaranteeing the efficiency and sustainability of companies. Thanks to solutions such as UBI Tools Tracking, companies can now benefit from accurate and efficient management of their equipment, optimizing their operations and reducing unnecessary losses.
However, to take optimum asset management even further, it's important to consider solutions such as Asset Tracking. This solution offers optimized asset geolocation and traceability, enabling 360-degree visibility of all your activities. By integrating this solution, companies can achieve new levels of efficiency and control over their resources.
Discover how this technology can help you optimize your operations and ensure the growth and sustainability of your business through this video :
Ask for a demo and discover our solution!
[1] Boston Consulting Group Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations : https://www.acfe.com/-/media/files/acfe/pdfs/rttn/2024/2024-report-to-the-nations.pdf
[2] Aberdeen Group - Study lost time research tools : https://www.aberdeen.com/
