Best Tool Management Software
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PRODUCTS
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BUYER'S GUIDE
Buyer's Guide
By Riya Jamble, Technical Content Writer at SelectHub
Managing tools can sometimes feel like trying to catch a Golden Snitch at a Quidditch match — elusive and challenging. Locating misplaced wrenches, updating inventory records or tracking down that cordless drill can be downright headache-inducing. Enter tool management software — the solution for all your tool-related woes.
In this buyer's guide, we're about to embark on a journey where we'll uncover the benefits of tool management solutions, explore their key features, reveal a strategic approach to compare systems and unveil the top three popular solutions on the market.
Executive Summary
- Tool management software helps businesses streamline tool tracking and maintenance, reduce downtime, and enhance productivity.
- Some core features you should consider are real-time tracking, maintenance scheduling, integration capabilities, task management and reporting tools.
- Compile a list of questions to discuss with your team and potential vendors before committing to a purchase.
What Is Tool Management Software?
Tool management software is a digital solution that helps manufacturing, maintenance, construction and other industries manage and track tools and equipment inventory.
They assist you in reducing tool loss, minimizing downtime and improving operational efficiency.
These solutions typically integrate with:
Now that you have a brief idea about what tool management solutions are, let’s learn how they can benefit your organization.
Primary Benefits
We’ve outlined some benefits of tool management systems below.
Enhance Accountability
Consequences of poor tool control include poor productivity, financial losses and safety hazards.
Tool management software helps you track tool usage, assign responsibility and ensure proper maintenance. This minimizes misuse, loss and inefficiency while fostering a culture of responsibility, ultimately resulting in cost savings and improved safety and productivity.
Organize Inventory
Are you facing inventory management challenges like overstocking, stockouts, poor visibility and operational inefficiencies?
Tool management systems empower you to establish a comprehensive inventory database, helping you catalog your tools along with their specifications, precise locations and real-time availability statuses.
With an organized and well-maintained tool database, you can streamline the process of locating, distributing and managing tools.
Streamline Maintenance
You can use tool management software to improve your maintenance process in various ways. For instance, you can:
- Plan ahead for preventive maintenance and inspections based on usage hours or calendar dates.
- Get alerts and notifications when tools require service or repair.
- Control tool costs, warranties and depreciation.
- Produce reports and analytics on tool performance, availability and usage.
Key Features & Functionality
Barcode Scanning | Scan barcode labels attached to your tools using your smartphone or tablet to streamline tool identification and tracking processes. |
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Tool Life Cycle Management | Record essential tool information such as the purchase date, warranty, depreciation and maintenance history to decide when to repair or replace them. Categorize tools by type, purpose or any other relevant criteria that suits your workflow. |
Tool Check-In and Check-Out | Assign tools to specific users or groups and record when they check tools in or out, ensuring accountability and transparency and preventing misuse. |
GPS Tracking | Locate your tools on a map to recover lost or stolen tools by pinpointing their whereabouts in real time. |
Tool Kitting | Group commonly used tools and check them in or out as a set to save time. |
Task Management | Assign tools to specific tasks or projects using task management systems, ensuring availability and tracking tool usage effectively. |
Maintenance Scheduling | Plan and schedule preventive and corrective maintenance to preserve the functionality and longevity of your tools. |
Reporting and Analytics | Generate and analyze reports to gain insights into your tool usage, maintenance and inventory. |
Software Comparison Strategy
When it comes to choosing the perfect tool management software, your journey should begin with a crystal-clear understanding of your unique requirements. What tools and equipment do you need to manage? What’re your maintenance and inventory management goals?
Next, you'll want to find a user-friendly interface that your team can easily learn and use without extensive training.
Mobile access is a must, especially for your field teams, so prioritize solutions offering mobile apps or responsive design for on-the-go access.
To simplify tool tracking, ensure the system supports barcode or RFID tracking technology, allowing for quick and accurate data entry.
Don't overlook the level of support and training offered by the vendor to facilitate smooth implementation.
Be sure to research user feedback and reviews to gauge user experiences and learn from their insights.
Finally, you should request references and case studies from vendors to understand how their solutions helped similar companies grow.
