No challenge might be more bedeviling for maintenance and engineering managers than keeping track of the array of power tools front-line technicians use. These essential resources of departments in all types of institutional and commercial facilities come in an array of shapes and sizes, are highly portable, and need to withstand daily use and abuse. Most challenging of all, however, is that technicians value them and will go to great lengths to ensure they have just the right tool for any challenge that a workday might spring on them.
Now consider the scope of the challenge when this arsenal of tools is spread throughout nearly 100 facilities with 8 million square feet across 2,000 square miles — an area larger than Rhode Island. That is the challenge facing the maintenance department of the Anchorage (Alaska) School District. But for Chris Borst, a maintenance supervisor for the district, the size of the challenge in managing power tools does not necessarily change his department’s goals.
“What we strive to do is make sure we provide employees with the best quality tool that’s as current and safe as it can be so that they’re being productive and efficient but also safe,” Borst says. “We make sure that if (a tool) is failing, we get it out of service. We get the best (tools) that we can afford for our staff.”
Keeping Track of Power Tools a Challenge for Maintenance Departments
Managing Technicians and Their Tool Needs