Still wondering where to begin? Check out our Lean Selection methodology — a nine-step process that helps you on your software selection journey.
Cost & Pricing Considerations
To select a budget-friendly solution, first you should learn about different on-premise and SaaS pricing models like subscription-based and perpetual licensing.
Subscriptions are often monthly or yearly with flexible cancellations, whereas perpetual licenses require an upfront fee but provide indefinite access. You should ensure the pricing model aligns with your budget.
Next, you’ll have to choose a deployment method. Most vendors offer two options: cloud and on-premise. Cloud products often have lower upfront costs, but recurring expenses for users, storage and upgrades can add up, potentially making them costlier.
On the contrary, on-premise solutions involve a one-time payment, but initial expenses include hardware, IT staffing and security systems. However, if you can withstand the initial expenses, you might be able to save money in the long run.
Don’t forget to factor in ongoing costs such as maintenance, support and training, as they can significantly affect your total cost of ownership.
The Most Popular Tool Management Software
Now that you have an idea about what tool management software can do, let’s explore some of the most popular solutions.
Before we dive right into the list, let’s take a look at the table below for a brief overview.
Note: The products mentioned below are the best overall CMMS solutions, the umbrella software for tool management solutions.
Product | User Sentiment Ratings | Price | Free Trial? | Standout Feature |
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Maintenance Care | 91% | Starts from $150/month (unlimited users) | Free Edition | Maintenance Request Management |
Fiix | 91% | Starts from $45/user/month | Free Edition | Purchase Order Management |
UpKeep | 93% | Starts from $20/user/month | 14-Day Free Trial | Asset Tracking |
Now let’s explore their functions and pros and cons.
Maintenance Care
Maintenance Care is a cloud-based CMMS solution that helps health care, manufacturing, transportation, government and other industries manage maintenance tasks, automate work scheduling, monitor tools and equipment performance, and organize assets.
According to the latest available data collected by SelectHub, Maintenance Care ranks #1 among all CMMS software.
Pros | Cons |
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Robust maintenance request management system | Reporting difficulties |
User-friendly interface | Task comment editing limitations |
Strong inventory tracking modules | Insufficient feedback for work order submitters |
Manage tasks with just a few clicks. Source
Fiix
Fiix is a cloud CMMS system that helps oil and gas, heavy equipment, manufacturing, food and beverage, and other industries plan, track and optimize maintenance with integrations, reports and embedded AI tools.
According to the latest available data collected by SelectHub, Fiix ranks #2 among all CMMS software.
Pros | Cons |
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Ease of use | Unintuitive custom report writing |
Quick maintenance scheduling | Difficult navigation in the initial stages |
Excellent customer support | No work order printing with the free version |
Fiix’s parts forecaster dashboard. Source
UpKeep
UpKeep is a mobile-based CMMS system that helps organizations of all sizes track stockrooms, schedule preventive maintenance, extend equipment life spans and streamline procurement processes.
According to the latest available data collected by SelectHub, UpKeep ranks #3 among all CMMS software.
Pros | Cons |
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User-friendly interface | Steep learning curve |
Responsive customer service | Unstable system performance |
Easy asset management | Limited report customization |
Monitor total maintenance costs via the analytics dashboard. Source
Questions To Ask
You should determine your company’s requirements before approaching vendors. Ask yourself and your team these guiding questions for the same:
- What’re our specific tool management challenges and pain points?
- What tools and equipment do we need to manage?
- How tech-savvy are our team members?
- Are there any specific compliance or regulatory requirements to consider?
- What’re the critical KPIs and metrics we need to track?
Now that you know your organization’s needs, ask vendors these questions to learn more about them and their solutions:
- What types of tools and assets can we manage using your software? Does it support both physical and digital assets?
- Does your solution offer barcode or RFID tracking for tools and assets, and how accurate is this tracking?
- How long has your tool management software been on the market, and can you share any notable milestones or success stories?
- How often do you release software updates, and how are these updates managed?
- What’s the implementation process like, and what’s the typical timeline for getting the software up and running in our organization?
Next Steps
If you want to reduce downtime, increase operational efficiency, save money and improve decision-making capabilities, tool management software is your best bet!
However, selecting the right system requires conducting meticulous assessments. You can check out our free comparison report to compare multiple solutions simultaneously. You can also view individual products’ scores, benefits and user sentiments.
Need more help? Please feel free to contact us by phone or email mentioned on our website for any further assistance.
Product Comparisons
Additional Resources
Products found for Tool Management Software
UpKeep
UpKeep Maintenance is a mobile-based asset and maintenance solution. This integrated system is suitable for companies of all sizes and types. Maintenance and facility managers can use it to manage work orders, schedule preventive maintenance and monitor their assets. It helps prevent unplanned downtime and extends the lifespan of your assets.
FMX
FMX offers a user-friendly, cloud-based solution that simplifies the management process for asset, facilities, maintenance, fleet and scheduling activities at a range of campus types. It lets users effectively generate work orders, schedule maintenance and plan resource use, streamlining processes. Users can access it from mobile devices and configure settings as well. A simple calendar-based interface aids scheduling, and it supports unlimited requesting users with no extra cost. It provides actionable insights into business data, organizes staff from a central portal, speeds up work order resolution and improves asset effectiveness. It offers quick customer support and training and has reported a 98% customer satisfaction rating.
Hippo CMMS
Hippo CMMS is a user-friendly cloud solution to help facility managers streamline and centralize their organization’s maintenance management activities. It comes equipped to optimize work orders, perform preventive repairs, monitor assets and equipment, control spare parts and material inventory, as well as manage vendor or client contacts. It is scalable for SMBs or enterprises alike.
Fiix
Fiix enables facility managers to process work orders, manage assets and optimize performance. Users can gain visibility into their maintenance schedules, improve workflows, track progress and streamline communications. Customizable dashboards and detailed reporting give key decision-makers insight into the business so they can make data-informed decisions about their assets.
eMaint
As a featured offering from Fluke Reliability, a division of the Fluke Corporation, eMaint is a well-known and widely-used maintenance management software. It delivers a robust, configurable, easy-to-use interface that helps organizations save time and money by coordinating team-based efforts for asset maintenance and management.
Maintenance Connection
Founded by Accruent, Maintenance Connection is one of the largest names in maintenance software providers. It is both powerful and user-friendly, providing an intuitive interface. It offers the whole gamut of asset and maintenance management features that help users manage the lifecycles of their physical assets. It comes in on-premise, cloud or hybrid deployments and is highly scalable to fit a diverse clientele.
Limble
Limble CMMS is a user-centric platform offering maintenance management, inventory management, vendor management, IoT integrations, work order management, asset management and other valuable maintenance features. It serves a variety of asset-intensive industries and provides a 30-day free trial, multiple language versions via native translation, and cloud-hosted deployment. It is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses.
IFS EAM
IFS EAM delivers reliability-centered maintenance to keep assets running at peak performance for as long as possible. Users can create and manage work orders, schedule and record preventive maintenance, perform KPI reports, and a range of other advanced capabilities through the program’s simple, colorful user interface.
TrackAbout
TrackAbout is an easy-to-use, cloud-based software that offers tracking of assets that have a circular lifecycle. It optimizes a range of processes including preparation, order and delivery, maintenance, compliance, and traceability. Users can integrate with other products already deployed and import all their relevant data to a single location.
MPulse
MPulse aims to provide customers with maintenance success. It offers reliable scheduling, reporting tools and tracking features to organizations with a heavy focus on equipment and facility management. It comes in four subscription levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum with a varying breadth of features based on the package.
Maxpanda
Maxpanda offers a web-based solution for preventive maintenance planning and repair scheduling. It helps facility managers coordinate technician teams, effectively allocate resources, track asset health and improve their operations at a foundational level.
EZOfficeInventory
EZOfficeInventory helps facility managers make the most of their assets by streamlining asset maintenance, tracking equipment and tools, optimizing workflows, and creating a centralized interface for all these tasks. It gives greater control over assets while promoting security and accountability with custom roles. It also offers technicians more involvement and visibility via asset schedules and a detailed calendar interface.
FreshService
Freshservice is a cloud-based IT service management offering from Freshworks that tracks and manages IT and digital assets. It also provides an IT service desk, reporting, IT asset management and IT project management. It maintains records of contracts, hardware, software and other assets from the time of purchase to the point of expiration. It also helps automate and streamline processes through the lifespan of an asset. Suitable for companies of any size, it can assist financial, HR, marketing and facility teams.
ServiceChannel
ServiceChannel takes the burden out of service management by automating service tasks and organizing work processes. It helps implement and monitor a successful, dependable and continuous service strategy.It provides a flexible, robust and reliable service management platform to quickly and easily manage service tasks and staff. It helps maintain compliance, provides accurate information and increases profitable operations.
ManagerPlus
ManagerPlus is an asset and maintenance management solution that organizes, schedules, tracks and manages the maintenance of an organization’s physical assets including vehicles, buildings, equipment, machinery and parts. It provides user-friendly, cloud-hosted maintenance scheduling, inventory management, work order management and more for organizations of any size. It can be accessed anywhere from any mobile device.
Asset Essentials by Brightly
Asset Essentials by Brightly (formerly known as Dude Solutions) is a cloud-based and mobile-enabled enterprise work and asset management platform designed to help users maintain and monitor their physical assets. It helps asset-centric operations enhance visibility, streamline workflows, improve processes and extend the lifespans of their assets.
NEXGEN Asset Management
NexGen enables asset-intensive industries such as public works, manufacturing, energy and facilities to provide timely service delivery to customers. It assists enterprises in scheduling preventive maintenance activities, identifying high and low-performing assets based on accurate analysis and predicting equipment reliability. It helps assets maintain peak performance and reduces operating costs. It mobilizes the workforce by helping them stay on top of work orders and maintenance schedules anytime, anywhere.
iMaint
DPSI developed iMaint to help facility managers automate the work order process, streamline maintenance tasks, generate reports and manage assets. It comes in three purchase plan tiers: Small Business, Online Enterprise and On-Premise, all of which offer scaling features and pricing to fit unique organizational needs. It centralizes asset data and automates many maintenance tasks to give access to all areas of operation from a single interface. It aims to lower operating costs, save users money and improve overall organizational efficiency.
FTMaintenance
FTMaintenance is a user-friendly and feature-rich solution that enables organizations to take full control of their maintenance program. Executives, maintenance managers and technicians can document, manage and track all maintenance activities from a unified interface. It serves organizations from diverse industries like construction, education, food and beverage, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, energy, government, public works, and wastewater treatment.
Infor EAM
Infor EAM suits organizations of all sizes and helps track, organize and streamline maintenance tasks. It monitors KPIs and generates reports to help make data-driven decisions. It’s available for deployment on-premise, in the cloud or via hybrid deployment and can function on any operating system. It can integrate with a range of other business solutions and comes in industry-specific editions to meet users’ unique needs.
MicroMain
MicroMain offers powerful, flexible, intuitive solutions for maintenance management that organize the asset maintenance process from end to end. It aims to reduce maintenance costs, improve asset uptime, improve safety and generally optimize an organization’s interaction with its physical assets.
Maintenance Care
Maintenance Care is a SaaS solution built on a foundation of work order management, preventive maintenance and asset tracking. It’s designed to manage tasks in three steps and includes various integration capabilities to expand workflow options.It supports unlimited user profiles, providing the flexibility to rope in departments outside of maintenance, such as accounting, for company-wide visibility into asset and maintenance costs and data.
Mobility Work
Mobility Work is a community-based maintenance ecosystem that brings managers, technicians, service providers and suppliers together in a single, cohesive hub. It was designed to facilitate agile communication in a light, easy-to-use format and simplify all aspects of the maintenance process, providing 20,000 users all over the world with digitized maintenance and a one-of-a-kind network of shared expertise.
CHAMPS
CHAMPS Software is a flexible, configurable, comprehensive solution that caters to mid-sized and enterprise-level organizations. It optimizes asset management and maintenance processes to maximize asset life cycles. With quick implementation and ease of use, organizations can expect to be up and running in record time. It is deployable both on-premises and in the cloud. In addition to its key features, it offers advanced capabilities for more technologically-minded businesses, including advanced analytics, reporting, predictive maintenance, geolocation and IoT integrations.
Interal
Interal offers maintenance planning, tracking and a comprehensive overview of an organization’s corrective or preventive work orders. It was created to solve specific problems with maintenance and procurement processes and streamline workflows among technicians and facility managers. It combines the separate offerings of PlanPro, InventPro and IPMS into one comprehensive hub.
Asset Panda
Asset Panda offers equipment tracking and management in a flexible, customizable package for SMBs that want to automate their maintenance management activities. It optimizes a range of processes, from work orders to compliance to facility management to procurement. Users can access the full suite of features from any device and make adjustments to available modules to perfectly suit their needs.
Assetworks
AssetWorks helps users manage assets like vehicles, buildings, infrastructure, facilities and more. Its offerings include management of fleets and fuel, enterprise risks and assets, surplus assets and more. It streamlines processes and improves operations through better facility staffing, machinery management and workflows. It helps users handle consumables, equipment and properties efficiently and cost-effectively. Leveraging multiple modules enable companies to improve ROI, promote data transparency and reduce operating costs.
Axxerion
Axxerion is a property, storage and maintenance management platform that provides flexible asset, facility and inventory management features. It simplifies maintenance operations, centralizes communication, and collects data to promote better business decisions and accurate forecasting. Its scalability and flexibility make it ideal for organizations of all sizes in diverse industries. It’s available for cloud deployment.
MAPCON
MAPCON provides cloud and on-premise maintenance management to organizations of all sizes in a wide variety of industries. It comes in two versions (lite and professional) that centralize and streamline maintenance activities including facility management and asset management. It also provides mobile access and a range of add-ons to ensure users get the most out of their version.
TheWorxHub
The WorxHub by Brightly (formerly Dude Solutions) is a cloud-deployed maintenance and operations management solution specially designed for healthcare organizations managing senior living facilities. It offers work order management, surveys and inspections, asset management, capital planning, preventive maintenance and reporting. It also helps achieve compliance, monitor energy consumption, regulate workflows and manage security. It manages transportation, room bookings and assets. It helps maximize revenue, encourage communication and create a better experience for residents. It integrates with popular tools like Cubigo, Viibrant, TouchTown and more. It provides insights and configurable reports to manage and maintain senior living facilities.
MaintiMizer
MaintiMizer by Ashcom Technologies helps manage work orders and track inventory, time cards, vendors, purchase orders and compliance. Made for companies of all sizes, it offers features like asset management, preventive maintenance, reporting and equipment reading. It also offers customization according to company needs and integration with SAP, PeopleSoft and Primax.
Planon
Planon provides facility and integrated workspace management to organizations of all sizes. It helps building owners and managers create workplaces that encourage learning, productivity and innovation.Users can choose from specialized versions that include IWMS, asset management, real estate management, sustainability management and more. With over 35 years of experience and thousands of customers worldwide, it provides highly integrated space and facility management.
Field Eagle
Field Eagle offers preventive, asset and maintenance management on a configurable scale for organizations of all sizes. A backbone of inspection and asset tracking combines with powerful integration options that help users maximize their operational productivity goals.It digitizes various maintenance tasks to achieve real-time updates and granular control of operations. This solution also centralizes communications for quicker, more efficient coordination and better risk management without switching to a different platform.
Fullbay
Fullbay is a cloud-based software that focuses on heavy auto repair businesses and streamlines time-consuming processes. Technicians, customers and managers can access real-time statuses and follow the entire repair process. A customer portal allows customers to request repairs, authorize work and pay invoices.
Ventyx
Acquired by ABB in 2010, Ventyx is an enterprise-grade ecosystem of maintenance, management and organization features. It ensures asset reliability for a range of companies, municipalities and operations worldwide. Some of its offerings include resource utilization, equipment monitoring, safety compliance, materials management and standardization.
OfficeTrax
Officetrax is a cloud-based solution that enables facility managers to handle multiple locations, vendors and customers through a unified interface. It connects each team member in real time. It automates tasks, generates insightful reports and analyzes data to lower costs and improve efficiency at multiple facilities.
Call SelectHub for a free 15-minute selection analysis: 1-855-850-3850
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